QUICK PROGRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 35, 11 February 1931, Page 11

QUICK PROGRESS

ERECTION OF BUILDINGS

(By "The Post's" Special Reporter.) , NAPIER, This Day. Remarkable progress has been made with the erection of temporary premises for the Associated Banks by the Fletcher Construction Company, and their intention is to rush the work ahead to enable the six banks'to recommence business on Monday next. At 7.30 a.m. to-day the site next to the Roman Catholic Church carried nothing but a hoarding. By midday the piers and bed plates for the building were in position, and the fifty workmen are this afternoon starting on the outer walls. As the resumption of banking business is essential to the bringing back of. all forms of business and employment,, tho Fletcher Construction Company tleemed it wise to obtain the bulk of its labour from their established centres. Thirty^eight were rushed up last evening from Wellington, tho majority by special bus, while plant and tools came through by lorry from Wellington and Auckland. Mossrs. W. Fletcher and G. Lang to-day both expressed the warmest appreciation of the facilities granted at the Nelson Park camp and of the arrangements made by the military authorities for meals for the workers. More men will be put on as they, are available. As the principals of many of the larger businesses in both towns reside in other parts of the Dominion and some overseas, their decisions as to future operations may in some cases be delayed, but it is stated that plans have been made by a number of firms for the immediato resumption of business in temporary premises pending the erec ; tiou of new buildings. Soveral of the larger hotels will bo reerected without delay. Suburban shops are sorting out saleable goods, and soveral of them were opened to-day. All those proprietors who were spoken to by a "Post" reporter stated that their takings were surprisingly good.