PARLIAMENT HOUSE FIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2064, 16 December 1907, Page 1

PARLIAMENT HOUSE FIRE.

CLEARING AWAY THE DEBRIS. Special to Times. WELLINGTON, Dec. 13. To-day moil are busy in the ruins of Parliamentary buildings pulling down tho tall chimnoy stacks and clearing the debris. AN UNUSUAL PRECAUTION. The burning of tho Parliamentary Buildings has created a feeling of uneasiness in regard to somo of the other largo structures bolongingtotho Government. Naturally, tho buildings on Lambton Quay are tho Bubject of most anxiety. It is stated on good authority that all tho finger-print records collected for tho Police Department wore at ono time kept without any special precautions against fire in the top story of tho big wooden building. It is not known whether they aro thero still or whether they liavo been removed to a safer place. Tho fearsome idea has been mooted that some criminal at large might for the purpose of destroying tho jiroofs of his own identity set firo to tho building. In such a way a. much anoro terrible conflagration than that of Wednesday morning might bostartod. It is rumored that one of tho Ministers has received au anonymous letter containing t-h«j information that the Govenimf-ni' -Buildings are to be burned down. Yesterday the unusual sight was witnessed of a Permanent Artilleryman .pacing up, and down tho grounds in front of , tho Buildings and- last evening two' bell tents wore noticed in the rear, of the grounds in the shelter of some trees. The corridors of the building wore all lit throughout the night. These facts undoubtedly seem to indicate uneasiness as to the safety of the Buildings. THE FATE OF RECORDS. An inspection of tho Parliament House cellar, in which a quantity of old records of the House were stored, shows that little damage has been done there. The fire had crept along tho wooden beams of the ceiling, but the records were untouched. Only a very small amount of water had gained admittance. .Mr. Low has found, on going through the Journal notes that were saved that a gap of about a week exists. He can only surmise that the missing papers were lost out of the bundlo during the -salving operations. As it is on these notes that dependence is now placed for a record ol the proceedings of the House it. means that unless the papers turn up tho Journal for 1007 will not be complete. Air Rutherford lost a considerable quantity of personal property in the lire, including some valuable jewellery. He estimates his total loss at £lO5. It is not expected that there will bo any great difficulty in suppling conies of back numbers of Journals and Hansards for those that have been- lost. There are reserve supplies' that can be drawn upon. In regard to Statutes the loss will hardly be felt, as the consolidated issues of all the Acts of New Zealand will bo completed by next session. The Journals of the House for the session just passed were completed up to September 17th last by the Printing Office. The. Journal was more extensive this year than for many years previously on account of the large quantity of committee work that had been transacted. , (LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LOSS. -Mr Leonard 'Stowe, clerk of the Legislative Council, was surprised on opening a Milner safo from which the debris had been cleared to find that a bundle olf Acts to which the Governor’s and Mr Stowe’s signatures had been attached were intact. They had been carefully wrapped in brown paper and only the wrapper was a little scorched, yet the lead in- the anterior of the safo had been mei ted and lay in a lump at 'the bottom) The safe must have felt the fullest heat of tho fire. As to tho g°noral loss to the Legislative Council, “It is a terrible catastrophe to us,” .sa>d Mr Stowe. Everything had been burned— Statutes, ordinances, many valuable books and papers, records, the whole ' of the copies of tho Standing (a;ders —all bad been wiped clean cut of existence and the Council would have to start over again. In addition Here were old Provincial Council ordinan- 1 cos,' many of which Air Stowe himself ; had collected at considerable trouble. In the Council Chamber were oil paintings of the late Sir Wm. Fitzliei'bert, Sir James Richardson (forimer Speakers) and a -photo;.*aph of 'Mr Massey Richmond (chairman of committees up to .1878) anil iliese were all destroyed. The wh lie contents of the Private Bills Office including books of reference, also went the same way. Air Stowe personally ; lost many things which ho valued 1 greatly including an old copy of “lAlav” which was given him by the Chairman of Committees of the House otf Commons. FATE OF THE ALICE. One notable loss by the fire is that of the Alace of the House of Representatives. It was kept in a separate cupboard near the- -Speaker's Room and no-body seems to hive thought of it on tho morning of tho firo. Tho exact intrinsic value of the 'Alace is estimated at from £IOO to £2OO. It is understood to be gold mounted and to contain jewels. Officers of the -House who have long been in the service say the Alace was a , present to the House by Sir Charles , Clifford, the -first speaker, whose term was from- 1854 to 18-50. '

mediate neighborhood of Parliament House, and all that has been erected on tho present site would have to bo abandoned and a fresh start made in a new neighborhood if a chango avero decided on. Altogether it is clear that the Alount Ciook schomo would involvo an enormous expenditure which the country, cannot afford ; further, until centralisation of the departments could bo effected, a process that must bo spread over many years, tho public services would be carried on at great inconvenience, entailing considerable additions to tile cost of administration. Public buildings on an adequate scale are of course a necessity, but wo should make shift with what we have got as long as possible, instead of borrowing huge sums for work that would be for the most part un reproductive. To erect public buildings in the Capital on tho scale of the Dunedin railway station icr instance would bo absolutely impossible. There are some swelled heads among ns and the change from Colony to Dominion appears to justify it disregard of all the ordinary standards of prudence and economy for present needs. Let the new Parliament House not necessarily be an imposing and costly structure. Lot it be erected on the old site, and when the ifcimo o-ines for further expansion lot a new home .be provided for the Governor, and bis -present domain bo allocated to new public offices. The utmost requirements of the future can be provided for in this way, while tho scandal of an extravagant and vainglorious expenditure far ill excees of present needs will also bo avoided. Since the above was written we note that the Premier, in his speech at Dunedin yesterday, showed duo appreciation of tho possibilities of t;.o Government -House site, but also talks of building'something that would be for all time a credit to the Dominion. A Dominion, with a, big D of course, requires a big house, and a big house will require big salaries for its members, and all these things will require more big loans, to end in a big smash some day. Surely such a time as tho present, when we are beginning to feel the backwash of the financial crisis in tho United States and our wool sales are toiling their tale to the most -thoughtless, as the worst possible time for the extravagance which Sir Joseph Av'ard appears to contemplate.” VIEWS -OF LOCAL MEMBERS.

•Some local members were interviewed on this question. Air. Barber wants new buildings erected at the Alount Cook site (within his own constituency) but this is too ridiculous a suggestion to be taken seriously. Air. Wilford does not regard tho Premier’s suggestion favorably. He says it will be quite enough for the country to foot the bill for the new wing now in process of erection, and to rebuild that part of tho old building destroyed by fire. Neither docs lie favor a particularly ornate structure. Parliament should bo satisfied with a. substantial building, and arrangements should be made to go on with the work at once. The Alount Cook suggestion was in his opinion absurd. Air. Fisher suggested i conference of members to settle tho whole question. “The Dominion” states that it is estimated that with the new Parliamentary Buddings, the General Post Office and -the. Public Trust Office in course of erection tlie Government v ill be involved in building in AVellington next .year to the extent of £200,000. If it is decided to put in hand the proposed new railway station and the additions to tho new drill hall in Buckle street that sum will easily amount to a quarter of a. million sterling. AHNISTERS’ LOSSES. So far as can bo ascertained Aiinisters’ losses in -connection with the recent fire at Parliament Buildings are not great. Almost everything was taken out of Sir Joseph AYard’s room, which fronts the main entrance. Alessrs. Fowlds, M.cGowan, and Alillar, had shifted to their offices in the departmental buildings. Air Carroll is one of the chief losers, as he lost some valuable Maori curios and casli—- ' probably £IOO in all. Dr. Findlay ost a number of bis own law and other books, and Air AlcNab, as already stated is a. loser in the matter of some historical works. AIINISTERS -GATHERING. P*ess Association. ORRI.STCJIU.RCH, Dec. 15 The Right IHon. the Prime Minister (Sir J. G. AVard) spoilt a busy morning -receiving deputations. In tho afternoon- ho was -present for a period at the Christchurch Racing Club’s meeting, and later attended the cricket match. Sir Joseph left' for AA r ellington by the late steamer this evening. Hie Hon. R. AlcNab and tlio Hon. J. A. Millar, who arrived from the South- by the late express, also left for AVellington by the same boat. .THE DESTROYED EXAMINATION PAPERS. AVELLINGTON, Dec. 15. In reference to -complaints of matriculation students about dates arranged -for tlieir second examination, tho Hon. G. Fowlds, ‘Minister of Education, intends to consult Sir Robert Stout, Chancellor of the University, on the matter to-morrow. Air. Fowlds thinks it would be very difficult to -get tlio necessary papers ready before- Christinas.