Building Notes.

Progress, Volume XVI, Issue 6, 1 February 1921, Page 140

Building Notes.

AUCKLAND. The Auckland Education Board invites tenders as follows : —Additions in wood to Leamington School; erection of school building at Aramata (near Te Kuiti) ; erection of school building at Thornton (near Whakatane) ; teacher’s residence, Mangatu (near Kaihu) ; teacher’s residence, Mokauiti (near Taumarunui); teacher’s residence, Ngatea (Hauraki Plains) ; teacher’s residence at Pukemiro (near Huntly).

CHRISTCHURCH. Messrs. Collins, Harman and Munnings invited tenders for additions to St. Andrew’s College, Papanui Road.

Building permits for work valued at ,£345,987 were issued by the Christchurch City Council between April Ist and December 31st of last year.

The final plans for the new Boys’ High School building at Riccarton are in course of being prepared at present, and it is expected that ttnders for the work which has been authorised will be called about the end of the present month.

FRANKTON JUNCTION. The General Manager of Railways invited tenders for the erection of a sawmill at Frankton Junction for the production of houses for the railway employees. The contract will be for labour and part material.

WELLINGTON. Illustrations of the effect of the effort of the Government to control building in New Zealand, for the purpose of diverting available supplies of material to essential works, are contained in the figures relating to the building permits issued throughout the past year by the Wellington City Building Inspector. Details of the estimated value of the buildings for which permits were issued in each month are as follow: —January, ,£47,293; February, £74,860; March, £57,744; April, £103,677; May, £164,554; June, £117,084; July, £62,696; August, £70,203; September, £97,026; October, £55,357; November, £47,987; December, £41,023. It was at the beginning of April that the first indications were given that the Government might attempt to control supplies of building material, but it was not until June 30th that the regulations came info force. April, May, and June were boom months as far as permits were concerned. After June the figures, with the exception practically of September, show a steadv fall.

' At the conclusion of the Schools’ Building Conference, held in Wellington last month, the delegates thanked the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, and pledged themselves to take into serious consideration the problem of providing school buildings at a more reasonable cost, and also the question of whether erection and maintenance should not be carried out by the various Boards’ staffs.

The general feeling of the conference was in favour of the adoption of the direct labour system.

The Minister expressed the belief that the conference had achieved valuable results. The building of schools nowadays was so unsatisfactory that something had to be done. Those Boards adhering to the contract system had to admit that their procedure required reconsideration and revision.

Messrs. Swan, Lawrence, Swan and Hamilton invite tenders for the erection of shop and office premises in Manners Street. -