NEW ZEALAND PUMICE PREFERRED

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1732, 24 April 1913, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND PUMICE PREFERRED

VIEWS OF MELBOURNE EXPERTS. The action of,tlio Victorian State Government in selecting New Zealand pumice siono for tho insulating material to' be used at the new Government: cool stores is attributed by the Minister for Agriculture, not to any neglect of materials produced in Victoria, but: to a desire to secure tlio utmost efficiency, says tho .Mclbourno "Age." Attention was directed to tlio fact that tho Cabinet had shown preference to pumice when it had before it as an alternative Victorian slagwood. Jlr. Graham said tlio Department of Agriculture would not run any risks in such ft matter, and would not undertake the responsibility. Tlio question fell within the province of the Public Works Department, to which it was referred. Mr. G. W. Watson, tlio chief architect, reported that tho best; material was pumice; but. as the Agricultural Department was not satisfied, he (the Minister) conferred willi tho Minister for Public Works; Mr. E. 'J,'. Drake, Secretary for Public Works; and Dr. Cameron, Director for Agriculture. The conference in turn referred the question to several experts outside the service, and, out of Ihe different reports, one favoured slagwood, provided that it was put in in slabs. Subsequently another expert had! declared that the Government would be right in selecting pumice. In Ihe light of the opinion of the experts and its own experience tlio Department—and, later, the Cabinet—had decided on pumice. The Government could not afford lo run any risks in a building costing ,£80,0(XI, and iikely in tlio future to contain at times as much us £50,000 or .£OO,OOO worth, of produce,.