HEARTH And HOME

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19916, 1 May 1930, Page 4

HEARTH And HOME

"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 be accepted.

NOTES.

The pile driving for the foundations of the new Post Office in Dunedin is completed with the exception of the portion on the Princes street frontage, and the formation of the foundation raft is well advanced. Material is now being assembled for further operations.

Mr J. Bradley, jun., of Bradtey Bros., Ltd., Christchurch, is at present on an extended tour of the Australian States with a view to studying the industry in which he is interesteu in the large cities over there, and increasing his general knowledge ot this firnvs special lines of leadlights, metal window frames, and glass bevelling.

■ Ah era of municipal housing appears to have dawned on the Continent of Europe. The policy being followed in Vienna opens up interesting possibilities. Flat construction on a hugo scale is being undertaken by the municipality, and the rents charged are extraordinarily low.

A successful interior decorator savs: "You must believe, when you sefl wallpaper, that you are dispensing art, mental comfort, education t environment, and pride and standing in the community. You must believe, in short, that yoii are actually selling a portion of civilisation. Good decoration is a tonic that builds up the culture of a nation, and wallpaper is one of the ingredients in the tonic."

Another new building has been completed in Greymouth. It' is located in Arney street, on a section recently purchased by the Grey County Council, and will be used by that body as a motor garage to' accommodate the rapidly-increasing plant. The building has a brick wall at the rear, iron sides and front, and a concrete floor. The contractor was Mr J. A. Hart, and the cost approximately £SOO. Space available on the section at the side of the building will be used for stacking timber.

Mr E. J. Bell, president of the New Zealand Master Painters' Federation, and a prominent member of the local Association, is visiting Australia to attend the conference of the Australian Master Painters' Federation, which is held every two years and at which all Australian States are represented. This is the first time New Zealand has sent a delegate to this conference, and Mr Bell has been assured of a warm welcome across the Tasman. It is hoped that this will bfe the forerunner of other visits between the two countries.

The completion of Auckland's big job, the new railway station, is in sight. The-work on the contract has now reached the stage when all that remains to be done is in the nature ot small finishing jobs. The first step towards opening up the ground for the work was taken on May 3rd, 1928, and it is. anticipated that the actual opening of the new building will take, placp in .September next.. The construction; of tfae new station' could not in any sense be called a rush job. The compensating gains brought about by the extra time spent on it will increasingly appear as the years go on. There are still about 800 men employed on various sections, of the work; and they have much to do yet before' all the facilities now being prepared are ready for the use of the travelling public.— "New Zealand Decorator."

Speaking at the last meeting of the. Wellington Technical College Board of Governors; the chairman (Mr W. m Bennett) announced that tenders had closed for the new west wing at the Mount Cook College, and ha was pleased to state that all the tenders were below the estimate of both the Government and the Board's architects. The Board had received autho rity from the Minister for Education to "accept the lowest tender, and steps would be taken to sign the contract. The director (Mr J. H. Howell) sawl that when the wing was completed the college would have provision for nil its present needs. All the classes would be removed from the -old building (commercial and art classes, numbering about 200 pupils) and housed under the one roof.

The* new Auckland West Post Office was opened recently for public business. It faces Victoria street in the Manchester Unity Building on the corner of Hobson street. There is ample space for the public, and eight writing cubicles are provided. All the fittings are neat, efficient, and complete. A telephone box is installed for the use of the public. The postmaster is Mr G. F. Church, of the Auckland telegraph office, and he has a woman assistant. The facilities are all present for handling a large amount of postal business, and no doubt the demands on the staff will steadily increase as the office becomes more widely known in the neighbourhood. At the Westport Magistrate's Court, before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., Mr F. G. Da vies (Inspector of Scaffolding) proceeded against C. Calvert, builder, of Christchurch, on a charge of erecting scaffolding contrary to the regulations. Mr Lovell appeared for Calvert, who pleaded not guilty. From evidence tendered by the inspector, it appeared that the plasterers were working on a defective scaffolding, in which the bearers, which ought to have been hailed to the standards, were not, and the strength of the bearers was below the gauge required In this case they were found to be of 6xl timber, instead of 6 x 2. The men were ordered off the scaffold. Mr Lovell called Mr Jarden (foreman for Mr Calvert), who stated that a scaffold suitable for bricklayers and complying with the regulations had been erected previous to the one under review, and it was intended that the plasterers should use this. They, however, decided to erect one of their own. In reply to Mr Davies, witness admitted he did not see the scaffold in use by the plasterers. The Magistrate thought this was not an intentional breach r the plasterers had erected their own scaffold, which proved to be below the requirements. A fine of 10s with costs, plus inspector's expenses, was imposed.

-The new branch premises of the Bank of New Zealand . in Hamilton North will be opened for business for the first time to-day. The building, which is a reinforced concrete structure of two storeys, is situated on the south-eastern corner of the junction of Victoria street with London street. The cost of erection was about £BOOO. Mr H. J. Raker, formerly accountant in the main office, has been appointed manager of the new branch. A dignified appearance has been given the building by an effective treatment of the two facades and by the employment of a succession of pilasters, between are the windows, enclosed in vertical panels, extending through the two storeys. Prominence has been; given the main entrance by the use

NEW PERMITS.

CITY AND SUBURBS

Additions to the premises of Messrs Sargoofl, Son, and Ewen are in * ne hands of Mr F. E. Shaw.

Mr H. Hinkey has secured the contract for alterations and additions to the Christchurch Working Men's Club.

The Oddfellows' Lodge is erecting a brick hall in Canon street. - A permit has been issued by the Citv Council for additions, in brick and concrete, for Mr T. J. Edmonds, Aldwin's road. . Quiet times are being experience*! by the lticcarton Borough Council, which issued last month only three permits—two for new houses, and one tor additions to a dwelling. Messrs P. Moore and Son, the contractors, are making good progress on the construction of the block of six classroomis at the Girls' High School, Avonside. The exterior walls have reached a considerable height on the second floor. Within a month the new Baptist Church in Colombo street, of which the Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) is pastor, should be completed.

HOME LIGHTING.

WHERE SHOULD THE LIGHTS BE

FIXED?

Slowly but undoubtedly the outlook of the average householder in respect of home lighting is undergoing n change—and that for the better. It seems but a few years ago since candles were superseded by gas as the main illuminating agency of a home. Just as candles were placed in the centre of the room, so the gas was hung from the ceiling. The idea, of course, was to enable everyone to see it. Then came the electric light, and until recently it seemed the natural thing to hang the electric lamp from the middle of the ceiling. Now lighting engineers are • trying to educate householders to know that the centre of the room is not the place for the light as a matter of course. Usually it is the wrong place, but it is not easy to kill wrong notions, and hundreds of houses are being built to-day with no consideration as to the proper place to put the lights. A campaign of education has been started in the leading countries of Europe and America to educate people on the question of better lighting. In Australia representatives of this movement have set up a lighting service bureau where advice is given to all enquirers. It is recommended briefly that lights should bo placed so that positions occupied by the inmates of the house will be lighted up without any of the glare associated with a naked lamp. Lamps are placed behind Bofas, easy chairs, and lounges. Probably one will also hang from the centre of the ceiling, but that will be in order to light the whole room for some particular occasion, and not for anv special purpose. ' The idea which is now being mculis to have the light Only where it is wanted and-nowhere else. Lamps ar» being found at the side of the "dressing table in the;bedroom so that 1 a woman can see her face and a man ,does not have to shave with his face in shadow. The directors of the modern lighting campaign which has been launched toll householders and architects and buildqrs quite frankly that more and still more lighting points are needed in the home. Thirty and forty are not too many, but they . must all' be placed correctly, so that they are only used as required. A person'sitting alone reading, for instance, requires the light of one moderate sized lamp—there is no need for.,the big central lamp to be burning. But the one which is being used ' for reading must be in the right posi- I tion. So throughout the house. The more lamps that are used the less current is consumed, provided only the lamps required are used at the one time. But the comfort of having light iust where it is wanted makes the difference between the well-plan-ned house and the one in. which the lighting points have been placed at random. .

of two handsome semi-detached Corinthian columns The ground floor is mainly devoted to the banking chamber and attendant offices, most of the woodwork in which has been carried out in ri nit. The residential quarters of the mnnnger occupy the upper floor. A central heating system has been installed.

Tn reply to a question from the New Zealand Farmers' Union on the subject of grants for workers' homes, the Hon. W. B. Taverner has written to the Union saying that advances are as readily granted for workers* farmlets as for homes in cities and suburbs. In the course of the letter, the Minister says: "I have communicated with the State Advances Superintendent on the matter, and he informs me that no separate record of advances on country lands for workers' homes, as distinguished from town lands,, for the same purpose, has been kept, and the Department is consequently unable to furnish the figures for which you ask. I am advised that even were the figures available they would be of little Tiee for the purpose of comparison, because it j g well known that the applications received for workers' loans on city nnd suburban areas far outnumber those received for lands on country sections. The Superintendent states, however, that all applications for advances on workers' farmlets are just ns readily granted as loans for workers' homes are in any of the cities and suburbs."

Some eight or ten years ago it was announced in Wellington that tentative ararngements had been made to rebuild the main Clyde Quav School on the Young estate in Elizabeth street The infant department was transferred to the new locality, but the main school has remained on the old site, looking a little more drab nnd depressing each year. At the.annual meeting of householders of the school district. Mr W. H. Phillips referred to correspondence between the Education Department and Board over the matter of a new site for the main school, nnd to the surprise of most people present it was announced that the Government had offered the Board a new site, and the Board had accepted it. This is the site of the Boys' Probationary Home in Austin street (originally the home of Mr W. Beeves, a former merchant of Wellington). The property consists of half an acre of ground on the high side of Austin street (not far from Majoribanks street), just enough space for the school building, but it is contiguous to the Town Belt, which wonld make a very fine play area. On the motion of Mr W. E. Jackson those present decided to urge the' Board to use its* influence to press on with the erection of a new main school on the site in Austin street.