STATE FIRE OFFICE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 271, 12 August 1919, Page 8

STATE FIRE OFFICE

, FOUNDATION-STONE LAID

IMPORTANT BUILDING BEGUN

The foundation-stone of the new State Fire Insuranco building, at the corner of Waring-Tavlor Street and Lambton Quay, was laid yestefday morning bv the Hon. W. D. S. Mac-Donald, Minister in Cliargo cf the State Insurance Department. The Prime Minister (the Night Hon. W. 1 ? . Massey) and the -Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. U. linssell) were present, and there was a fairly large gathering of public service ofliccis and citizens.

Tho Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, after laying the stone, said that the site admittedly was one of tho finest in Wellington, and tho building that was'to occupy it would be worthy of the site. "Ho had noticed, a suggestion that the money about to be spent on the State Fire Office would have been better applied to the erection of schools. The public should understand that all tho money for the new building was coming from the accumulated funds of tiib State Fire Office, without any charge being made upon tho Consolidated Fund or the Public Works Fund. The building, continued tho Minister, was to be seven stories high, with a pavilion tower, its total height being 105 feet. It would have a frontage of 104 feet to Lambton Quay and 84 feet to Waring Taylor Street, with a. total base area of approimately 10,000 square feet. The whole facade would be faced with Kairuru marble from the Nelson district. The design, which had been prepared by Messrs. Hoggard, Prouse and Glimmer, architects, was a strikingly handsome one. It had been awarded first prize in open competition out of eleven designs. Tho form of construction was of the most modern earthquake and fire-resist-ing" type, commonly used in America in very much -higher buildings. The.frame was entirely'of steel, with walls of brick faced with marble, and floors of reinforced concrete. Except for doors and door frames there was practicallv no wood used in the buildiug. Special attention had been given to lighting and ventilation, and in this respect it would be second to no other building in New Zealand. Tho vacuutn cleaning service was to be installed in the basement, with tubes to all parts of Übo building, and a postal tube would connoct all floors with tho ground floor, where a clearing base would be installed. A handsome entrance on the corner would give direct access to the Stu.te Fire Insurance public-office. There would alsn be a spacious entrance on Lambton Quay and another on Waring 'J'av'or Street, each civiii? access to a stairway ajid automatic leiectric lift to the upper floors. The successful "ontractors were the Hansford-Mills Construction Company, and foe felt sure that the.y could be relied upon to complete the building in a first-class banner. creditable to themselves and to the architects.

"The . building will be much larger than is required for the operations of the State Fire Office in the immediate future," continued Mr. MacDonaid, ''out it must be remembered that this office is merely in its infancy, and great expansion of the business must be expected with the growth "of the Dominion's population and its. commercial expenaion. An effort has been made here to gauge that future growth, and to adequately provide for it, and in this way avoid the ei" which has been made in 6o many r -üblic and private''buildings of crecting structures which in a very few years prove inadequate for their purposes. ■ Apart from this aspect, it is certain to prove a good investment for the reserve funds which it is necessary for the office to accumulate for the purpuse_ of safeguarding its cver-inereasing liabilities due to rapid expansion ofHJie sum underwritten each year. This sum during the- present year will exceed ,£20,003,000. But there is still another reason. an all-important-one, for the building of so large a structure.- A number .►f (he other State Departments are very iiiad.'iquhtfiy housed,' and several others have oulgrcivn their present accommodation ; others still are spread over several buildings, making for disorganisation ■;iud uneconomical working. It became imperative to have somo building where these Departments could be efficiently and economically housed! and six floors of this building will be used for that purpose. If this building had not been erected bv the State Fire Office the Government would have been faced with the crection of a similar building out of pul>lic works funds, and these funds are greatly needed for urgent development works which have been retarded by the irar conditions. There is still another reason for erecting a. substantial building, which is that the building must be adequate to the site. This site is undoubtedly- one .of the finest in the city, ii.nd jt would lie folly to erect a building wliieli would in future fail to give an adequate return on the rising value of the land and to provide for ,the prospective growth of the Department." il jiacDorald reviewed the jjrowth of the State Fire Office, and paid a tribute to the ivork of the General Manager (Mr. C. E. C. Robieson) and the staff.

The Prime Minister- said l\e could congratulate the officers of the State Fire Offico very heartily on the results that thev had secured. The expansion of the business of the office during the past fourteen years had been very remarkable. and had fully justified the venture authorised by Parliament. Ho believed that the growth of the office would eontmuo for a great many years to come. The Hon. (j. W. Russell also congratulated the Minister and the Department. Fie said that the Government Lifo Insurance Department had an excellent arrangement by which a portion of the profits were returned to policy-holders. He Ironed that eventually the State Firo OUice would atjopt a similar arrangement and so effect a further reduction of insurance rates.

At the invitation of Mr._ MaeDonald, the gathering gave'cheers for the General Manager and the staff, and the.proceedings closed with the National Anthem.