AUCKLAND POINT SCHOOL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 21 August 1933, Page 4

AUCKLAND POINT SCHOOL

RECENT VISIT OF HON. J. BITCHENER QUESTION OF SAFETY

At to-day’s meeting of the Nelson Education Board the following letter was read from Mr N. Lambourne, Diicctor of Education: — “When the Hon. the Acting Minister of Education was in Nelson recently, he visited the Auckland Point School . with Mr. H. Atmore, M.P., who made representations regarding the need for additional exits from the first floor of the building. The Public Works Department reporting on this building stated that from an architectural point of view the rear of the building might be considered the best position for the extra exits, but owing to the existence of a high hiU at the back such a location would he unsafe. The only suitable alternative, therefore, was to provide two so-called emergency exits, one at each end of the building, the stairways to bo attached to the end walls, “it was strongly advised also that the so-called emergency exits be made use of for every day purposes in order that in time of emergency their use would he automatic. It was considered also that the cornices, floods over side doors, and consoles should be dismantled and replaced with more suitable materials, and that the parapets should be anchored back to the general roof system by means of 1 angle irons. To enable the matter to receive further consideration, the Department will be glad to have from you ’ an estimate of the cost of the work ! suggested.” In order to get an expression of [ opinion a copy of the letter was for- - warded to the Auckland Point Com- : mittee, which replied as follows: “Replying to your letter of the 4th instant regarding additional exits for the Auckland Point School, my com- > mittee has instructed me to state that ! it feels very strongly on this matter. You will recollect that the Government : was put to considerable expense some little time ago, endeavouring to find ! any weakness in the building, and that the resultant finding was that the building was safe in every respect. My , committee asked to see the Public | Works report, but this satisfaction was i not vouchsafed to it. Now comes the . further suggestion of inadequate exits and weaknesses in the structure. As ■ the architect and builder will confirm, the parapets are actually already anchored back and cornices and hoods are set in solid reinforced concrete, they are not in any way dangerous, and nothing short of the collapse of the whole building would allow them to fall. With regard to the exits, the committee with the support of the headmaster considers that these are adequate. In the event of an earthquake, no child would be allowed to leave the first floor until the shock was over, and when it is considered that the whole interior of the school is of solid reinforced concrete, it cannot be gainsaid that the safety of the 1 children is a foregone conclusion. It ' would, perhaps, be as well to repeat ’ that the big earthquake of 1929 had 1 no detrimental effect at all upon the building-mot even a' door -has- had to ; be eased. A minor consideration, of 1 course, is the fact that unsightly ) staircases would ruin the whole appearance of the school. In conclusion my committee vehemently maintains that no alteration to the building is necessary or advantageous.” A report by the Board’s architect recommended that nothing be done apart from anchoring back' the parapets. THE CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS The chairman (the Hon. W. H. McIntyre) said Board members could well understand his feeling as chairman when he had the letter placed before him. “We were at the school with the Minister,” he continued, “and not a word was said about the safety of tlie building.” Mr Mclntyre said he would repeat what he said on the Hon. Bitcliener’s recent visit to the school: — “Auckland Point is the finest primary school building in the Dominion. It combines strength with beauty. The Hon. Sir James Parr was so impressed with it when Minister of Education that when he went to London as High Commissioner he wrote to the Nelson Board asking that he be supplied with photos of the Auckland Point school to display at the High Commissioner’s Office. It is the only photo of a Dominion school in the High Commissioner’s Office, and also the only school that adorns the walls of the office of the Director of Education in Wellington.” Continuing the chairman said he would admit that any person in the community had the right to draw attention to a danger that might exist in any school building. “But I say there is a proper channel to put that complaint through, and Mr Atmore would be the first man to object very strongly to anyone going over his head. "We were there. I made that statement, and there was no comment in connection with it. We are satisfied that so far as it is possible to make a building earthquake proof that building is. I do not say that any earthquake would not knock it down, because when you see an earthquake throw thousands of tons of rock hundreds of yards as we have had experience of, no building could possibly stand. I will however say deliberately: That if there is one child injured in the Auckland Point School there will not be any of Nelson left standing. It is absolutely safe, and it is most unfair for the parents to be again made nervous about the . safety of the building. There have 1 been deliberate attempts made to alter 1 the Auckland Point School, and I for ' one will never agree to anything being done to that building. It will take ' more than a Public Works engineer to convince me that the school is not safe.’’ t Mr J. G. Wilkens said after a Public . Works Engineer bad been through the ‘ building and made a statement that the building was absolutely sound it 6 came as a great surprise to him. Par- < cuts must not get nervous about it, , and think that the building is not wliat ‘ it is. “I feel there is something behind it that should not be,” added the speaker. “I would be very strongly against 1 any alterations being made to the building.” Mr F. V. Knapp remarked that it was a matter for regret that the. question had come before the Board in the way it had. It seemed to him that J nothing needed to be done. The school had stood the test of a big earthquake, * and had proved the stability of the 1 building. He considered there was no 1 need to do anything and that the re- i quest of the department should be res- i pectfully declined. t Mr Carling: “I think we ought to c protest against the back-door way in c which this has been brought forward. I

It seems to me most unfair.” Mr Scautlebury said he understood that the Public Works Department had reported that the school was safe. The secretary: “We do not know what the report is. We never got it.” Mr Scautlebury: “It was so satisfactory that nothing was done.” Mr Wood said the Board should object to the methods adopted. The following motion moved by Mr Carling, was then put and carried unanimously: “That the Education Board protests against the irregular manner in which the matter of the Auckland Point School was introduced to the Minister, and except for additional anchors to the parapets declines to make any alterations to the building,”