Beaven’s work used straw board

Regarding Peter Beaven’s sole legacy in Manchester St:

A feature of the savings bank building was the use of straw board as internal partitions and possibly ceiling panels. Straw board, known as Stramit, was supplied by a small factory in Washdyke, Timaru which compressed straw and other crop waste between Kraft paper to make dense panels that were considered soundproof, fireresistant and recyclable.

Because of their extra width, the panels eliminated the need for the usual number of supporting studs. They could also be reconfigured for different partitioning requirements.

However, they tended to break down if penetrated by water, and were susceptible to attack by vermin.

Stramit was based on a Swedish idea developed in the 1930s that used crop waste that would otherwise be burnt. This practice was banned there.

After a fire at Washdyke the plant was moved to Christchurch.

Stramit panels were also used in the University of Canterbury engineering school, built about the same time as the savings bank building.

Alec Saunders, Granity

Stadium plan

In its aim to boost the inner city population to 20,000 by 2028, the recently released Project 8011 made no mention of the much claimed urgent need for a covered stadium.

Richard Peebles, and others at the Christchurch City Council stadium submissions, made great claims about the number of concerts the new stadium – which as yet has no business case – would attract.

In fact, many would-be city dwellers could be deterred by the presence of a massive multipurpose stadium slap bang in the middle of town.

Covered or not, the stadium will certainly generate high decibels and booming bass.

Ironically the very site of the stadium is the area which had been earmarked for urban living before the quakes.

Ross Gray, Fendalton

Compulsory loss

Fae Stewart (Sept 17), in a touching letter about her grandchildren, says, ‘‘Bring on compulsory te reo. It is a toanga for all.’’ She (and the others who advocate a similar policy) lost me at ‘‘compulsory’’.

The status of the Ma¯ ori language has in some respects paralleled that of Welsh, which until relatively recently was at risk of extinction until various laws were passed to elevate it to an official status on a par with English. Well, good for them, I thought but imagine if the Welsh (who historically speaking occupy a similar position to Ma¯ ori, being one of the oldest cultures and languages in the British Isles) then turned around to the rest of Britain’s pupils and said, ‘‘You will all learn Welsh’’.

Some might claim my English-speaking ancestors imposed their own cultural hegemony upon Ma¯ ori and turnaround is fair play. To my mind two wrongs do not make a right. Te reo should be an option for any New Zealand student, but to make it an obligation merely repeats the mistakes of the past.

Darren A Saunders, Waltham

Languages

MF Wood (Sept 17) needs to read Chomsky. Children always pick up a new tongue quickly, adults take longer. Originally, monolingual Ma¯ ori leaders and elders depended on their children learning English, and interpreting thousands of new ideas. The elders had every reason to encourage the children to rapidly learn English on their behalf.

As the monolingual Ma¯ ori leaders died off, Ma¯ ori were left with English-speaking leaders. This process happens with immigrants today. Where two languages meet, the most useful language survives, the other fades to a ceremonial language. Phillip Rex Robinson, Waltham

Te reo concern

This week’s column by Joel Maxwell demonstrates my concern with te reo activity. It will inevitably drive a wedge between pakeha and Ma¯ ori. As he attacked pakeha yesterday for not joining in the language movement, Joel was insulting, sarcastic and hostile.

Surely we can see how this gulf will widen, especially among young people.

Language is communication, and when we lose that, both groups - each of equivalent importance in humanity - will be lessened as we split into suspicion and distrust.

John Burn, Merivale