NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 27 November 1930, Page 4

NOTES.

li.e 1 eoi d lijo premise..; of I'. Feron and in Moorhouse -■ .-venue, lollowing the recent tire, i.r. m i the hands of .Air A. Honaic, builder. j Alterations to the Market. Hotel, | Colombo street, ave being effected by j day labour. Mr VT. H. Trengro vc j the architect. ! All tluit remained 01 fc'.verybooy s J ' formerly the Municipal. Market yes- ( i utrdav afternoon were a mass f>t iour j py mvo.s untl S'>i. 1c J'lr-'k'.n slu-c-ts of irc-n. am.l other dcb r ',;, <»: | ■ demolition. | : Mr W. A. D. Suthc-rlf.i.d li.'j. in i ; hand alterations ami additions to the J j Canterbury Club, j.t '-he corner oi' j , Worcester street c.nd Cambridge tor- j • race. Floors are being repaired pud j 1 rev couvenici'.eees erected. f I \\ n!; '.-i <)o.v <.!tno;L completed .>n : the fourth j. to rev be ins: added to the /i.M.T'. Society's building in the t'oiiare. When th»: .-.c : . Holding ii reved the stri:rlur«.\ with its new lacing of white plaster, will present ,i much .nore imposing appearance. Repress.':unions Itovo boon made to • West C'o.'iist snwm s'lers,. on behalf of ! Messrs McMillan ; n.d Frederic-, Ltd., j of StratfoH, as to the declinability <M I establishi lv.', ;> b■ <factory n the j Vo ft Con*;, to supply butter boxes ' and cheese crates to the North Island, i Owing to the necessity if the hoses ' being supplied i't a finished ftate, :• ■ considerable/ amount, of capital would ;bp required. The opinion is also held ; th: t, as ' illy few mill- have white . pile, iho c.-ta blishm--':! of such a iaetorv ji. matter rather for individual | miller:, than lor tho millers as a body. It is "undcrstoMl that at leii't olio ' Weft land s.;v.v miller is eon.«ideri>:x in- ; dependent action in the directi' j 0 l : vslablishin;: a bo.v factory. | "One v;:v :i! which ilu: *•»r:i ar. - i sl'tiw their practical nn tided no.-. -. is t | manner in whih they plant, trees along ; the inani hb-'.hu2\i, ' said Mr Lric ] Johnston. who iia.s just returned to ■ \\\ liington from a motor tour of ; Kuropc. "In lielgium and Holland j (on invariably see endless miles of ' pfiplnr tree,.* on each side of the road, i Th.'~o r. rlin ..iitircli spires n rt~< rihcut I rhf. only thin? th.at. lelievo the flatness . ot the couutrv, hut in Germary also ; they plant trees. Miles of them are ! along the roadsides, but in th.-.t ecun- ! try the trees are apple trees, and tho i fruit is there in tho season for anyone 'to eat. When we passed through they j nere in the yrcen stage, and hardly « eatable, but a little latc-r thev would bt- ready. There aeemed to be eounti less millions of them along the roads i —anyone's property. They must form j a very beautiful .-.nib'. h!o::i | time.'' J What si one is to be u.-cu ni ilio j of the Notional \S at M"moI rial—Art Gallery, Museum, and lanij panile!' Naturally, preference nil! be i given to a Nov,' Zealand building stone, | ti there is one suitable for tho work, j and at tho present time tests are. being j made with a New Zealand stone which,

although it appears to be erumently r,uit:ible for all kinds of buildings, has bc-fin neglected. This is the "vitrtc tuff'' found jn the Hinucra Valley and other localitfcs in the Waikato. Test 3 ;:ml observations show that this rod; meets the greatest want in the building trade of New Zealand, as it is toft, easy to work, and agreeable in tint, on the one hand, while on the other it has perfect resistance to weathering action, is readily accessible, and j caji bo quarried easily and cheaply.

The opinion that the "open-air" typo of school would require too mucli land for it to be feasible, in the case of tho new Parnell (Auckland) School, was expressed by tho chairman, Mr ABurns, at a meeting of tho Auckland Education Board. The school to replace the old building on Parnell Rise is to be built on the property of the St. Stephen's College for Maori Boys, which is being removed to Bombay. Mr Burns said the "open-air" type of school would require at least three more acres of land, «hich would cost, approximately, £13,0001 Ho did not think that in the circumstances tho Department would be likely to agree to tho purchase of the eiitra land. The plans for tho school, which had been approved by the Department, were for t.lio ordinary "fresh-air" type, which ho <1 proved very satisfactory. The "fresh-air" type of school embodies all the latest methods of. cross-ventilation and has a large area of window space. Tho "open air" school 'consists-of individual buildings for" each class, one side being left open.

The Hon. 11. Atmoro (Minister for Education) will be visiting; Auckland on December 10th to attend a conference in connexion with the proposed Fine Arts Block, according to a telegram received from him by Mr M. 11. O'Shea, registrar of tho Auckland University College. Mr O'Shea stated that the conference, which Was being arranged by the University, would be attended by. representatives, of Auckland City Council, the University College Council, tho Grammar School Board, and tiie Finf Arts Th© ! first item for discussion, vrould be the suggested granting of the old Grammar School site in Symonds street for the new 'buildings, which, it is understood, will include a new school of art and a'new art gallery. "At the last conference we had with the Minister in Wellington w'e were given a-Very sympathetic. reception, I .' said Mr' O'Shea. "Wo. are in . gj-.ca£' h'opes of gaining some 'really - practical ' resultsfrom the forthcoming conference."- *..

Aii eminent architect was inveighing :<gainst the disregard shown towards architectural effect in the back ot a certain .building, remarking- that wo might as :well justify. wearing .dirty under-linen because it is out of sight as put up an ugly elevation bccausrs.it would not be. seen by th<3 public. But we must be practical even m the midstof fine sentiments. Money is an; all" important factor in the economies . ot building, and Sir. Charles Nicholson's stricture can onlv bo ' justified _ji he adopts the view that when we are not able to a fiord a tine rear elevation we must be satisfied with an equally poor facade in front- In largo towns, such as London, where terraces of houses often .abut on two parallel thoroughfares,- the "back l'ront'' is a well-known feature, this being accorded a, measure of architectural effect which is much welc6aiid But this, after is mostly for-buildings which are not erected out of public*funds, while Sir Charles's stricture was directed against k, school } building— an important distinction. — i "Illusrated Carpenter and; Builder*"