NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1924, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

■’lt has been said that you in New Zealand are OS per cent, ol Hrilisli slock. We cannot say that in the liritish Isles as vve have not the same solidarity,” said Professor Adams. when speaking at a social gathering in Palmerston North.- "Standard.

A witness had been called to give evidence in a case at tin* Stratford Court (relates the "Taranaki Daily News"). After some small delay lie entered hurriedly and jauntily stepped into the dock. An appreciable in-

terval elapsed before lie could be pievailed upon to leave the dock and go into f lie witness box.

The keen demand for new houses in New Zealand and elsewhere should attract a good deal of attention to the now material for walls and partitions that has received the name of Magnolite, which is said to have been used with conspicuous success in ltal.v.

••The invention.” says a European contemporary, "changes wood and other fibre into a hard substance which is very strong and yet very light. A wall built of it weights only about one-eight as much as a brick wall. H is very easily handled, because it is not on'lv light but can be sawn, nailed, screwed, or bored, like a piece of wood. Water does not injure it, lire does not burn it. and leaf and sound cannot penetrate* it.

A controversy is still wagging its (•bin between t!••• advocates ol concrete bituminous roads in this 1 People ill the Auckland Province I*l ccially. will fervently hope that the new road-construction policy will not be delayed while the disputants are arguing on the fem e. “Motoring Luc (Sydney) tells in its most recent issue, of' new. cheaper, and even revolutionary road-material, known as l‘crcalb. It is the invention of a Cape Town chemist. It is. m elfect. an improved binder in powder form lor macadamised mads, pavements. and | similar siuTaccs and in appearance not unlike cement. The new binder losults in great consolidation, and gives a .-wilt and permanent hardening effect combined with an unusual degree of elasticity. The chief constituents ol tile new binder arc quartz sand, caibonate of calcium, oxide <>l iron, and silicate of aluminium. It is stated that the composition is peculiarly capable of binding with iron or steel, and is. therefore, particularly suitable for modern reinforced roads.