PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 279, 23 November 1914, Page 3

PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS.

AN UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTY. Per Press Association. Wellington, November 22. The contractors for the erection of the new Parliamentary buildings have made good progress lately, and since the session closed the covered bridge connecting the library with the Legislative chambers has been removed, enabling the main walls to be raised one storey' high. The outer Avails of this storey are of Coromandel granite, and its finished appearance is very pleasing. A good deal of the brickwork of the interior Avails has also been done. An unfortunate difficulty has cropped up, however, in connection Avith the extension of the work. The specifications provide that the outer Avails of the second and third storeys are to be of grey marble from Sandy Bay, Motueka, 52,000 cubic feet of the material being required. It whs expected that no trouble AA’ould bo experienced in getting the marble, but it has uoav been found that slabs suitable cannot be obtained, oAving to frequent “faults” running through the stone. So far, only small sizes suitable for AAnndows are obtainable. The contractors and the departmental officers have had frequent conferences, but as yet have not been able to arrive at any conclusion as to what shall be done. .Meantime the contractors’ arrangements are upset, and they have had temporarily to dispense Avith the services of fifteen bricklayers and laborers.