MORE DELAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 8980, 1 March 1915, Page 5

MORE DELAY

NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS WORKS PRACTICALLY AT A STANDSTILL. It is about three months since the majority of the masons employed on the now Parliament Buildings had to be discharged because of the difficulty which arose in the supply of Sandy Bay marble. A considerably longer period must elapse if the Department of Public Works insists upon the use of this material for the superstructure on the Coromandel granite basement, instead of allowing some other stone to bo substituted. The difficulty with the Sandy Bay marble is that in the quarry which has been opened sufficiently large slabs cannot bo got without flaws for such an edifice as tbe Houses of Parliament. The small slabs are quite satisfactory, and the marble when polished presents a beautiful appearance. So far, however, operations have failed to bring to the surface stable blocks of the dimensions required. The department has a desire that, if it bo possible, the Coromandel granite and the Sandy Bay marble shall bo adhered to' in order that buildings of great attractiveness shall, bo erected with Now Zealand materials, and unusual efforts are being made to test the resources of Sandy Bay in the Nelson district. Since the masons were first put oft’ an expert has been making surveys to ascertain whether the marble can be safely used. He seems to have discovered no tangible reason for relying upon the present quarry, and now an investigation is to be made of the character of the marble further inland. Tho nows which the Minister for Public Works had to furnish, on Saturday was that three more experts are to depart on a prospecting expedition. These are Messrs G. W. Morgan (Director of Geological Surveys), F. W. Furkert (inspecting engineer), and J. D. Loach (district engineer for Wellington, who is in charge of the works). Meanwhile tho contractors for the buildings appear to be placed in a most awkward position. They have declined to give any information to the press as to how they stand on account of a desire of tho department to observe as much secrecy as possible, but a citizen has only to pay a visit to the works to see that very little is going on. As far as can be gathered, the contractors have been ‘'marking time” by having steps cut for tho main entrance, which will not be required for some considerable time to come. But these are now completed, and apparently it is a case of cease work until tho prospecting at Bandy Bay is finished, and a now company started to get out the marble in a fresh locality. Granted that the prospects are good enough, this means a matter of eight months before the masons will he again at work. A LEGAL POINT. But who is to do the quarrying? A nice little legal point here comes in for consideration. . Tho Government, by tho advice of its solicitor, has thrown the onus upon the contractors of finding the' Sandy Bay marble according to specification. It is understood that they, by the advice of their solicitor, contend that they cannot bo called upon to supply a material which does not already commercially exist, and that no Court of Equity would thrust such an obligation upon them. If the contractors are not prepared voluntarily to start quarrying on their own account, the department, by this further investigation, is considered to have taken tho very best possible way of delaying the progress of tho buildings indefinitely. Are the contractors willing to sink a matter of £IO,OOO in seeking this marble in such blocks as will pass inspection? This seems to be tho main practical question at the present juncture. But no one, so far as can be gathered, has taken the trouble to get it answered. The contractors have already gone to considerable expense in getting unusual apparatus at work at the buildings, they are losing money every week by the present enforced idleness, and it is held to bo a question whether their financial resources should bo further taxed owing to a difficulty which has arisen through no fault of theirs. REGARDED AS A SCANDAL. Tho business is coming to be talked of iu architectural and building circles as n grave scandal that cannot go on much longer. Tho delay which is taking place in the progress of these buildings is said to bo beyond all reason. While giving tho department all credit for a feeling of patriotism in trying to gob the best combination of Now Zealand stones in the Parliamentary Buildings, those best informed in the matter consider that this latest development amounts to so much waste of time. It is believed that the department is not disposed to advise the Government to insist on any legal quibble to the detriment of the contractors. Therefore, if the latter are not prepared to take the risk of finding the Sandy Bay marble, it is hold that the point, has been reached when another material ought to be substituted. Four alternative stones which nave been suggested are Coromandel granite for tho whole of the building, Tonga Bay granite (of which the General Post Office is built). Mount Somers stone, or tho best English stone which is procurable.