NOTES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18405, 11 June 1925, Page 4

NOTES.

Mr A. E. Entrican, Engineer of Forest Products with tlio State Forest Department, has written to tho Christchurch Builders' Association offering to deliver an address to members of the Association on kiln drying, wood preservation, and the grading of timber. It is more than probable that the offer will be accepted with alacrity. • All members of the Builders' Association are accorded a hearty invitation to the lecture on "St. Paul's Cathedral," to bo delivered at tho Builders' Chambers, Gloucester street, to-night, by Mr A. Clark. Tenders are invited until 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 25th, by Messrs Hart and Eeese, for the,cre'ction of a factory in brick, in Ollivier's road, for G. Bonnington, Ltd. The Eev. C. Blair, of Eaugiora, is inviting tenders until noon on June 24th ior tho orection of a Methodist parsonago at Bangiora. Says the Glasgow ".Weekly Herald": In an effort to help towards the solution of tho country's housing problem, Mr John Livingstone, a Falkirk building contractor, has designed and erected a new style of dwelling-house consisting of bedroom, living-room, kitchenette, and bathroom at tho small cost of £275. Additional rooms may bo added at a. correspondingly low outlay. The house was erected in a week's time with tho assistance of two labourers, and the designer claims -that witli the full organisation of a housing scheme in progress a houso could ,bo erected every day with tho employment of only- unskilled labour. The houso is built >of pre-cast slabs in a reinforced concrete frame. The process followed precludes the possibility of an infringement of the rules and regulations of the' Bricklayers' Union, as the blocks are not bedded in the Usual way with lime, but are held in position by steel stanchions. A model has been erected, and is at present on exhibition at tho Hosiery Manufacturing Company's premises in Falkirk.

•As in;.other, realms, thero are no magic methods by which a home can be created out of nothing (says the Auckland "Star"). There is only one way to get a homo of your own—be thrifty and save. Tliero are sonio •people who seem to bo under tho im--1 pression that there are way» of securing a home without money, or, at any rate, very little of it. There are some who think all that is required is a good job, and that 310 preliminary saving or accumulation of funds is necessary on their part. That it> quito a mistake, and a house, like anything else, has to lie paid for sooner or later. It is the desire of everyone to own a home of their own, but it can only bo done by recognising that the prospective pur-J chaser (must be prepared to make some sacrifice, bo it over so small. Home owners are the kind of people we all like to have as neighbours, because the man who owns tho house ho lives in will see. that it is not neglected, and there is a neatness about both house and garden which is not always to bo found where the tenant is merely renting a house he resides in. A person owning h,is own home feek independent, and it is worth a little hard saving to have that feeling. With only two months of tho present financial year gone, there is already showing in the value of permits issued by the Auckland City Council a decrease of £38,908, compared with tho first two months, of 1924. In April, 1924, the value of the permits issued was £116,633, and in May, £147,775, but this year the amounts are: Tor April £100,351, for May £319,124, the respective totals being, for 1924 £264 383, and for 1925 £225.475. From the above it will be seen that the year has started much more quietly than in 1924, and th© record then established is not likely to be threatened when the year's figures are totted up at the end of March next., Still that is a long way off, but even so, the indications are that the activity in building which was so widespread in recent years has slackened off considerably .