CITY FIRE HAZARD

Evening Star, Issue 25170, 9 May 1944, Page 6

CITY FIRE HAZARD

ARMY HUT IN HOSPITAL GROUNDS STRONG COMMENT OF COUNCILLORS '' It is time something was done to stop the Army using Gestapo methods in putting buildings where it likes," said Cr D. C. Jolly, a memiber of the Fire Board, when commenting at a meeting of the City Council last night on the report of the Works Committee protesting against the erection of a wooden hut in the Dunedin Hospital grounds for the records branch of the Army Department. The Fire Board viewed the matter with great apprehension, and he suggested that the council should protest against this fire hazard being erected in the Hospital grounds The chairman of the Works Committee (Cr John Wilson) said the district commander of the Army (Colonel S. M. Satterthw'aite) had communicated with him since the publication of the report, and said negotiations with the Hospital Board had been in progress for two months a.bout the location of the building. The colonel had stated that he did not wish to clash with the local authority. It seemed ridiculous, Cr Wilson said, that any board or department should not meet the controlling authority and comply with the by-laws. The Fire Board was concerned about the matter. Tf a fire occurred in the area it would have a bad effect on the public mind. BY-LAWS FLOUTED. The Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) said no public body or Government department should have the right to flout the by-laws. That seemed to have beeu doue in this instance. The building was in the middle of the wards, and if a fire occurred it might have serious results Two-thirds of the wooden buildings had been in position for a considerable time, and were now merely ibeing raised to the Hospital level, said Cr R. Walls. Electric heating and steam heating were being installed, and strict regulations were to be imposed prohibiting smoking in the hut. The huts had not h«en erected on the sites; they had merely been dragged there. The disposal of Army huts would create a serious problem at a later date, said Cr L. M. Wright. He asked if the committee would go into the question whether Army huts could be dragged on to city sections arid placed anywhere. " MOUNTAIN OUT OF MOLEHILL." I " I think we are making rather a 1 mountain out of a molehill," said Cr .1. MoCrae He had visited the site and found the hut complained of was surrounded by brick and concrete, and was about 50 feet away from any patient in the Hospital. Even the Hospital window sashes were steel framed. The hut was absolutely necessary for Army records, and no smoking Would be permitted in it. The council should be consistent. There were three Red Cross huts in the grounds, and he did not remember any objection being taken by the council or the Fire, Board to them, although he considered thev represented a greater fire risk The .Hospital Board had felt that there was no other place where, the hut could be put. However, it would have been a matter of courtesy for the Army to have taken the council into its confidence. The council should not try to raise a scare, because there was very little fire risk. Cr E. J. Smith said the council had always had the utmost courtesy from the Army, but in this instance the Army had the power and the council could do nothing. With the remark by Cr Wilson, that the hut should have been built in brick, the discussion closed and the report was adopted.