“IN THE DARK”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 19 June 1931, Page 9

“IN THE DARK”

MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE BUILD* INGS AND EARTHQUAKES

GOVERNMENT GRANT “We know nothing about it; wo arc quite in the dark,” stated Mr !). Mogridge, secretary of the Marlborough College Board of Governors, when he was approached by an “Express” reporter for information to the advice received yesterday by Mr E. I. Healy, M.l'., from the Minister for Education that a grant had been approved for repairs necessary to make the College buildings safe in the event of earthquake. Mr Mogridge added that the Governors did not know that the College buildings needed strengthening, or anything in the shape of repairs from an earthquake point of view. Personally, he thought the message referred to the Technical School in, the Blenheim School grounds. This was a brick bunding, and was now under the jurisdiction of the College Board. He believed it was in need of some slight attention from the earthquake-resisting point of view, and had been recently reported on by the Public Works Department. Possibly the intention was to carry out some strengthening, and take down coinices and projections that might be regarded as dangerous in a ’quake. Regarding the main College buildings, Mr Mogridge explained that after the Hawke's Bay shake the Education Department requested that the College Board’s architect join with the, J üblic Works Department in an inspection ot the buildings, and particularly the new junior high school block. Hie Board s architect, however, was not the architect for the structure, which was designed and erected under the supervision of the Public Works Department. The Public Works Department made an inspection, and when the Board applied for a copy of the report on the buildings for its information it was relusc... The Board had, however, been addressed bv Mr G. 11. Gray, of Messrs Gray and ’Waters, contractors for the junior high building, on the subject ot its earthquake-resisting qualities, and ms opinion had been quite reassuring. Hud. was the position as far as the , Boaul was concerned, and the Ministers telegram to Mr Healy was therefore something of a surprise.