WELLINGTON FIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 February 1939, Page 8

WELLINGTON FIRE

REASONS GIVEN FOR BUILDING IN WOOD STEEL NOT OBTAINABLE. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The action of the Government in using timber for the construction of the Social Security Building destroyed by fire was defended by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, yesterday. He said circumstances had forced the Government into the use of wood when the building was planned. “The Government has no desire to erect timber buildings if it is at all possible to avoid doing so, and is pushing on as rapidly as adverse building conditions will permit with the erection of permanent buildings,” said Mr Semple. “The erection of a temporal’/ building in the vicinity of the Government centre when the destroyed structure was commenced had become imperative because of the utter inadequacy of the existing Government buildings and the impossibility of renting suitable accommodation. “Offices were required for the rapidly increasing staff's of the various departments and the new departments that came into existence through the Government’s policy. The previous Government had shamefully neglected the building of Government offices. It had not kept pace with the demands of the Public Service even in its own day, let alone provided for an increase.

“It is easy now to condemn the Government for the erection of a, timber building, but at the time there was no other method of expediting the provision of the office accommodation of which the Government was desperately in need. Had that building not been burnt it would have provided accommodation far in advance in comfort and usefulness of any other Government building now in use.”

Mr Semple said that when the building was started a reinforced concrete building was out of the question. Apart from the difficult demolition work later it would have been more costly, and it was almost impossible to obtain steel for reinforcing in a reasonable time. The decision to erect a timberframe building was reached after a good deal of investigation and there was no reason to suppose it was unsafe. The main Government building, which was of timber, had been in use for nearly 70 years. The foundations of the Aitken Street building were of reinforced concrete and approximately one-third of the area was covered by a concrete basement The frame work was of Australian hardwood, floor joists and exterior framing of rimu, and the whole was 1 sheathed with matai planks covered by building felt which would have been plastered. For the purpose of ordering, materials the building was divided into three blocks and one block was almost ready for occupation. It had been subdivided for office use and the linoleum floors and paining were almost completed.

ACTION CRITICISED. DISCUSSION AT FIRE BOARD. WELLINGTON. This Day. The erection of wooden buildings, particularly in a "brick area,” was criticised by members of the Wellington Fire Board at the monthly meeting yesterday, when the work of the brigade at the Aitken Street fire on Thursday' morning received high praise. Referring to the erection of wooden buildings in brick areas, Mr S. S. Dean, chairman of the board, said he was not criticising the present Government, because it had happened with previous ones. No Government or local body should be permitted to erect a wooden building in such an area. The fire shewed what could happen. With embers flying for hundreds of yards, only the rain prevented the possible wiping out of Thorndon. There was a moral obligation to safeguard the lives and welfare of citizens.

“I have discussed the matter with the Minister of Public Works, Mr Semple, and the Chief Engineer, Mr Wood," said the speaker, "and they made it quite clear that certain conditions governed the erection of the temporary structure. But 1 am a little alarmed that they are going to put up another building and see what timbers can be used. I sincerely trust that the Government in its wisdom will not make it another wooden structure.”

P. Eastwood, 5 Perry Street, is Chief Agent for General Accident and Fire Assurance Corporation, Ltd. (Inc. in Scotland).:" _______