PUMICE FOR BUILDING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 29, 4 February 1908, Page 8

PUMICE FOR BUILDING.

» . The kauri is going, but the pumice remains in. millions of tons. Men are figuring out the. few years of life for the New Zealand forest at the present rate of slaughter, and the people may be shuddering aS the prospect of further advances in the price of timber. Pumice, at present much despised, may come to the rescue. Same time ago, when Edison's notion about concrete houses, to be built in a day, first drifted over to these islands, the merits of pumice for building, purposes were mentioned here in a casual way. An experiment ihas been tried, and the operators — the men of the Tourist Department — profess to be well satisfied with the result. The new bath building at Rotorua has been constructed with pumice concrete, made on the spot. Mr. T. E. Donne says that this material is very light, but exceedingly tough. It is impervious to rain, it permits a building to bo cool in summer and warm in winter. He says that there is no reason why all the houses in the Hot Lakes district should not be built of this composition. Tho idea of making tho concrete on a commercial scale has not yet been exploited. The annual meeting of the Wellington Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association was held last evening at the club rooms, Victoriastreet. There was a satisfactory attendance of members ,and the president, Mr. E. C. E. Mills, was in the chair. [ The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : — President, Mr. E. 0. E. Mills; vice-presidents, Messrs. S. S. Griffiths, D. J. Nathan, A. E. Pearce, J. A. Pike, George Wilson, John Newton, G. Pirie, J. H. Owen, D. Jones, M. Laing, H. C. YTewsley, W. G. Reid, W. B. Lees, W. G.Duthie, and W. C. S. Levers ; hon. treasurer, Mr. C. B. Trimnell j secretary, Colonel Sfcuart Newall, C.B. (re-elected) ; auditors, Messrs. J. H. Hall and Henry Kember and Son (re-elected) ; trustees, Messrs. J. H. Owen, J. A. Pike, and W. Clayton (reelected) ; hon. solicitor, Mr. H. D. Bell, K.C. (re-elected). A large committee was also appointed. The advisability of bringing about the affiliation of all the Commercial Travellers' Associations of New ( Zealand into one body was urged by some members. The federation of the Australasian societies and their subsequent increase in strength and influence was pointed out as an example of the advantages of union. Cabinet meetings are being held today, at which an accumulation of departmental and other business is being disposed of. We understand that before the members of the Government separate somo of the main features of the Prime Minister's policy speech at Auckland will be considered. The Prime- Minister stated at one o'clock that up till that hour the business disposed of had been mainly departmental work of no general public interest. Al! the Ministers (including the lion. W. Hall-Jones, who has just returned from England! weic present, with the exception of the Native Ministei. Sir J. G. Ward leaves for AuckJaad on . Thursday