A CHEERING NOTE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11945, 16 May 1933, Page 4

A CHEERING NOTE

BIG JOBS in GISBORNE

THREE CONTRACTS VALUED AT £BOOO TO £IO,OOO. SHOULD START IN FEW WEEKSANOTHER. LARGE WORK IN FEW MONTHS. Some thoughtless people hold the view that Gisborne is one of the worst places in New Zealand during the present period of economic unrest and consequent unemployment. Undoubtedly this district has bdOn hardhit by the prevailing slump, hut of late there is a new and much more optimistic spirit abroad in Gisborne. Shopkeepers in many oases report that business is slowly hut surely forging upward. In their opinion, the worst days are ever, and, despite the fact that winter is close at hand, they anticipate that the improvement in business will continue. Climatic conditions undoubtedly affect th° psychology of a people, and in this respect Poverty Bay can lay claim to a climate second to none in the Dominion. Spring-like days in winter tend to cheerfulness, cheerfulness dispels pessimism, the average * n " dividual begins to see the brighter side of life and the optimist comes into his own.

Judging by present appearances, the optimist is abroad in Gisborne just now, and there should. be quite a lot of work in this district up till the. end of the year, and much of it will start in the course of the next few weeks. This comprises -work tor carpenters, bricklayers. plasterers, plumbers, electricians, labourers etc., three jobs alone being of the total value of about £B9OO to £IO,OOO and in addition another £4OOO to £SOOO contract should start before the winter has ended. The works in the immediate luturc are: Maternity annexe at Cock Hospital and: removal of some Townley fouilfiiiiscs to ilio liospit-&l sixe on the hill, £2OOO to £3000: rehabilitation of Holy Trinity Churc-h, £2OOO to £3000; reconstruction of Regent Theatre, £3OOO to £4OOO : nnd strengthening of the Bank ci New Zealand, under £3GOO. About the end of August or the beginning of September it is anticipated that the work of strengthening and altering all Cook Hospital., with the exception of No. 3 ward, will be started, and the estimate for this job is between £4OOO and £SOOO.

At present several jobs are in mil swine', ail these being due to the earthquake damage. They include the strengthening of Grieve’s Buildings at the corner or Hobby street and Gladstone road, by Messrs. Howell and King. The same firm also secured the contract for demolishing portion of the- Native Land Court and strengthening and rebuilding sections of this structure Another job is that of the Salvation Army Citadel, where ’quake damage is being repaired by Air. A. E. Kirk and a large staff of workmen. These jobs moan that a number of workers are already in constant employment. When the hospital maternity annexe. Holy Trinity Church and Regent Theatre jobs are simultaneously in full swing, which will bo in the course of a- few weeks, tneie* should be a considerable decrease in the ranks of skilled labour at- present registered as unemployed. REMOVAL OF ST. HELEN’S HOME

In connection with the removal of St. Helen’s Home from Childers road to Cook Hospital, the position is that the National Economy Commission recommended that such institutions as St.. Helen s Home should no taken over by Hospital Hoards, and this resolution was confirmed by Parliament. In accordance with the decision, therefore, tho local institution will he controlled in future by the Cook Hospital Board. In the interests of economy, it is considered advisable to ask for certain conditions before taking the institution over, tender the Act, the Health Department” offers the building free of cost tP the board. The board, however, desires in have the main quarters .removed adjacent to Cook Hospital, and the right to dispose? of the land. If two separate- institutions were to be managed, the administration, it is held, would he too costly, and needless expense would fall on the ratepayers, tender the new Apt, the board lias to provide half the cost, of running the ihstitution, and the (remaining hah is mot- by the Government by means of a- subsidy. It would not be profitable to demolish all the present buildings, pay for cartage and rc-erect them up on the hill. The hoard, therefore, proposes to erect a new maternity annex and to transfer the best portion of the present St. HoleuV Home to Cook Hospital grounds where it- mill bo used a s on anti-natal clinic, and portion of the nurses’- home in Childers road may also be transferred. Plans have been, prepaid covering these objectives, and Br. Shan, Peputy-Dircctor-General of Health, mid Mr. O G Allen, technical: adviser; ; tp tho Department of Health, arc duq In Gisbornci this week to confer with tho board on. the matter. . If the proposals arc accepted, and it is .atiticipated they will be, work should te started in a tew weeks. The job is estimated to cost, between £2OOO and £3oooj' and in accordance- with the usual procedure, will bo supervised by the'Public Works Department. STRENGTHENING OF COOK HOSPITAL. The Cook Hospital Board has also another big job in band, though tins will not be started probably for some four months. In the meantime, Kmrover, all tho plans are being drawn, and necessary information secured. Tho earthquakes, a s is well-known damaged the building considerably, and, as a result of the jolt hi Sep-

tember last,' it was "found necessary to strengthen No. 3 ward almost rim. * mediately, and this work has been carried out satisfactorily. The board, however, take tho view—and a wife one, too—that the whole institution should be strengthened as a precautionary measure. Ward 3 is nOw.so constructed that, according to experts'; it, 'should Withstand the strong, es ’quake. Wih the lessons of tho Hawke's Bay disaster -of 1931 always 'in mind, it is held that, even if the hospital escaped damage, there might bo considerable casualties in the town and district, and naturally all would be rushed toJiospital. K has, therefore, been decided, that _all the remaining Wards shall be strengthened so as to as far. as possible-make them earthquake-proof- This w ilt necessitate big alterations, much of the brickwork and concrete being replaced by steel reinforcement and wood Tho greater portion of this work will be labour, so that it will afford work for a great number of skilled tradesmen and . also labourers. This job is probably the largest 'in the district , as the result of the earthquake, and. is estimated to cost between £4-099 and £SOOO- - theatre. Second oniv in point importance, so .far as.the job is concerned. is the strengthening of the Regent Theatre, so as to make it as earthquake-proof as possible. Since the earthquakes in 1931, with -cio disaster in Napier in mind, regulations for. the construction, of theatres and amusement houses have been made much stricter m earthquake zones. This, or course, applies to buildings t-o be created. The directors of Gisborne .Theatres Ltd. have, however, decided to take no risks so far as tho public are concerned, and, with this end in view, tho Rbgent Theatre will be closed at the end cf the month for detailed structural alterations which, it is claimed, wilj render It- equal m strength to the theatres . crectca -in Hawke’s Bay after the big ’quake. The building at present is considered quite safe, and- strengthening /work .would be unnecessary if cne could bo assured that there would be no more earthquakes. Unfortunately, no-one can guarantee a close season by Nature in t-hi.s respect, and. iz is with

a view to taking all precautionary measures that- the theatre will ne completely overhauled. .An enormous amount of steel work is to re put in, and this will all be tied in accordance wiin the latest eartnauakcproof regulations. The tender, which runs to nearly £4099 ; has been secured by Air. A. F-. Kirk who nopes to make a start- at the beginning of next month.- When the job is finished the Regent Theatre should be one or the strongest and safest in New Zealand. The contract will take some months to complete, and in the meantime the pictures booked for the Regent will be screened at the Opera House. HOLY TRINITY CHURCH. The Anglican Church is another job on which a start will be made in the immediate future. The structure, as is well-known, was damaged by the earthquake in September, and is to be strengthened in steel ana structural alterations made. Plans are now out, and the work is estimated at between £2OOO and £3OOO. BANK OF. NEW ZEALAND. As can be seen by the passer-by, the Bank of New Zealand was damaged by the ’quake in September last. Plans are now out for the reconstruction and strengthening of this building, and work should commence very shortly. Tile job i? estimated to cost, just under £IOOO.