"AS SOUND AS A BELL"

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 901, 22 August 1910, Page 8

"AS SOUND AS A BELL"

. _ +_: —_•■ GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT AUCKLAND. 4 ■■ (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, August 20.' The Hon. R. M'Kenzie said in the House,that if Government House at Auckland was to .be maintained, it would mean the expenditure of something like £40,000 or £50,000.. The structure in question was in such a state of decay that it,would soon either have to be pulled down or burned down. It was no use taking any good furniture there. The' "Herald" this morning says:. "It would be difficult to imagine, anything more at variance with facts than this statement. Mr. M'Kenzie, so far as it known, has never-made an examination of the building, otherwise as a man with a practical knowledge of timber, he would be aware of the facts of the case. It oan only, therefore, be presumed that- ho has been misled, >n* tent-ionally or unintentionally, by some "person or, persons unknown." Many of those.'who have visited Government House since the removal'of the furniture have "taken the opportunity of making a careful inspection of the structure, with a view to satisfying themselves as to its actual condition. They have found, much to their surprise, that the building shows no sign of decay whatever- , The exterior is somewhat- shabby, owing to the need of, a fresh coat of paint, but the timber in the building is as sound as it was when the place was oreoted over half a century ago., Indeed,' it may almost bo said t0..b0 sounder now than it» was fifty years ago, as many portions have- hardened with age to such.an extent that it isdifficult to drive 'a nail into it. The building is constructed throughout of picked heart of kauri, and ! the best judges of timbers agree that the'place is as sound as a bell, and that the timber is quite capable of serving its purpose for another fifty years. The timber, it is stated, was. hand-sawn, and, as was usual in those days, all the logs were carefully selected, and none but the finest class of material was used. The timber is even how superior to much of the heart of kauri sawn at the present time..