156 THE NEW UNION BUILDINGS. 



facture of over 11,000 square yards of floor and wall tiling, in 

 addition to large quantities of drainage and sanitary ware. 



But long ere the stages of tiling and lavatory basins are 

 reached there will be worked upon the site a quarter of a million 

 cubic feet of freestone, from specially selected quarries opened 

 up for the purpose ; tons upon tons of Portland cement and lime 

 disposed of (each of which, though not specified to be South 

 African, will, I understand, be supplied very extensively, if not 

 exclusively, from works and kilns in the neighbourhood of Pre- 

 toria). And some 12 millions of bricks will enter into the require- 

 ments, for which a number of new kilns are being laid down. 

 And for the conveyance of all this material into position, prob- 

 ably not less than 50 cranes will be in operation at once. 



Most of the pavement is of South African material, either 

 granite, stone, slate, or granolithic ; and locally made red Dutch 

 Klomje bricks are outstanding features in chimney-piece settings. 



As to joinery, there will be extensive workshops upon the 

 site, and in the immediate neighbourhood, fitted with electrical 

 appliances, which also means that this important branch will 

 have fullest supervision during the progress of manufacture. 



South African stinkwood enters into some of this joinery, 

 and Rhodesia — a prospective member of Union — is asked for a 

 measure of the teak supplies. 



It is also interesting to note that India will furnish the teak 

 block flooring for the Conference Room, Reading Room and 

 Library ; and that the Commonwealth of Australia will be re- 

 presented in the paving blocks upon which the Ministers of State 

 will set foot as they are about to enter their stately vestibule. 



And I think the probabilities are that Canada will at least aid 

 with the heating installation ; so to complete the web of Empire, 

 room must be found for at least a specimen of the exquisite 

 woods of the Dominion of New Zealand ! 



Then, in addition to the material in the actual buildings, 

 there will be thrown out, under the present contracts, masses 

 and vast areas of rough stone from the surrounding mountains, 

 rock-faced granite, and wrought freestone in pavements, terra- 

 ces, balustrading, fountains, and plant-settings, steps, shelters, 

 acess-subways, motor and cycle housings and roadways ; as well 

 as an amphitheatre equalling in accommodation the ancient 

 Odeum on the slopes of the Acropolis. And while there will be 

 a quiet charm in these essentially surface features, yet, as allied 

 with the various bastion-like stretches of masonry necessitated 

 by the rising mount, there will also be the contributing of a 

 further sense of graceful strength to the structural background. 

 But before closing this paper there must be some attempt to 

 visualise more fully the natural and prospective setting of the 

 composition which I have sought to represent. 



Northward, some 500 feet to the rear, stand, as sentinel- 

 like guards the double-breasts— typical inland South African 

 rises — of Meintjes Kop, bronze-browned, with a handful of shrub- 



