BRICKS FOR BUILDING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21361, 15 June 1931, Page 6

BRICKS FOR BUILDING.

It is only reasonable ■ that, in the general reorganisation and replacement of school buildings damaged or destroyed as a result of the .recent earthquake in the Hawke’s Bay and Cook districts, the suitability or-other-wise'of building materials should have been carefully examined before any decision was made concerning the composition or character y of the new structures. That bricks and mortar have beeri weighed in the balances in the earthquake area and found wanting can scarcely be questioned. There is small reason to doubt that a very substantial percentage of the heavy loss of life in the disaster of February last.was the result of the collapse of brick premises. On these grounds, therefore, it will be generally agreed that the Minister of Education has acted wisely in deciding against the erection of brick schools in the earthquake area. Whether it was necessary for him to go so far as to declare a general prohibition of the utilisation of bricks in departmental construction throughout the whole Dominion is another question. Inasmuch as there can be no real immunity from earthquake shocks in districts that lie in that zone which is scientifically regarded as liable to seismic disturbance, it would be flying in the face of Providence to persist in the erection of brick buildings in it. Fortunately, however, a great part, if not the greater part, of New Zealand lies outside what is known as the earthquake belt, and may be regarded as more or less free, if not entirely free, from the menace of such destruction as has been suffered in two* different districts during the past three years. It may be argued, therefore, that a discontinuance in all parts,of

the Dominion of the use Of what has proved a very popular and, at the same time, efficient and economical building material is hardly warranted. It is not unnatural that strong protests against the Minister’s*, pronouncement have been made by representatives of the brickmaking industry in New Zealand, who have' recognised in it a sweeping condemnation of the commodity manufactured by them. Mr Atmore might have discharged to the full the responsibility for the safety of children attending State schools which rests- upon the. Education Department by authorising the erection of only wooden or reinforced concrete buildings in the earthquake regions, leaving unchanged the Department’s construction policy in those districts that are regarded as free from disastrous shakes. There is no means of knowing to what extent the Minister’s decision in respect of construction in brick will affect the demand for that material, but it is obvious that it will not in any way assist a not inconsiderable industry in the Dominion!