NELSON CATHEDRAL

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 55, 2 September 1924, Page 5

NELSON CATHEDRAL

A REQUEST. 1

:■:■''' {-/.. (FEOM OCR OV!n COBRESPONDENI.) r':^--r^- /JSTELSONi Ist .September?,: i''A;deputation from the :C_athedraiyestry,;: consisting of .'■ Professor Easterfield and Messrs. A. Dyson.and."G. Samuel, Waited/on !the; City. Council, asking for permission- to use.the: buildingi for, a: further -period of twelve ;to ■;!.eighteen^ Inoriths.-" ;'• '; ''■■ ::yr -\:jS:'r,'-0/^' '■'■ ■■' '..'■

■'■ ,-Professor ! Easterfieidi'stated fthat • re-; {pairs/.costing £190 .had.been!, effected {during".the- last three ;years Vund'er:;', the. ■ablefcguidance;of<the'" .City«• Engineer.; These/have'.proved-so satisfactory that? although the building.presents a_ delap-; idated appearance outside, the;.interior., was quite-good. „;v:!It was;'not-intended' 'to:i:isp;ehd.Vany{:mbre.money onArepairs,;: {but/at the {same-time .they did. not wish; ; :toVyacate; / the"buildiri&/' until •■■'Jf-'-.'-'.was-r:kbsqiutely'''iinfif to; hold! .services'therein-: or{Hn;thV:altefnative,;until3the proposed: /ne>v{'dathedral;was-.corhmeric'ed."'-The vos-'-. ftry '.Had:;;been. 'assured"'-;by..{; cornpeterit 'autlioritiesthae; there was 'no danger of V ,Ttha'■;■ collapse. of - the;: roof ,'•{ and; that the pillars ■ supporting', the.'main' roof 'had,not deviated -' {a ; fraction> of..'.' !an : ihch\ since the! day {of'erection'/{that'now .that tlie{ rpillars. .-supportihg. the tower. had. | been. reinWced; .with' concrete blocks it would be. quite': safe to. rebuild' the' spire if:jt were- desn;edt6{do so; .that df/ihe.j weather boarding: was renewed, spouting arid'ddwh pipes attended tp,{the{build-ing-{would last many: years., 'The desire 'to retain the. use or the'building., for a flirther period was very general amongst the'jeongregation, many members; of: which'! were .baptised,'' confirmed/ . arid married in "the .-building. , The confid-'. ence. of the public .and{parishioners..inI '■ .the structure was evinced, by the fact that they ; continued to -attend {in large numbers ;at a recent ' service' there was ! not a seat vacant.; Should the building be. 'closed before :. it was absolutely :■ necessary - ; to -do!so; a. very deep/feeling: o f j ;resentnient:; w^is'! likely .to ; be'-;-'arbus"ed: -throughout the: city..;. .■{",' -. ;." V- -. {Replying to ■ Councillor Coltman, Professor : Easterfield said the new!, cathed-: ral would 'not.be commenced,: before .eighteen,months:....: •_■ .'•.>.!. -'

;■-,- Councillor' Stringer : .'!Do you want' ayear.or eighteen . months ?"-. V; !- ; ; iProfessor; Easterfield{Y "We !are; asking, for twelve months, with therequest , that a ' further" extension! will ,be favourably! considered.".; - ■.••'■..'..•". .i!"■'■'■■; .'■,-■ i: Councillor Edwards asked if the application .was refused,, what-would: be,' ;the{ inconvenience.<■'■■ ■: ?, !;.!" ■ „;.,; . '„' :Professor/Easterfield V! "bid: people would ..especially resent it,^ and girls wsuld not be :■ married in the: hall! (the Marsden Hall), .and would go {o! WelImeton. or Blenheim{for. the -purpose " '■ iS -he de P"ta*'io'1 had and the matter : came up for {considera-tion-later Councillor Moffatt/asked 'the:. engineer -for his .views on the/matter.; : ■■Mr, -Littlejphn;"said that with the r,epairthat S% had. been:; ma de ;the{building safe for sometime to come,, and sho^H Waa ( ""^^n, why the request. ■S? ■ not' be granted. : ; . ■ The,councirdecided:to Vive a furthnr