GOVERNMENT CONTRACT TERMINATED,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 82, 31 December 1907, Page 5

GOVERNMENT CONTRACT TERMINATED,

I'AKHAMKN'J.'ARY : ':BOILDINGS- ex- ; ... ..■;:' Ever since tho firo at the Parliamentary iluildings work on the,intended annexe facing ' Sydney Street has ,■ boon'. solemnly ■ gone on. with, as if, destruction had never overtaken tho structure of which it was designed to form tho complement. AVorkmen have l>eon busy raising walls, which .other work-, mcii may now bo called upon to pull down. Such a fate'is not unlikely, for at'last it has been definitely decided not to proceed with the building, and yesterday tho con-, tractor (Mr. Train) .was givun notice of the' termination of his. contract; .Work was imr mediately discontinued/ \- Tho building was to" - have, contained: the new JJellamy's dining : ropm, ~ with socialroom, the Maori Committeo room, and soyoral Ministers' rooms. Tho idea was that when it was completed the oldest wooden section of the building, that has smco been destroyed by (ire, ''.would be 'dismantled and rebuilt in a more permanent fashion. The plana of the nnnoxe were specially designed so that it should harmonise'with the main building as it existed before tho fire. After tho firo occurred. the question arose as to whether these plans should'bo liirgely.modified in view of the changed conditions, or tho building abandonod altogether: The adoption of the latter courso will make tho Govern-; ment liable to the contractor (Mr. Train) for a considerable sum iii!'compensation. Tho amount of' Mr. Train's tender for the building was £21,500, and work Jias gone (in for six months. The contract would • havo boon much further forward, but for continuous difficulties experienced ;»m; laying; tho foundations, caused by tho"" slippery nature of tho bank on which tho contractor had to work. These difficulties had been successfully surmounted when tho order camo to discontinue work. •,...;>. Mr. Train was unwilling yesterday to say anything about tho position or his claim.for compensation to a DoinNiox.- representative'. Thcro was a large quantity'bf timber oh the ground, which Mr. Train was measuring up, and further loads had just-arrived for purposes of tho contract, which • had been ordered before notice of its termination was received. Mr. Train camo from Invercargill to'tako up tho contract. Progress 'payments tiavp, of course, beeii mado to him already, during tho continuance of the work. ;