FILM IN BOND

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1929, Page 3

FILM IN BOND

PRECAUTION AGAINST FIRE

CONCRETE WALLED VAULT

WELLINGTON, June 15

“ Have you any matches? ” asked a Customs officer as a “Dominion” representative was about to enter the only film bond store in Wellington yesterday afternoon. Giving an assurance that he had none in liis possession, he gained admission to the vault, through which passes the great majority Qf film that comes into New Zealand.

Wellington possesses the largest film storing bonds in the Dominion. Owing to the highly inflammable nature of kinematograph films extreme care is necessary in the handling and storing of them, vail >lc messages in yesterday’s newspapers announced that one film corporation had lost £50,000 worth d’ kincma films, mostly the latest “talkies,” .owing to an outbreak of fire in one of the bond stores on the Sydney waterfront. New Zealand lias so far been fortunate in not having any serious fires of this nature, probably largely due to the fact that the Customs agents, together with the supervising Government officials, are very particular about the manner in which fire precautions arc observed.

There need ho no misgivings as 1 1 the possibility of an occurrence similar to that in Sydney in the Wellington film storing bond in Sydney Street. The vault has been so designed that the possibility of fire is reduced to a minimum. The walls 'ire df eonereti. six inches in thickness, and there nio two four-leet flues, which rise 20 feet above the roof of the vault, and three feet above that of the main building. The films themselves are plated in circular metal containers, which in

turn are packed on steel racks, with ample ventilation between. Nothing is left to chance, and even the electric light globes in the vault tire installed inside fireproof coverings. The vault is sealed by a fireproof door, '"liich is kept closed by automatic mechanism. A pungent explosive gas comes away from the film, but this rapidly escapes by means of the flues. In the event of a fire in the surrounding building the films in thp vault would he perfectly safe from the flames. Conversely, an outbreak inside the vault emil i not do any damage beyond the confines of its walls.

The vault in Wellington lias constantly in its care “talkie” and silent pictures, the value of which runs into six figures. It is capable holding three million feet of film. When visited yesterday it was estimated tnat over £1,000,000 worth of film were on the racks, though they were then a long way from being fully utilised. ft might be mentioned that owing to the-destruction of film in Sydney on Wednesday, Australia has found it necessary to draw on New Zealand s supplies still in bond. A quantity of film from the Wellington bond store was dispatched north by the express yesterday afternoon to connect v ith the Sydney boat at Auckland to-day.