DEFECTIVE APPLIANCES AND WANT OF SYSTEM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 33

DEFECTIVE APPLIANCES AND WANT OF SYSTEM.

THE QUESTION OF INSURANCE. (Fbojc Oub Owir Cobbbspondkct.J WELLINGTON, December 12. Everyone is beginning to realise now that the destruction of Parliament Buildings is going to result in a great deal of inconvenience to Parliament itself, not only because of the loss of both Chambers, the committee rooms, offices, Bellamy's, etc., but also particularly in connection with the loss of documents, many bpund copies of Hansard, acts of Parliament, and other valuable and necessary volumes. There is a great deal of talk here about some important matters connected with the fire. The theory of electric wire fusion is scouted by experts. More likely a rat (the buildings were infested with them) has carried away a match from the Native interpreters' room. Maoris who congregated there are usually great smokers, and not over careful about matches. Another point is that the buildings' were not connected direct with the Fire Brigade station —an extraordinary thing. Then, again, the night watchman is 73 years of age. A man of that age cannot be expected to be alert or to have the keei*sense of smell and hearing that is necessary in connection with fire detection. It appears that de did not give the alarm to tn« brigade, but simply rang —pressed the apparatus in the buildinp, which would alarm nobody but himself. There was a street alarm about a hundred yards away, whioh might have been rung. Having broken two <jf the alarm glasses in the buildings in different places, which of course was of no use, lie says: " I then ran down to open the gatoa to let the brigade in. Then I went back, turned on what lights I could, and pullfed out the big hose which is kept in the building, to do what I could to prevent the fire from spreading. The flames were roaring like big guns by this time. I left the nozzle of the hose near the fire, to take the tanks out of the hose, and by the time I got back tho hese was burnt through, rendering the appliance useless. Finally, the appliances m the building for keeping a fir* in check were in an almost rotten condition. Two pressmen saw a hose before it 9aa burnt, which bad burst as if it were made of calico: while some of the appliances were found oat to fit—a satire on, j>* inspection .of fire

appliances in public buildings. Finally, there was great, difficulty in getting telephone connection. I myself made repeated efforts to telephone to the chief librarian and to Mr Otterson (the clerk of the House of Representatives), but could get no reply from the Exchange. The man in charge later on informed a olerk in the buildings over the wire that he was out looking at the fire. Although the buildings which have been destroyed were uninsured at the time of the fire, such was not always the case. In August, 1878, there waa laid on the table of the House of Representatives a return giving details regarding the insurance of the public buildings. The insurances on the Parliamentary . Buildings, Molesworth street, are given in this return as follows*. —New Zealand, ; £2500; Liverpool and London, £1000; Royal, £2000; Victoria. £1500; Northern, £2500; Imperial, £2500; London and Lanoashire, £1000; South British, £3000; Standard, £2000; National, £2000; total, £20,000. The rate of premium on the above insurances was 40s per cent, and the -estimated value of the property was act down at £25,000. In the column headed "By public tender or private arrangement" there appear the words: "No special arrangement; premiums paid at current rates." A footnote states.: "The premiums payable in the oity of Wellington are subject to a discount of 12£ per oent." The return also shows that the books in the General Assembly Library were insured during the same year for £5000. The estimated value of the books was £13,800. The return further shows that Government; House, Wellington, was valued at £28,000, and was insured during 1878 /or £10,000, distributed among several dffices. The departmental offices on Lambton quay were valued at £55,000, and were insured for £4000 in the New Zealand office and £2000 each in eitrht other offices, making,a total of £20,000. The return also shows insurances effected on the Government buildings, hospital, and luna-" tic asylum, at Nelson, the Auckland Hospital, public buildings at Gisborce, and the building described as "late Public Works offices" (now portion of printing offices, Wellington). This last was valued at £3000, and insured for £2000. - The New South Wales Government formerly insured its buildings in itp own State Fire Insurance Fund, but this waa abolished a few years ago, when it had £2304 standing to its credit. A parliamentary return made on November 29, "1906, showed' that during the previous two years the buildings; furniture, etc., belonging to the State had been insured for £2,794,251. This amount was distributed among a large number of insurance companies. The manager of one of the leading colonial insurance companies informed me that the records of his office did not show when the insurances mentioned above were given up. He concluded that it. was the outcome of the decision of tho Government to become its own insurer. He added, however, that big wooden buildings containing electric wires were "regarded Iby insurance men as sources of danger. Night watchmen were not looked upon as a success generally speaking, from the point of view of fire prevention, while hose and other apparatus (kept in and about a building are often, an additional danger rather than a protection, because the plant was usually inefficient, and the hose was^ allowed to silently rot. Then, when an inexpert person came to use the hose, the water was likely to be turned on suddenly. and the hose blown to atoms. ■ Time after time this gentleman had seen hoses burst when they were being proudly displayed by their owners. Speaking with reference to the Government Buildings on Lambton quay, described as the largest wooden building in the world, he said that his company regarded the block as such a source of danger that they consistently refused to take risks on buildings near by, which they considered were within the danger zone. This applied to a number of wooden buildings on the opposite side of Lambton quay, running southwards from JJowen street. | I 1 ! | j