MANY DAMAGED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 June 1942, Page 3

MANY DAMAGED

INSPECTION OF DISTRICT POST OFFICES

EKETAHUNA BUILDING COMPLETE LOSS. AT LEAST £lO,OOO FOR REPAIRS AT MASTERTON. An inspection of the post office buildings in the area affected by last week’s earthquake reveals damage which will run into a sum between £lOO,OOO and £200,000. The Eketahuna Post Office has been abandoned and will be written off as a total loss. It will have to be completely rebuilt. That at Masterton will cost at least £lO,OOO to repair. After the last serious earthquake in 1934 the brick top of the Eketahuna Post Office was removed and replaced by a wooden structure. Now the brickwork at the bottom of the building is stated to have crumbled. The damage done to the Masterton Post Office by the earthquake will, it is considered, easily exceed £lO,OOO. The Carterton Post Office has had a bad shaking, but is not considered unsafe, though the cracked tower will probably have to be removed. The Post Office at Greytown, an old wooden building, has been shaken off its piles and it is considered that it may have to be pulled down. Chimneys are down on the Martinborough Post Office and it is thought that the Pirinoa building is probably off its piles. Cracks have been observed in the old tower of the Lower Hutt Post Office, and this will probably have to be pulled down. The Feilding Post Office has been damaged. It is reported that sections of the upper walls will have to be removed and cornices taken off. Damage has been done to the back of the Chief Post Office in Wellington,' and parapets, as well as possibly the top parts of a wall facing the Pici Hotel, may have to be removed,

WAIRARAPA COLLEGE NO SERIOUS DAMAGE LIKELY. FURTHER INSPECTION TO BE MADE. An inspection, of the Wairarapa College brick building by the Education Department's architect indicates that the damage is not serious, as it was though at first ’ might have been the case. No definite opinion has been expressed meantime, however, pending a further inspection by Public Works Department engineers. The classes continue to be held in the wooden portions of the college buildings.

TE ORE ORE SCHOOL BUILDING BADLY DAMAGED. DRAINAGE SYSTEM SMASHED. Te Ore Ore School was badly damaged by the earthquake and has been closed. In addition to cracks in the brickwork, the septic tank system has been smashed. The. children are having a holiday in the meantime.

OFFERS OF HELP

MANY RECEIVED BY THE MAYOR. FRENCH CONSUL FORWARDS DONATION. Many offers of help have been received by the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, fr;om people outside the district. Mr Jordan has received a cheque for £lO 10s from the French Consul, M. A. Ponquet, for the provision of comforts for demolition workers. Mrs Bell, Christchurch, has sent £1 to be given to some old lady or gentleman in need who has suffered by the earthquake. Offers of help have also been rec'eived from the mayors of many towns from Timaru to Auckland. The Australian Trade Commissioner, Mr J. L. Menzies, has sent a letter of sympathy. TROOPS THANKED. i Mr Jordan has expressed to the military authorities the thanks of the community for the work so well and cheerfully carried out under very trying conditions by the members of the armed forces.