WHAT THE NIGHT WATCHMAN SAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 66, 11 December 1907, Page 9

WHAT THE NIGHT WATCHMAN SAYS.

WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. / The' nightwatchman, Mr. Webley, states that ho hea'rd, the -crackling and located the .fire uusido-tho interpreter's room, on tho upper '/floor in the middlo of the yoodenwing, at about 2.10 . a.m. He had passed tlie placo .on his customeary round a few minutes before, and noticed nothing. Ho at once alarmed tho fire. brigade. An observer from Mount Victoria states that (ho 'saw tho firo break.through the roof at about 2.2U 'a.m., so id must havo had • a strong hold, when it was observed; arid, of course, tho' task was doubly difficult' when, the Fire Brigade arrived. Neither the night-watch-, man nor the caretaker (Mr. Robinson) can form liny idea as to the cause; there wai: no fireplace in tho interpreter's room", i;nr anything elso, as far as is known, ; tout would bo likely to start tho conflagration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS. '.• '' ■ ' \ ' AN INTERESTING HISTORY. Parliament Hous'o, Wellington, was one of the most extensive wooden structures in the world, and ite situation' admirably 'chosen, boing on the. rising ground, enclosed .Dy Sydney, Molesworth and Hill Streets, at tho Thorndon or north end of the City. Tho bniildings are exclusively used by tho Legislature, and wcro erccted'in 1873 from plans .prepared by tho i Colonial ' architect,. Mr Clayton. Provious'.to this ,tlio General Uov T woro inadequate for the. requirements of the time, and a number of departments had their offices within tho buildings. . t ... ■ During tho' session of 1870 Mr Gisborno, then Colonial Secretary and Loader of the Legislative (,Assombly, made a statement to the.'ciffeot- that- it'iwas necessary; for' the 'Legislature to put its house' in ordor. ' It had been reported .that, tho roof of the buildings was in such a prccariou's condition that an earthquake .or a galo of wind might bring it down. Mr' (afterwards Sir W.) Fox gavo similar information'in the Lower House and a-joint committee of both Houses was appointed to report upon any alterations or now .erections which might be thought necessary for tho accommodation of the Government ,'and the Assembly. At that time the present departmental buildings had no existcnco, and the wholo of the General Government staff 4 was accommodated either in Parliament Buildings or in rented offices in the neighbourhood. This was so inconyeniont as well as costly that arrangements wero made about' tho sn[mo time to erect special buildings for the permanent occupation of tho' departments. ■ No definite action was taken until 1879 when Sir. James Hector and Mr Clayton V>th reported on tho ravages made by by dry rot in' the roofj and recommended the immediate re-construction .of tho builaings as sooi) as

the session of that year terminated. Plans wero propared arid tho work proceeded with, and in tho following the" Goneral Assembly was held in tho present buildings. Tho contract price of the re-construction was £5218, 'for'tho House of Representatives, and£623o for the Legislative Council,, arid there have boon-'considerable-sums expended annually sinco then. In tho recess of - 1893-1804 ex- - tensive alterations were made." Tho Legisla-' tive Council furniture 'was removed, ' tho .grounds re-arranged, a thorough system of ventilation established by. means, of' fans driven by electric motors, and- special ap--pliances laid on to purify, heat, and distribute air throughout the building. 'A'o provide for this,..a chamtier had to bo excavated under the buildings, and the necessary inlets constructed,: and at the same time an'installation of electricity for lighting the' buildings / was laid on throughout, arid the acoustic properties of the. chambers improved. , , The accommodation providod in the Legislative Council consisted of two'rooms for the Speaker, one for the Clerk to' tho Council, a reading iWm for members, .a stranger's reception room, .two for messengers, a storeroom, / and the Chamber iteolf■ on* the ground floor. The\lattcr was decorated, fnrnished, and upholstered in the most effective modern -style, and contained portraits of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Richmond, Sir William Fitzherbert, and Major Richardson,: who havo acted as Speakers of tho Council. Above tho Chamber wero tho galleries, separate accommodation being provided for. strangers, Hansard reporters, . tho Press, ladies, Members of tho House of Representatives, their wives, and tho wives of Members of tho Council. On the-first floor wore two committee rooms, a room for

the .Chairman of. Comniitteo, two bill offices, the record . office, a room for tho interpreter, and a. dressing-room for'the clerks. .Access to the corridor was gained from the Upper Chamber. This was a handsome room 101 feet in length-by 25 in width, lofty and lighted from tho top, and tho walls wore covered ; with portraits and photos of members, past and - present, singly and in groups, and views of scenery and tho show places of the Colony. There was also a magnificent painting of Her llajesty, 'presented during tho session of 1895 by Sir John Hall. The corridor was handsomely furnished with easy chairs and lounges, and being tho common property of both Houses, was a favourite meeting-place where affairs of State could'bo discussed in an iinbfHicia] way and without fear of May.'s ' Parliamentary Practice, bringing legislators to book by tho Speaker.

I On the one sido of the corridor are the quarters devoted to the comfort of members, and known as "Bellamy's." These consist of tho large dining-room, which is capable of accommodating 100 persons; the bar is at one end, and underneath is tho cellarage, sixty feet by forty, and the bonded store. 011 the first floor is the kitchen, connected with the ground floor by a lift, and above that aro the bedrooms of the cooks and waiters, of whom there aro the cooks and waiters, who are only employed during the session. The custodian of the buildings has an apartment near the entrance to "Bellamy's."' From tho corridor and. nearer tho House of Representatives, access is gained to tho codec room, and the two Whip's rooms, and the /lavatory. • The accommodation provided in that portion of the House set apSirt for the popular assembly included 48 rooms. Tho ground floor of the south wing provided three rooms for Mr. .Speaker and three for the clerks. On the first floor were committee rooms, and on the top floor committee rooms, Hansard rooms and clerk's rooms.. Of rccent years the new brick, addition for housing the Library .has been added. ' Had tho library' been in its old place the'thousands of volumes of valuable works would now have been a mass of burning embers.

This htigo fire and the great loss of valuable documents' and papers, will impress on the public the need; of fire-proof safes. Cjhubbs's . safes can be ; relied on ' on : all occasions. Messrs Gnalter,' Dykes and ' Co., Featherston Street, aro New Zealand managers for. the Chtibbs Safes Companyl—Advt.