PARLIAMENT'S ABODE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 516, 25 May 1909, Page 6

PARLIAMENT'S ABODE.

; THE NEW COUNCIL CHAMBER. - TO BEREADY THIS WEEK. There will be virtually a new PeH-liament House for the new Parliament wMoh is to "movo in" in. tie next few weeks.. The premises of the Representatives will be "spring-oleaasd" and renovated and improved almost out of recognition, and t!ho residence of .the Legislative Council has been specially built for -that Assembly, Parliament will have a handsome house when it comes to Wellington for.the winter, but its haudEomenoss is not apparent in tho present period of metamorphosis. Tho grub must, como beforo the butterlly, and the Parliamentary Buildings in their present aspects aro a very utttidjv grub. Carpenters aad plasterers, in aprons, desecrate the halls once reserved for solemn legislators; they push the Speaker's chair out of their presence, hammer tho pror testing walls and benches, daub plaster over venorable ceilings, and splash it over floors. If tho future tenants, in-a body, could look in upon the babel and disorder and confm sion, they would shudder at the and wonder how the handsome, sober halls, which they no- deubt expect,, could ever be ready for their formal entry..' About fifty men are now employed in the two ohambors, and to the stranger's eye they scorn to be still in the midst'of their task. The. word has gone forth' that the buildings must be ready by the end of this week. No one quite knows, apparently, how this is going to bo done, but done it is'going.to be, the Public Works officers declare—not because it'can. be, but because if has to be.' The Government has spoken, and "when Caesar Bays do this it,is periornied." Men aro ' working overtime; they wore working all day yesterday—Empire Day—despite the unsurpassed respect whicli their employers,* the Government, entertain for Imperialism. If,the buildings nre not ready by the end, of tho week: will, not ;be Hho iault of tho Public Works Department. Why they should be needed so soon is another matter—surely another indication of an early beginning' for the session-. ■:'■.'."■■■ , - , ■.. .. .:

chamber of the Houso of Repre-Bontatiyce-will.be a groat improvement on the former restricted premises. It is still narrow, though since Inst session tbe front wall has been ■moved out to take uv tlio old veratidalij and:. a still: further 1 breadth of five feet. If there wore more width Hansard would probably have been gratified with a place on the: floor level, close to tin• Speaker, instead, of having the west end of the . gallery occupied by the press.- The great improvement which has been made to tho House of Representiltives is in respect of longiJi, and that has been obtained by* taking in tile room previously used by tlio Legislative Council. .There 16 a< prevalent idea that next session may be a lively one, and it is probably as well that the new: members will not bo crowded so' closo. together: as they were last year. - The' Speaker's chain's in tho middle of the rodm,.and'mcmb©rs'i<ieEks oonvcrgo upon it in an arrangement of arcs," which lengthen with incroasina distance from the centre. . Each tablo is provided with a couch, and contains two, three, or four ingenious dpsks, according to the longth of tho table, , which depends upon its distance from the Speaker. . Tho desk,. when erect and olosodj is like a narrow escritoire,-of which the front comes down, forming a support, to write- on. Beneath caoh desk thero is a drairor.-Ministers will sit on tho rght hand of the ■ Spoakor, accommodation forundorsccretanee will be placed along the western wall, and at the northern end are galleries' for the Legislative Councillors, general ■ public, and ladies* in that order, from west to east. They are .very. small galleries, duo again to tho narrowness of. tho building, .They have, however, their separate entranoes, , end.behind the galleries arc a ladies' tearoom (the old conservatory), a ladies''wait-. ing room, ./and public waiting room. lJio ■ ten r«om is :■■ at, present fitted «P-.' with .four , ..long- .carpenters'- ~benclie.s, and t ;. half-a-dozen,. : carpenters ■■ were' • busy .making;,,fitt-iiigs;- in,,it„yesterday..l,>Acroes a- passage- from the gallorieV.'is! a! : lbVgo din-' wgrooni., where formerly was- tho bar of ■Bellamy's;, now further west, and "what- was' is noW'h sociiil/foom 'formembere. The new reporters' room, whioh previously belonged to the Speaker of the Loflislativo Council, is cbntiguous.to their gallery. ; Members' boxes hnvo been shifted from the! inadequate room \. iiich formerly contained them to a place,in tho main corridor. ' ■■■■'. .'-. ; .-..-•.■■ •■■-■':■ ■ ■■', -.;■■ ■■ ;

tho new Legislative Council Chamber will be a much less imposing room than its companion chamber. Its accommodation is certainly on th 6 small side, and. it would- have been smaller still, but by-.in , after-thouglit tho public, and members' galleries were arrangedabove a corridor, thus providing a few feet inore space; The Speaker's - place will be at the north end, with the Attorney-General on his loft. The room is at present filled with scaffolding, and . alive witn busy /workmen', but their, employment .is' all concerned with " finishing " A door •to provide communication with tho other building has yet to bo constructed. 1 . A fine reading and writing room, the Speaker's room, committee room, olerk's ■ room, .messengers - - enlarged cleaning room, messengers' store room, and other, accommodation arc comprised in the new, building. Some of the private rooms are almost ready for use, even to the laying of carpeU. .They.are of commodious size, and their bright newness gives'them an inviting aspect. :'■■■■ ' . ' ... , ' .- '.-