LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18342, 7 March 1923, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE CENTRAL MISSION.

Sir,— a rep</rt of the Methodist Conference, published last Friday,, there is \ ,■.'.'■'.. a reference to th<* Auckland Central Mis- \ sion. This evidently refers to the East Street Mission, carried on in connection with the Methcriist Church of this city. The Auckland Central Mission is not in - any way coni/ected with the Methodist Church, but is, and always has been an unsectarian rr flssior> since it was started by the late Air. W. H. Smith, tffeout 25 years ago. John Wjf. Loko, Hon. Sec. A. CM. ■•■

I ACTION OF GANNETS.

i —A few days ago I read of the I ruthless Maimer in which ganncts are being dejtnoyed by Auckland yachting parties. This fine and beautiful bird is one of 'the most interesting of the seabirds around our coasts. Its ma- , I jestic flig/it and sudden nose-dive into ! the sea is one of the sights of wild life j which ma ny intelligent people would bo sorry to miss. There is no justification , for the destruction of this harmless bird. It should, be general knowledgo that this • j bird is protected and anyone found killi ing this species or robbing their nests is , liable to a fine of £25. Steps horfb been ; , taken 'to see that these birds are protected, and anyone found interfering with them 'will be heavily fined. K.H.D.S. March 3, 1923.

BOTTLING FRUIT.

1 1 Sir, —In answer to a request for recipes : for bottling fruit, I send one of my own i Wiich has proved better in flavour and ... ' Keeping qualities than the old way of preserving in sugar and water boiled to : a syrup. Peel and cut up peaches, large 1 plums, or nectarines; or, if preferred, , whole with stones left in, merely peeling i would answer. Weigh, put in preserving ■l pan, add half a pound of sugar to every ( pound of fruit and about half a cup of water to several pounds of fruit;—just , enough to start the sugar melting. Stir , occasionally, leave all night. By next morning the fruit will be covered with syrup. Boil about 10 minutes, till soft - enough. Have bottles dry and heated. Put a cloth in a basin on a stand close ».■# to the fire. Set a bottle on the cloth and fill quickly. Screw on top immediately, so that- no air can get into the •* bottle. This is most important. Fill ; all bottles in same manner, keeping praI serving pan just off boil till empty. The i cloth in 'basin keeps bottles from crack- . j ing. f E.L.S. Henderson.

UNIVERSAL PENSIONS.

I Sir,—The vital importance of making ' provision .for the declining years of both men and women is being recognised in various ways both bv Government and , other authorities. Fifty years ago tie New Zealand Government had in vogue * pension scheme for its employees of the ' Civil Service. That system has been I abandoned in favour of the present superj annuation, which seems to be a better * system, depending mainly on contributions from the participators of the fund, . supplemented by a grant from the State. . We find public bodies and some private ; . firms have made similar provision, while . others have them in contemplation, ; thereby acknowledging obligation to their :}.* .';. agsjd workers. The National Provident Fund also provides allowances to its con-.';; - ;; , tributors, bat it makes ,no provision; for. ._, •: . i those who are above the age limit for con- 1 . ! fcributors. Our Old Age Pension ' Act, ; '• - j while being of immense benefit to a great i number of our aged citkens, is long 0ver..../ Rat I due for revision. Its weakness lies in: 1 (1) Not being universal, and too ; email in ; . l amount; (2) the penalising of thrift by I granting a pension in full to the impro- .■;■••■ , vident, while refusing it to those* who, * have provided something toward old age; ■ \ (3) the age at which the pension is avail-, i able is too high. Sixty should be the age, - so as to give a man a chance to have a f little leisure and enjoyment of life before j its close; (4) any pensioner desiring to ~..; , - supplement his pension by a. little casual; *" work should be allowed to do so without . . a reduction of pension. These privileges - are just a question of finance, and it is - perhaps unreasonable to ask an alreadyi overtaxed people to finance an extension of ptesent privileges. : But : I suggest' that ''" ' the time is opportune to jettison our pre- • ' sent system, and institute a■> universal,;.,-.'•■','■■ compulsory, contributory system >in its , ; -y place under State control into which the ; ;| I present systems could be incorporated. . J The State would probably need to supple- ?.'*" ment contributions for a time, but as the } general public, through the Consolidated • . • Fund, are now contributing toward the - I Civil Service Fund, , there could be >no ii>, : ; ) | valid objection to an extension of that practice. The - present .Speaker of the ;; ' House had in view the inauguration 'of a'• [ scheme, which embraced equal contribu- • tion from State, employer and employee... The data collected by him could in all probability be made available I. and, if ■•■:'■: suitable; adopted. V' ' •;•''■" James Wm. Mtixo»:v" i' J

' \- ■ s ; *' » -.'■■■*'■ ; ■ ' THE BUILDING TRADE. f \ ' i¥

• Sir, —Both the public l and building con- i tractors will read with interest the com- ' ments made re " cost, of buildings," by : ■ '.;.; such a well-known gentleman as Mr. A. E. Ingold, v vice-president of the Master ',-.-. Builders' Association, Queensland. 'In " these comments he states that there is a " vicious circle " in the building trades | n New Zealand. I am sure that the V; general verdct will fully uphold this :,-•'■>.:.; J statement. I . have been , connected with ;?;j >' ''•■ ! the trade for ever ;50 years in New ZeaI land, having served my indentures with '.'.', a leading London firm. Mr. I'ngold's com- • parison of the difference in cost of build- ; ing in New Zealand and Queensland I , v ' can fully endorse. A member of Cone, of .■»{ ,■■■"/. London's largest and most > successful y builders, whom I have known for more ;;, than 50 years, some two months ago fur-, y.^ » nished me with the following figures. His j;;;. son, who is now in Melbourne, contract- .;. I ing, has just completed a residence there, to the same plans and specifications, as ' for a house in Christchurch, just before ,v S;oing to Melbourne: —Cost in New Zetl- * and, £1592 cost in Melbourne, £1145. • Timber, inclusive of cartage to contract, ■'..' " practically the same. I think this fully ;,.,. confirms the figures of cost furnished by Mr. Ingold. . Both houses v were built _,..," under an architect's supervision. * '-\ ■ ''".''! ? The sain* gentleman also furnished :me',';, with ruling prices in London for materials "' , on which he had just based his tender ' , foe a large contract, and which I annex, , as doubtless it will rather puzzle ' the/ { public as to why there should be such an ; enormous difference in cost of i '-'■;■ -' locally-manufactured materials yin great , < demand in the building trades. The Eng- , lish prices . are :—Portland cement, £2 ! 2s .-,*.;i, per ton ex store; bricks, £1 8s to £1 10s " : •'■"'■'" per 1000 f.o. rail *, brick facers, £2 5s up; sand, 6s to' 8s per yard delivered; ,; - shingle, 6s to 8s per yard : delivered; labour, brickwork, laid, cement, £17, per, ~ rod; labour, brickwork, laid lime ; mortar,:;*;»' •■ £14 per rod. I could quote his prices, per,,, ~ yard, superficial, for concrete roads, both ~" \ bin. and 9in., but I refrain. ' -i ' \> '■ • For the last two or three years it has " : been impossible for architects or builders -•?''. •._;;.; to give a reliable estimate owing to fluctuating prices of materials, cartage, and particularly the obnoxious "go-slow" practice in vogue. Hence arose the 10 per . cent, contract on cost of materials ,y and labour. It is common knowledge that < no buildings lately built on this system ''; but have cost thousands of pounds more .; .*', than estimated for large contracts. Private . .1 I houses have been costing more by 20 per H.'Tent. than estimated and upwards. Con- vf ' tractors on the percentage basis are on a • good wicket, they cannot lose; but unless ff> the architect, besides being able to draw ./ a pretty plan, ; has a thorough knowledge >v of the building trade it is rare to be un- . satisfactory to the owner. All architects should have to put on workman's clothes and put in two or more years in working on buildings. Technical knowledge!;, is ~ vastly more valuable .if the practical part , \ is combined with it. T put in some four years on various buildings and ' have found it invaluable to roe. Above I stated j that a building contractor is on ,a" good / wicket working on a commission basis, but I know two or three smaller contrac- . •-- ' tors who did not find it so- , One in parti- ; cular I call to mind, and out of about " i 15. houses he erected only about five paid for anything but materials and labour. ■. - An Ouj HasOi « Mm