Government “Unfair” Over Skyscraper Plan

Press, Volume C, Issue 29685, 1 December 1961, Page 9

Government “Unfair” Over Skyscraper Plan

(New Zealand Preu Association}

AUCKLAND. Nov. 30. Mr R. J. Kerridge said, on his return from the United States today, that the Government was a little unfair in trying to absolve itself completely from responsibility in the decision not to proceed with the 21-storey skyscraper on the Majestic Theatre site. Queen street. Auckland. The Minister ot Customs (Mr Marshall) had suggested that aa the materials needed for the contract could be procured through local sources with import licences already issued, said Mr Kerridge. •This is quite unrealistic." he said. “All of the materials for which import approval was sought were to be supplied by overseas suppliers who bold no licences.” Asked whether the amount of the lowest tender—£2.67o.ooo—was a factor in not proceeding with the skyscraper, Mr Kerridge said that, had there been general approval for the imports, there would have been aego tiations in an effort to bring the Anal cost within economic limits. Reason for Visit He said it was with the objw of negotiating with the architects and contractors on those lines that he visited the United States. ‘The discussions could not proceed as the decision of the Minister that licences would not be available was comanuairated to me after my arrival in the United States,” said Mr Kerridge. Approval of the issue of licences was a prerequisite to has firm entering into any contract with the lowest tenderer, the Vinnell Corpora-

‘.ion, of Los Angeles, Mr KerL, ridge said. e The essential Import cone tent of the contract amounted -to about £550,000. An ap- - plication had been made to - the Minister for general apo proval of the issue of licence r value required. c Mr Kerridge said he t wished to repeat that he was) not critical of the decision s taken by the Minister, but he j regretted that the Minister i had endeavoured to absolve . his Government from respons sibility. y “At no stage did I endeavour to place the entire •> responsibility with the Govs eminent, nor was it my dej sire to embarrass the Government in any way,” he s said. He said the Minister’s ac- . tion in declining to give any undertaking for the issue of " licences was understood and accepted with tolerance j "which the present finance , circumstances demand.” , Mr Kerridge declined to give details at the type of , building whin* will now be ’ erected bn toe Majestic Theatre site, but said it would “add to toe aesthetics of Queen' street” He would not comment on e whether his firm had cotnB pletely abandoned the akye scraper conception for toe site. He said the planning * of a new building will begin £ immediately. s , u s y Computer For University.— ” An electronic computer three times faster than Australia’s f fastest computer at Woosnera, o South Australia, wifi be ins' stalled at Sydney Univer- - sity's School of Physics.— - Sydney, November 29.