AUCKLAND TOWN HALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13874, 7 October 1908, Page 8

AUCKLAND TOWN HALL.

MERITS OF OAMARU STONE. . j Thk majority' : , of the• party- which went South a fortnight ago, with a■, view to determining which is -the best stone to be; used in the construction of the new Auck-! land town hall, returned to Auckland by! train yesterday. ' The ■ : party: :> con-; sisted of , Messrs. W. E. ' Bush(city,,, engineer), • Hutchison,,,, Farre.ll; (members of the City Council),, and, Biddle/ the last-named representing , the! architects of' the "new structure. :'; ;

Mr. Bush,-when seen by a Hkkald re- ■ presentative last, evening, .said', th« party! left,Auckland!on' September 21,' and visited; ; Wellington, Christen,; Duuedin, and ■ Oamaru. At all these centres '.a. thorough; 'inspection was, made of the principal'Go-' vernment,' public, and business buildings,, particularly those in which' Oamaru stone• iis used 'While:f Wellington, Miv Bush- \: paid several visits to Parliament .in con- ; nection with the Auckland Drainage'Bill.,

"Oamaru stone has been used > in- nearly; all,the '■largo new buildings of the capitalThe new theatre' at Christchurcli im-t pressed the visitors. Mr. Bush declares' that it is better equipped with exits and- . emergency, exits , than\ any building 'he} has ever, come across. The. Roman Catholic: Cathedral at Christchurch is built -inside' and outside with Oamaru stone," and, for; its size, is the finest-church structure • in-; New Zealand.- The party thoroughly inspected the stone quarries at Oamaru, and, •paid particular attentionto the numerous' Oamaru stone building's in that town! At* Dunedin, the particular objects of interest: were , the ', up-to-date machinery of the Roslyn Woollen Mills,," the new. ferro- ! concrete building for the New Zealand Express Company, the drainage pumping station, and public buildings. On the" home-' ward trip, Mr. Bush inspected the bridges and other engineering works on 'the Main Trunk line, between Okahune and Makatote. He spoke in' terms of admiration of the splendid engineering skill displayed in surmounting the difficulties of this portion of the route, and said the whole work had been wonderfully, well carried out.

The city engineer did not feel at liberty to express an opinion regarding the merits of: Oamaru stone for building purposes until ho has made his official report to the Works Committee of the Council. Speaking generally, however, he said that the members of the party were much impressed with 1 the substantial character of the buildings they inspected, and " particularly noticed what an influence the use of stone had on architecture in Christchurch, Dunedin, and Oamaru.