HOLDING THE FORT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20365, 24 July 1934, Page 7

HOLDING THE FORT.

Demolition Goes on Round j Beauty Parlour. DISPUTE UNSETTLED. Though what was Carey’s building j is rapidly being demolished, the Rose . Marie toilet rooms still stand , untouched, awaiting the settlement of a somewhat complicated position in iegard to a lease. The lessee of the upstairs room where the business is carried on is holding out against the destruction of her premises as her lease does not expire until August 13 The lessee is Mrs G. Stribling, who said this morning that last evening she and her assistant, as they were lockid in, had to leave the room by way of the window over the hanging verandah, and from there had to make a laborious descent to the ground. This morning she returned to the room to arrange for the removal of some of her belongings as the room is at present completely fitted up. The building, at the corner of Colombo and Gloucester Streets, is being pulled down to give way to the new State Theatre, which is to be built j for Amalgamated Theatres, Ltd. Work] ceased for a time yesterday, but this morning the men were permitted to carry on once more, and interior walls and roof are coming down all round the toilet rooms, which face on Gloucester Street. The stairs leading to Mrs Stabling's room remain, but'no clients can be attended to and Mrs- Stribling has cancelled her engagements. On the boards round the ground floor of the building are notices signed by Mr N. H. Graham, the scaffolding inspector, ordering all those persons except those engaged in the demolition work, to cease entering the building while the work is in progress. In the meantime Mrs Stribling wi'i have another consultation with her solicitor (Mr E. C. Champion), who stated 3-esterdav that his client had a lease and was entitled to §tay where, she was. This morning Mr Champion had no comment to make on the situation. An Offer Refused. Mr John Bates, of the firm of John Bates and Co., said this afternoon that his firm, which was putting up the new building and would lease it for a long term to Amalgamated Theatres, was in the position to spend a lot of money and find a good deal of work, and he considered an unfair attitude had been adopted in holding up operations. He declared that Mrs Stribling had only a fortnight's lease to run, and yet had refused the offer of Amalgamated Theatres of £25 to cancel the lease, an amount equivalent to six , months’ rent.