PARLIAMENTARY BUILDINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3112, 5 November 1913, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY BUILDINGS.

USE OF OAMARU STONE. ADVOCACY OF OTAGO MEMBERS. CFhom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) WELLINGTON, October 17. A deputation of Otago members consisting of Messrs O. M. Thomson, C. E. Statham, B. Scott, E. H. Clark, F. H. Smith, and E. P. Lee, waited upon/the .Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. Fraser) on the 17th ult to recommend that Oamaru stone-should receive consideration for use in the erection of the new Parliamentary Buildings. The spokesman was Mr G. M. Thomson, who at different times hae tested the quality and strength of the stone. A statement had been made by the Undersecretary of the Public Works Department, ho said, that for a building of such importance as the new Parliamentary Buildings he was not prepared to recommend the use of the Oamaru sjtone. He felt that this was doing a great injustice to the stone ? which was one of the recognised best building stones of the Southern Hemisphere. They felt that some provision should be made in the tenders being called whereby Oamaru stone could be included. The tenders, he believed, had been extended to the end of the month, but even assuming that had not been the case they still felt it to be possible to arrange that the tenderers should be asked to include Oamaru stone in their estimates. Some four or five years ago lie had reported upon and analysed this stone and, though he could not procure his figures, he had reported that the stone was a particularly fine sample with a very high test and very low absorption power. Those who had reported satisfactorily upon the Oamaru stone were Professor Scott and Mr B. Speight, of the Canterbury Museum. The Public Works Department gave an estimate of the crushing test as 160 tens to the square foot for Mount Somers stone, 40 to 50 tons for Oamaru stone, and 87 tons for “ W ” stone. These were different from other crushing tests that were recognised. Professor Scott gave a test for Oamaru stone of 165 tons, and another test gave 88 tons of strain. They admitted tliat there were soft stones in the district, but they were not all soft. With regard to the absorption power Mr Blow said that Mount Somers stone absorbed from 10 to 12 per cent., while the absorption of the Oamaru stone was from 19 to 20 per cent. Mr Thomson questioned these figures. It had been suggested by Mr Blow that Oamaru stone would not stand the strain of a big building such as the Parliamentary Buildings, but he believed the bulk of the building was to be of reinforced concrete, or of brick, so that Oamaru stone could quite well be used. There were many big buildings in the colony which already used Oamaru stone. Finally, Mr Thomson said they considered that the architect had unwittingly done an injustice to the Oamaru stone which should be rectified.

Mr E. P. Lee (Oamaru) said that there was a feeling that the Public Works Department did not give the Oamaru stone proper consideration or fair treatment. Those officers lost sight of the factor of cheap working. The stone at present was being used for many new and big buildings and they hoped that the Public Works Department would re-consider its attitude. The Hon. W. Fraser : Is it not in use in the new Government Buildings at Christchurch ? Mr Lee : I do" not know.

Mr Fraser : I think so. That does nob tally with your statement that it is being neglected. I may say that if possible granite will be used in the building, because it is part of the whole scheme. The deputation, he considered, had come <n little late in the day. It should have come before tho tenders had been advertised. Mr Thomson said the matter had not come before them. Could they not aek

the tenderer-) to give an estimate for Oamaru stone ? Mr Fraser : How do I know who the tenderers are? Some have come over from Australia. No definite decision, he added, as to the stone would be come to till the tenders were opened and the best one selected. Then a Tenders Board would be set up, and the question of the stone gone into. At that time the representations of the deputation would be possible, but at present its request thaT the tenders should include Oamaru stone could not be considered. In answer to a representation on the subject, he said there were other objections to the stone besides the crushing strain and the question of absorption. It did net fit into the general scheme. At the same time, when the question was being considered he would see that the Oamaru stone received consideration on its merits. If it was practicable to use Oamaru stone it would get a chance.