PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 152, 23 November 1914, Page 4

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS.

AN UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTY. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The contractors for the erection of the new Parliamentary buildings have made good progress lately, and since the session closed the covered bridge connecting the library with the Legislative chambers has been removed, enabling the main walls to be raised one storey high. The outer walls of this storey are of Coromandel granite, and its finished appearance is very pleasing. A good deal of the brickwork of the interior walls has also been done. An unfortunate difficulty has cropped up, however, in connection with the extension of the work. The specifications provide that the outer walls of the second and third storeys art, to be of "grey marble from Sandy Bay, Motucka, 52,000 cubic feet of the material being required. It was expected that no trouble would be experienced in getting the marble, but it lias now been found that slabs suitable cannot be obtained, owing to frequent "faults" running through the stone. So far, only small sizes suitable for windows are obtainable. The contractors and the departmental officers have had frequent conferences, but as yet have not been able to arrive at any conclusion as to what shall be done. Meantime the contractors' arrangements are upset, and they have had temporarily to dispense with the services of fifteen bricklayers and laborers.