GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 15, 18 June 1913, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

The quantity of material that goos to make up the walls, roofs and floors of a modern building has an interest for the student of facts and figures (says the Press). No fewer than a million and a-half Canterbury bricks are beiug v«sed in the construction of the new Government Buildings, the erection of which is now proceeding in Christchurch on a site facing Cathedral Square. Into the same work have gone about 40,000 bags of New Zealand cement, and quite 15,000 feet of stone. Captain Thomson, harbormaster at Waitara, has furnished an addition to tlie charts of the New Zealand coast. For some time past captains trading along the coast between New Plymouth and Waitara have reported the presence of an uncharted shoal, and soundings have been taken at different times, but without result. Captain Thomson has, however, been able to locate the shoal, and has had it added to the chart of these waters. He explained to a News reporter on Friday that the shoal was about six miles from the mouth of the river, in the direction of New Plymouth, and about four miles from thy coast. A deeply-laden ship might strike it, but he emphasised the fact that, in doing so, the vessel would be hugging the coast too closely.. Though this custom was indulged in. by some captains, it was a diversion from the recognised course, and the shoal is not in the area for which the Board is responsible. Collins and Hart (the "strong men"), the Gaudsmidta, with their dogs, O. 10. Lennon (the cat) and Hart and Whitmore (who appear as the horse) all in "Puss in Boots," have dressing rooms on the same floor at His Majesty's, Mel-, bourne. The presence of the human menagerie in close proximity to each other leads to amusing incidents somelimes. The other night Hart and Whitinoro were wanted for their turn. The call boy came along and enquired, ''Where's the horse, please." "In the next room, playing cards with the cat," said one of the "strong men," who was endeavoring to push a big basket of wardrobe apparatus into his dressingroom. "Here," he called to his "strong man" partner, "give me a a hand with this. It's too heavy." Those who have seen the feats the pair perform in "Puss in Boots" will appreciate the joke.'