NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19212, 19 January 1928, Page 12

NOTES.

(By "Builder.")

"Builder" invites contributions from readers on any matters of interest which they might like to propose. Correspondence on various subjects pertaining to building will also he accepted.

The Nurses' Memorial Chapel at the Cliristchurch Hospital is now approaching completion.

Tenders will be received at the office of Messrs Collins and Harman until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 34th, for alterations to the National Chambers, 'Hereford street, for the Hereford Investment Co., Ltd.

Very little activity can be reported in the building trade this month, proving that a complete restoration or confidence has not yet taken place.

Work has been completed in the last few days on the new mosaic flooring in the chancel and sanctuary of the Cathedral. This work has been made possible by the benefaction of the lato Miss Anne Slater and in part by the late J. J. Macfarlane's bequest.

The interior work in .the Municipal Concert Hall is proceeding slowly towards completion. The radiators loi heating, which are now being installed, are painted a gold colour. The balustrade of the dress circle is in place and nearly, half of the seats in this pait of the. hall are in position.

Plans have been prepared for a new building in Wellington for the Co-op. Dairy Producers' Freezing Company, to be erected at the corner of Waterloo quay and Cornwall street on a pcipetual Harbour Board lease. Ine building will be of seven storeys, constructed in reinforced concrete ot mushroom type and will contain an amplitude of freezing space for future expansion of the company's business.

A good record of building progress in Paeroa is shown by the permits for new buildings issued for the year 1927. The estimated value of the buldings was £15,976. This amount has been exceeded only once in tho history of the borough. The record year was m I<J»26, when new buildings to the value of" £BO,OOO were erected, due chiefly to the restoration of licenses involving the renewal and rebuilding of hotels and erection of a theatre.

Written tenders will bo received ul> to noon on Monday, February 13th, 1928, for the construction of the asphalb floors and roadways for the new locomotive shops, Hutt Valley, and tho asphalt floors for the new car and waggon shops, Addington, and the new locomotive shops, Hillside. Plans, spcciiications, and conditions of contractmay bo seen at the offices of the Gluel ijiigineer for Railways, Railway Offices, J)catli«rston street, Wellington, the District Engineer for Railways Ghristcliurch, and the District Engineer lor Railways, Railway Station Building, Dunedm.

The British Medical Association m Sydney has arranged' a competition amongst architects and designers for the bast design for .new premises lor the Association to be built m iuacnuario street at an estimated cost oi £l2O 000. The winner of.the competition 'is to receive 300 guineas. H'o author of the/designs awarded second and third places will be paid -00 <inu 100 guineas respectively. . Iroiessor Wilkinson, of tho Sydney University, will judge the designs, which must ue handed in before March 7th next.

Advice from Brisbane is to'the eflect that considerable building activity is expected in all piarts of Queensland, particularly in Brisbane, during the present year. In Brisbane alone tenders have been called for or accepted for public buildings, etc., aggregating nearly £3,000,000. Included m these aro tho Catholic Catliedial, £500,000; Commonwealth Bank, £200,000: Commonwealth offices. £170,000; Masonic Club, £120,000; new theatre, £70,000; also new banks, mercantile houses, churches, ranging from £56,000 to £IO,OOO.

The New South Wr.les State Cabinet has adopteel the report of the Cabinet sub-committee on the housing question, which was along the lilies of the 1 reliner's policy speech, and he has issued instructions , for the preparation or legislation based on the report. The policy of the Government is to encourage and assist those who desire to build homes for themselves. The Government does not intend to engage in house-houlding, but to extend facilities of the Government Savings Bank, and arrange for the .bank to advance to bona fide homo builders up to 90 pel' cent, of the cost, and to increase the amount of the advance to £IOOO. The duration of the advance will be fixed at sucli a period as to enable purchasers to become proprietors by the periodical payment of a sum within the means of persons of moderate incomes. In .addition to extending the powers of local government authorities for the purpose of assisting the provision of homes, it intends to extend assistance to landowners who desire it to build homes for farm workers. The Government will also make available on the best possible terms Crown lands in the vicinity of Sydney for home builders.

As a result of conferences, presided over by Mr Justice' Piddington, between the Master Builders' Association of New South Wales and the unions in the building trade, an agreement has been reached for the settlement of minor disputes. The agreement provides that in the event of a dispute there shall be no cessation of work by any member or members of the unions or by the employer. No member of the unions shall take part in any strike nor , shall any employer do anything in the nature of a lock-out. If a dispute is not promptly settled by the representative of the employer and the union representative on the "job," it shall be referred to. a representative of the employer and the shop committee on the particular work. If this procedure fails to settle the dispute then it shall be referred to a referee committee composed of two representatives of the employer, two members of. the union, and a chairman of a conciliation, committee. The following unions have agreed to the _ proposals Carpenters, bricklayers, builders' labourers, plumbeirs, painters, engine'drivers, and ironworkers' assistants.