SHAVINGS

Evening Star, Issue 20572, 26 August 1930, Page 2

SHAVINGS

The executive of the Dunedin -Master Builders’ Association is to be congratulated on the success attained by its annual ball in the Town Hall lust Friday. It represented-'the largest function of its kind that has yet taken place in Dunedin, and the- large attendance suggested that the builders formed a. body much larger and more important than was generally recognised. It is understood that before very long another addition will be made to tho numerous Roman Catholic institutions in this city. Just recently tho Catholic authorities purchased Mr G. A. Skene’s property, which runs right through from Castle to Cumberland streets, and which is immediately behind the site in Union street where Lawrence, and Co. intend to erect a block of flats. f. * '' * , ». In .conversation with- two of Dunedin’s leading builders the other day, the writer was .informed that they bad planted 400 Douglas fir trees in the Clutbiv district of South Otago. It was mentioned at the same time that the planters bad every hope of having the trees ready in time to provide scaffold poles for Dunedin’s new Tost Office. **' * "K A small church for the Seventh Day Adventists is at present being erected by Mr A. M'Laron in Cumberland street between Albany and Frederick streets. The building is to bo constructed of brick, with concrete foundations, and will Ire plain in every detail. The brickwork is to be pointed in white cement, while the interior is to bo plastered. An iron roof will he placed over the structure, which the contractor, hopes to complete in six week’s time. *•* >•* Builders will be pleased to notice the sympathetic;.hearing fvhich the Minister of Public Works accorded the deputation of New Zealand builders when the “iniquitous” conditions of contract imposed by the department were brought before his notice. The writer was informed by Mr W. Ellis, a member of tho executive of the Dunedin Master Builders’ Association, that tho whole question would again como up for discussion at. the next annual conference of tho New Zealand Federation of Builders, to ho held at Invercargill in February .next. ’The local member ladoptcd a very optimistic attitude, feeling quite confident that something would ho done in the near future to alleviate tlio conditions existing-at present. 1 ’ ’ a * » * A much improved .corner in. George, .street is tho one owned by- Vernon Smith-, - Ltd.,. which ; Jins been ..divided, up into six shops, with work'rooms, and offices above; Tho irOnt elevation lias boon finished to conform with modern requirements, terrazzo being used in tho piers and steel supports, A new -suspended verandah' has also been added. An-unusual and convenient fea- ' lin'd is that a'rear entrance has been arranged for each shop through a covered corridor. Cloak rooms and lavatory accommodation open off tho ■ same corridor. The job was a very difficult one to carry out, as tho eon- ; tractor (Mr W. H. Naylor) had to I leave the proprietor in possession of a shop during tho progress of tho work. Tlio contract was completed a fortnight ago, a fid three of tho now shops' aro- now occupied. The improvements, planned by Mr H. MDowell Smith,' cost’in’the vicinity of £4,000. * . •» Four years ago tho Royal Victorian Institute of Architects held an International Exhibition to test public interest.' .Leading architects in Europe and America- sent exhibits, and so -much attention- was paid to this comprehensive collection that in 1928 a second show was held, but limited to members and to examples of domestic architecture. Last year, in conjunction with tho Allied Societies, a Model Home Equipment Exhibition attracted such targe numbers of people to tho societies’ rooms that this year it was decided to hold an exhibition in tho Melbourne Town Hall during the first ten.days of August. Again only members of tho' R.V.T.A. were allowed to exhibit, but designs were invited of all types of work, tho result being that over .2,000 designs— in water colours, photography, handicraft, modelling, and pcir drawings—were submitted. From thoßo the Selection Committee chose some 450 exhibits for display, and these represent, if not the whole, at least tho best of the architecture carried out in tho State of Victoria during the. past two-years. No design that had -previously been exhibited was eligible, and the result was a pleasing sense of freshness. The presentation of designs on the whole showed, a marked improvement .on previous years, an objective which the council was anxious to achieve. Tho fundamental nurposo of these exhibitions is to give tho public an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the various styles and types ot building—public, industrial, and domestic —being creeled to-day. to convey graphic lessons in home-build-ing, decorating, furnishing, and, above all) to lead them to a better understanding and higher appreciation of the value of trained architectural serVltlG.