CORRESPONDENCE. MR FANNIN AND THE INSTITUTE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2280, 27 April 1886, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR FANNIN AND THE INSTITUTE.

To Thi Edjtob,

Sis—Ab, judging from the report of the debate in the Borough Council apointment of anArchit-cct to repairs &c., required to the int®#, tha*' majority of tho. Councillor# have been' mis-infonned regarding my previous eonnection with that building, I trust yop will allow me space to correct the erroneous statements made wncerning me, end to place the true faot# befor# th# publio, The erection of< the Institute waf completed early in 1879, In Norembop, 1880, » fire occurred in th# dwelling attached, which spread to and obtained Q slight hold en the north-west cornw of the main building, Th# dwelling w« partially destroyed, but the inotitute. vp only slightly injured by fire,>bput ninety p*r cent of the damage to it being caused by wat#r, and th# injudicious zeal of th'# publio in emashiiig doors; and window# etc..

The Institute.'Oommittee #mployed Ut John King to isiets the damage, gnd H# eitiinated the cost of repairs it £225, ?he Insurance. Oompiny - considered th# imount eicegjive, and th# Comraitt# then obkiiiod from me * detailed of the eo»t of repaira which 1 £lfS fid. *Tj># a# to o#rry out the rewiti. of» lichen M otker tk»whol» of.trh}ch were Qh » total ctefc pf AISO 5 9. Tka of the buildinj were iotg&gi iepointud,l# supposed by the frs tha|uttor on tke et Bwyftre»t oido le»sod ?ttd, I b6lio*e, etood fov ■* eofipidereblo ♦ime.

Is Jlly, 1683, th# Institute Committee liein li(d to Suppose the noof *n#®f#i by tthctw. I fcno? not, I re(inestM to eiamine it, I append aoopy of my report^thereon, Th«- Committe# hftd no fund#.'with whioh to Mecute borough repairs, and herbolly tbsm to lowDorarilf repair th» -. guttors, sad «ore> Ujom with boarding, wluoh w»s done shortly after. The report w«i obtained from me principally to satisfy t£# Committee with regard to the fafeness pf tha roof, and the matter elloired to #tondov#r.

Boms tim# ajo, f hsn the late Institute Committee contemplated repairs to the building, 1 lent a cup? of lit report to]&r Mason, tie membw of CommitWB, vhateter vith auj memb>r of tbs |orough,Qoijncil on the Qttbjeci previous to iti JQt m«etCouncillor, statist that although Resits Pickering and £ins(don had b»to employed npon w roof, it vu skill faulty, instead of uporiiae only endorses my report, Mid fci condemn* Rebuilding In Jie It kid bwu ikurAw floVn. & 1} qot , correct In ossfirting that ifr Sing M flone thevori'yraSt, tot othnr •ccountfl for pagraeiit to tfeie Oofi» (%e on Kky Mtb, IBT9. *«* one of Mr 3, siag's for X.3}l2j 601 for One? of ijwstkm of btdldlog. i Tl» atotewenfc mtide by Or Hyon, and 9ince reittOMtod snd enWd on by Mr ■ Sty in bip lottej of the 22nd itisfc., thai fir* th» cafcp of the leaks 9 not* bora#, riot ty thja facta, as'.the' watte on tfefe -pouth end leaded over half »0 breadth of thu building More the (Jro, end tho.flro did aot touch that end $t»ll. Ihete $ no gutter yhere the firs Ottttclied th& wof, end ngver has been ileek ot that part «o far t» I yware. Tho maia roof vx) not badljr damaged,'a» j)6 co*er«d tho repai»toit • neoewtoted by; Jre. In conclusion, lest. any should think from the remark* made , by Councillor* who sdvncQrt-od my being employed that.l had unduls depreciated the strenjth of the building, I dm) it but Wr to iflyqolf to say M -WUoveral oco»qions mimbete of the Injtrtpte Cora>. ttittw ind of ball committee} hav# ; l »questod my opinion m to whether,tJfe upper floor va« itron? enough to support. If number of dancers, and I always Ipured them it ifai|, and line* 1883 1, ! htve not spoken to anyone concerning the \ loofi The public seem to hiava had a fat worw opinion of the building than \ had. I|m, Ac,, j GBO. FANKJI; ' To the, Committee of tha Masterio# Institute. ' ' Gisilikik.—At the request of Jfesira Cfirr arid Rapp—memben of your committsQ—*ho hafe lome iwwn to-suppoti' the roof of the Institute to be unsafe, I txomined the building, snd bars the honor to'report that the gutter ci tho bock of the front parapet haf eunlc OQ-itg I Inner edge from | of an inch to IJin. fa different partj-j tnafc the rafters at eejtja w of roof hava " wwei" or sunt ljia,, and th# edge : also"ljin.; and that in tha centre the main building haj spread 3sim in width: ■ I'do not consider any damaga ii to be tt&rtd from the present condition ' , of the roof. • -1 am informed by th# con', tractor who:erected the_ budding' that It spread noi«at^||fc<'

- might bs expected from tho slirinkago and settlement of the timbors. At the saino time I think the roof is too flat for its (pan without any direct. tie betweon the walls (to which the spreading may be, attributed) and that the weakest .part, of tho roof is near the foot of tho raftors about whero tho gutters strike it. Tho kinking of the gutter is duo in part to tho linking of tho roof, and in part to tho nhrinkage of tho boards on which the leat) is laid. The lead is altogether too lfglit for such gutters, and the Committeo can. never depend upon having a watertight jraof until the prosoiit guttota aro taken and re-laid.with heavier lead, and tho outlet it the hack made largor and direct, When th« present guttora are taken up, I would recominond that two one-inch tie wd« b« put in across tho. building bofore the heavier gutters wovo laid, I have, &c., . G«0, FANNIH I .' JCMterton, July 18th, 1883., - (To the Editor.) Sir.—Many of our Wairarapa frionds, wh«n visiting Wellington with tho intention of purchasing at To Aro House' here, hITO l)6on puzzled by tho closo proximity of anothor drapor'a shop, to know which wit. which, To provont mistakes wo kar« had the words "Te Aro Houso" painted in black letters on white ground oh e»cli of our door-steps, If they will only look for these, errors and loss may be provonted. • Yours,Ac,, JamesSMll'H,' ■' „ To Aro House. '