A SYDNEY HUSTLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23330, 23 October 1937, Page 17

A SYDNEY HUSTLE

MOVING THE WATER BOARD TWO HUNDRED PANTECHNICON LOADS (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Oct. 15. The biggest moving job in Sydney's history—the shifting of 25,000 articles weighing 600 tons—was completed last week-end in 71 hours. The Metropolitan Water Board's offices in the city are to be demolished, and a new building is to be erected on the same site. During these operations, it will be housed in rented premises in Surry Hills. The board's business of suupying the water needs of an area containing a million and a-half persons could not be unduly interrupted, so that the move to the temporary offices had to be completed as quickly as possible. A week-end was chosen before the Monday on which the board's employees hold their annual picnic. As soon as business ceased on the Friday evening, a swarm of 80 removal experts fell upon the office, under the charge of Mr G. V. Thomas,

whose firm was under a liability clause of £ 5 an hour if the move * exceeded 72 hours. The "team" beat that time by an hour in one ot Sydney's greatest hustles. As the last of 200 pantechnicon loads left the old office on Monday afternoon, Mr Thomas rubbed an unshaven • chin and thought of bed. He had ■ had only seven hours sleep since Thursday night. In one period of 11 hours on Sun- ■ day, 32 huge wagons were loaded and i unloaded. In two of those hours f wagon was loaded every 15 minute* ; The greatest problem was the re- - moval of a safe weighing three A way for it had to be cut through three floors before it could bi ' lowered to ground level. AnotheJ . safe had to be levered up 20 steps an inch at a time by a gang of men Demolishers' picks were busy oi - the old offices as the last pantechni ... con moved off.