NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 53, 27 November 1923, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

, ibnt President Ebert lias invited Dr. Albert An announcement that I ne rte and men can only to form a non-political Cabin P driffc in Gcrma ny is to conmean that the unsatisfacto y P allegedly of this character was tinue. As a matter distinguished only set up some time ago undei 1 ’ , . n( j us t r ial magnates. In its >. .-opt nurnoseM po icv of internal reconstruction or to make any approach puiposetul po y reason to sUppose that t ho will improve o„ this poor record.

n rennrte have indicated that the prospective instiSEVERAL iccent re] ■ •R r ;t n ; n i s causing a considerable stir in tution ol tariff f""”„*) Z C Z no doubt or. lairl, iorolgn f™ ntnes - Ilk loreion manufacturer, are negotiating lor indicated in a report that foreigni m the acquisition in Bri am o p • ‘j'emps recently made some comis at present importing. Ihe l Government that were plaints about the tariff f o \! C ' V , ° f c Xt to whfeh France since the war -ther in mew ta French has ,ntenslfl^p^ d P t O h l ; C t y t h e effect of a British tariff would be to drive Z'countriS of Continental Europe into closer commercial relationSrin A a matter of fact, these countries during the last year or two have takererery opportunity of negotiating commercial treaties and BHta n ha tag nothing to bargain with, has fared badly A tariff, beside"’giving her industries much-needed protectionin their home market undoubtedly will give her a much more advantageous position San she at present occupies from which to negotiate commercial treaties with foreign countries.

fnr economy in tho construction of school Pursuing its campaign - j nt j ma f; €d to Education buildings, the Education ,] t t he planning of these strucBoards and other governing boes th.tatte pl ann ng turns must be entrusted henccfoith to As it is gefc nob, as the custom is a p . rc (j AU ghley), the new policy out by the cto ;She to impoSanJ savings. The figures he may a PP ear to o^ d thig yc a‘r to private architects in respect of eight quotes—£l4,ooo paid th J 1 p 4OOO , q architccts > fees for addiffthey stand rather staggering. No plain and detions, etc. are j however of what services are to be set tglinst n thc C S a e fees, nor does the Director of Education state what £ arc anticipated if the work is transferred to the Governmen Aichitcc There is more than one side to the question raised. I fe ven important, for instance, that schools and o her educational buildtags should individually be well and suitably p anned with due regard the. particular sites they are to occupy. It would be false economy °to have schools planned by the Government Architect if tms S 3 the erection of buildings of a stereotyped and unsatisfactory dieter It has to be remembered in this connection that the Minister of Education (Mr. Parr) proposed recently that wherever pasblo schools should be erected cheaply in wood. Very sma 1 schools might very well be reduced to a standard pattern and need not individually call for any architectural services Larger schools however, ought in every case to be well and caretally planned by a skil ed architect who has specialised in school buildings, and any masonable expenditure necessary in this connection should not be grudged The policy announced by the Department is one that shoiud not be forced upon the boards and other local educational, authorities at least until its detail merits have been examined and discussed.