PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2398, 2 March 1915, Page 6

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

GOVERNMENT NOT TO BLAME FOE DELAY. An. attempt has been made, in whoso interests it is not clear, to lay upon the Government the blame for the delay ,111 the; construction work on the Parliament Buildings contract, owing to tho failure of the quarry owners at Sandy, Bay to supply to the contractors marble in big blocks of good, enough quality to be'used in certain parts of the building. It is true that owing to the non-delivery' of the stone a comparatively large number of stonemasons are faced with the prospect of unemployment, and that the contractors are faced with the prospect of.irksome delay. It is not contended that the delay is at all a serious matter, from the Government's point of view. The Minister for Public Works (the Hon.' W. Fraser) made quite clear the Government's attitude' on the. whole question in an interview with a Dominion reporter yesterday. "We are not responsible." for ■ ona hour's delay," said Mr. Fraser. "The contractors have undertaken .to supply, stone, and they have not. supplied it. .We are in no way bound; to .supply 'Stone for. them. Our legal adviserl;say, that ours is an unassailable position.. Any delay that may have occurred is' in no way owing to any laches onxour part. We have endeavoured in every, possible way .to help the'contractors, but it seems to me that they, instead of looking diligently for stone,; and doing their best to procure it, have simply satisfied themselves, with stating 'There is no, stone.'there,' • Bui it; was their business to go and find it, not ours. My. position is that I accept' absolutely no ■ responsibility, although we have gone out of our way to try ! to find stone for them." _ You are not satisfied that stone is unobtainable? 1 , "We are not convinced by any means that stone is not to be had there," Mr. Fraser replied. "The mere statementi that the company that' has been' quarrying for stono has been unable; to produce suitable stone is no discharge of our contract, and it does not release the contractors from the oblige tions they have undertaken." Are thero any alternative proposals?' "They are not under consideration at present,' 1 said Mr. Fraser.