SHAVINGS

Evening Star, Issue 20862, 4 August 1931, Page 2

SHAVINGS

Tho modem world, I sec, demands speed hi painting. Either that, or our women must begin to make up, preparatory to going out, a good deal earlier. » * * » To many homemakers, says a newspaper, elhcicnt lighting merely means overcoming darkness. To others it means overcoming income. • « * * Tho erection of Mr W. It. Brinsley’s now residence at St. Clair is progressing most satisfactorily under the direction of tho contractor _ (Mr W. C. Craig). The brickwork is now up to the first floor, and tho framework for the roof is in place. Some idea of the constructional appearance of the finished home can now be realised. » ♦ • • Tenders closed to-day with Messrs Miller and White (architects) for the erection of a Masonic Temple (Lodge lonic 191) at Green Island. A large number of builders are interested in the contract, which provides for the erection of a brick building on a section facing Dee street, with its entrance opposite the Presbyterian Church. The temple or lodge room (44ft x 32ft) is on the east side of the building, while tho refectory (about the same size as tlio temple) is on _ tho west, with a spacious hall, committee room, kitchen, and stores conveniently situated in between. The building will bo of brick construction, with metal windows and corrugated asbestos roof. _ The front of tho building is quite plain except for portico pilasters at the entrance. • * • • Tho work of demolishing the lloyal Arcade is proceeding apace. Last Friday the msido walls on both sides of the fairway were brought to the ground in quick succession. This was done by the means of ropes and a gang of some twenty men. There was a terrific crash of timber, bricks, and plaster as tho walls fell heavily into the fairway. « * * * A visit to tho Grand Picture Palace, which is being converted into four shops facing Princes street, reveals a hive of industry at the present time. Various structural alterations are being made to convert this old building into a useful commercial centre. The existing frontage to Princes street is to be removed and replaced by a compound girder (70ft long) carried by steel stanchions, and tho finished shop fronts will coincide with the very latest in modern designs. A new verandah is to be provided, and special attention lias been paid to illumination. Messrs Wood and M‘Cormack are carrying out the work to plans prepared by Mr D. Mowat. » * * * In cutting away tho basement wall to Princes street in the old Grand Picture Palace tho workmen came across tho old rubble wall which was originally tho foundation of the old Ship Inn Hotel on tho corner and the old London Hotel, which had an entrance from Princes street and also from Jetty street, thus surrounding .ho Ship Inn Hotel. n * » » On account of tho great amount of unemployment amongst painters, Mr D. G. Sullivan recently asked the Hon. W. B. Taverner to arrange for the painting of a number of public buildings that were in urgent need of renovation. Mr m avernor replied that it would not bo possible to undertake any extensive painting programme of public buildings owing to the reduced finances available for such purposes. * * * «■ Construction work on the Nurses’ Homo at tho Cashmere Sanatorium will ho finished at tho end of this week, tho foreman in charge of the work told a ‘ Sim ’ reporter, but as the furnishing is' not yet completed, it is improbable that the building will be officially opened before the middle of August. Tlio new building is of three stories, and has been joined to the existing Nurses’ Homo; the job was started last November, but it was necessary to remove tho porters’ lodge before tho actual construction work could be gone on with. The site was originally a fairly steep hillside, and a great amount of excavating Work had to be done before the foundations could bo laid. A big concerete retaining wall was built along tho road frontage, and tho earth from tho banks at the back of tho building was thrown against it to produce an area level enough to proceed with the foundations. The greatest difficulty, tho foreman explained, was experienced in getting tho material to tho site, and electric winches bad to be used to raise it from tho road.