Reefton News- Early Start With New Hospital Buildings: £40,925 Contract Signed

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 September 1947, Page 4

Reefton NewsEarly Start With New Hospital Buildings: £40,925 Contract Signed

- (SPECIAL REPORTER! REEFTON, This Day. “You will be very pleased to know that we have got somewhere at last. It has been a long, dreary and worrying time for all concerned, but I am pleased to announce that the contract has been signed and as soon as"the materials come to , hand, the job will be done as quickly as it can be pushed on,” said the chairman of the Inangahua Hospital Board, Mr J. B. Auld, at last evening’s meeting, in referring to the receipt of Ministerial approval for the construction of the first portions of the new Reef ton hospital, the nurses’ home and boilerhouse.

The principal contract has been lot to Mr R. Yellowlees, of Reelton, for the sum of £40,925 and subsidiary ' contracts will bring \the total cost of- the nurses’ home and boilerhouse to the estimate of £59,250. The contractor has already assembled some material and it is expected that an early start will be made on the construction of the buildings, which will be in reinforced concrete, with timber floors. Material Position Replying to a question by Mr W. Clayton, the chairman said that he thought the material position would be satisfactory. “This is the day we have been waiting for,” said Mr J. J. Coghlan. “It must give you, Mr Auld, much pleasure to know that at last the contract has been signed. I think that the staff at the hospital will be even more pleased, as the existing buildings are getting worse every day.” In forwarding the approval of the Minister of Health (Miss Howard) to the expenditure of £59,250, the acting Director General of Health, Dr T. R. Ritchie, pointed out that the board had arranged finance for £43,000 and it would be necessary to make arrangements for the additional amount required. The Public Trustee advised that the Public Trust Investment Board had granted the board a loan of £43,000, repayable with interest at £3 5s per cent., under a 25 years’ instalment table and that the necessary documents were now in course of preparation.

Mr F. W. Archer said that the board should lake immediate steps in regard to the vital matter, of additional finance. “Yes, it will be necessary to arrange for an additional £16,250/’ said the chairman. Mr Archer said the board might as well make the amount £17,000, to be sure of having sufficient in hand. Additional Finance On the motion of Mr Coghlan and Mrs A. Hardie, the acting-secretary (Mr C. A. Belcher) was instructed to take the necessary steps to raise the additional amount of £17,000. Mr Archer suggested that the board should again get in touch with the Public Trustee and negotiate a loan in the same manner as previously. That method, he said, had saved the board £250 in commission. The board’s architect, Mi’ W. H. Trengrove (Christchurch) forwarded draft copies of an advertisement calling for a clerk of works for the new buildings and also a copy of a letter he had sent to the Building Controller in connection with a permit and assistance in obtaining priorities for the 33 J tons of reinforcing steel required. Reporting on Mr Trengrove’s recent visit to Reefton, the chairman said that he had attended a conference with Mr Yellowlees and the contract had been signed. As soon as the material came to hand the work would be gone on with. The timber for the foundation frames was already available and as soon as advice was received regarding steel a start would be made.