BROADCASTING STUDIO

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 3, 3 July 1940, Page 9

BROADCASTING STUDIO

WORK ON COMMERCIAL BUILDING

(By reiegrapn.) (Special to the "Evening Post.".

AUCKLAND, This Day

The shortage of steel and scarcity of carpenters and concrete workers, accentuated by the rush camp job at Waiouru, will mean that Auckland's IZB commercial broadcasting studio in Durham Street West will not be completed by November as originally scheduled. It is possible that the fivestoreyed building will not be ready for occupation before June or July next year. Sheathed in a maze of tubular scaffolding the building has now assumed recognisable sfhape. Two floors have been completed aHeady, and a start is being made on the third. Shortly, the plastering and interior decoration will be commenced on the lower floors.

The job in normal times would accommodate about 100 workmen of various trades comfortably, but the number dropped to about 60 some time ago, and now is much less. All the necessary brickwork which separates the side of the studio from adjoining buildings on the side farthest from Durham Street has been completed, but the contractors, Messrs. N. Cole, Ltd., are now faced with the fact that the necessity of completing the camp at Waiouru may mean that the ranks of available workmen will be depleted, the military needs being more urgent. The shortage of steel for building jobs which became fairly serious months ago was accentuated by th© Australian coal strike and its effect on the industry. Though Government works have suffered little through the shortage, State supplies are necessarily apportioned according •to urgency of contract. Each floor of IZB had its plumbing and electrical fittings installed as the work progressed and there has been no actual hold-up on the work. It has rather been a slowing down.

A good deal of labour has been saved by the use of tubular scaffolding, which has made its first appearance in Auckland. It is easily adjusted and of great strength and can be built in such a manner that will bear the heaviest weights, and can be used even for stonemason's work.

Though the present studio in Queen Street is cramped it is not considered that any delay in the erection of the new studio will cause great inconvenience. It is expected that the Waiouru contract will be finished in record time, and when there is an influx of labour to the market once more IZB will progress more quickly.