DUNEDIN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 168, 9 April 1908, Page 8

DUNEDIN NEWS.

[Vnoii oim special coreespomjent;] m, •' - '■ April 8;, • V The Dunedin'. Presbytery was v asked- bj , a City minister this week to iccoramcnd thai •-S his; assistant receive a license to baptise; anc v ; marry. Tho request _ ; was not favourably r<v ; ceived, members being: apparently; of tKe ; opinion'that'to grant such licenses, uqless in .exceptional circumstances,' would be - tc f- ■ rido roughshod over the-laws and traditions • of the Church. The Itcv. Mr.'Sutherland, in moving that the matter lie on the table, ; . ; and speaking.. on . Baptism generally,'.'.: in- ~ , stanced a case that came_ under his .notice. ■ He, wits'-speaking to ai divinity student, r and the latter mentioned that a family.had.re- /. / centlyr removed' to. Mr.; Sutherland's'.- dis-' . trict. "There are two.small children,"'said ; .. the student,' " whom I. .baptised not Ion;' ago." "You baptised' them?" exclaimed the' minister J. "But' you have, no authority , '-\ to baptise." The student merely said that he understood ho might perform-baptisms as others', placed , similarly to 'himself were allowed to do so. . The Presbytery', looked -, ; thoughtful,'.'but nothing further was said, ; ,' and the motion was passed. ' ' '~.. j University Senate, ' •; ' Mr. J. Allen, M.P., was to-da.y, appointed to represent ; the Otago: University Council on the Senate. > 'Stste Cos! Depot. ■ , 'V; ; -.v' : . ' Mr; J. F. Arnold, M.P., has been in communication with, the Minister 'for •;Mines ■with a view to having a State-Goal, depot established here, and the Minister, has replied:that. he' is negotiating' for a picce of. - land,, and > hopes v shortly to have the depot an ■ Architects and Builders. . ■ ■ ■; The. New. Zealand, Express -Company is , about to erect oho-of the/largest buildings in .-Dunedin, and it' being a matter of soma' comment-that no/Dunedin tenders'.for'the'--, building were sent in, a "Star"-'.reporter saw Mr.-E. F. Duthie, manager of the com- • pany, and asked , him if he could give the reason. _' ' ' - •; ; -Mr..Duthie replied, that so far .as he could'-', gather, an agreement had been made between the Dunedin Builders' Association and the local architects that the architects would not , .allow- any builder, or 'contractor who was' Association, and the Builders' Association in to obtain plans from their offices or accept, tenders from anyone outside the Builders' Association, ' and the Builders' Association return had agreed that they would, not tender for .any building for u'liich plans'and, specifications • were not drawn by a local architect. The plans were drawn by Messrs.' S. and L. Luttrell, of. Christchurch. Mr. Duthie went ou to say:—"• I have.a-strong objection. to tho Dunedin -.builders and : the"-architect's' : entering' into ," .any, such agreement between themselves./■ I always understood that when you', engage-an architect : to. prepare plans and specifications , and call for tenders,', lie acts 'as 'vour : repre-. ~ sentntive, but, it appears quite clear to mo; : j that in 'connection, with the above agreements , •the architect you employ is in combination , with the successful tenderer. I am strongly 1 . ' of opinion that' this combination is not in the interests 'of those who intend building. as an architect should be entirely, free and .'- independent of tlioso who arc responsible for : the carrying out of a contract, and who are engaged in building operations."" Mr. Diithie added that a tender had been practically decided upon, and that the building would bo gone on with. .