THE NEW POST OFICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 184, 2 August 1912, Page 6

THE NEW POST OFICE.

TO BE OCCUPIED BY NOYEMBEK.

The general public, not to mention the official*! concerned, are rather eagerly awaiting the transfer of the postal and telegraphic business of the Auckland G.P.O. f'jum the antiquated and inadequate building in Shortlaud Strce-t, which has done duty since iibout. 1870. Th-e fitting up of the. new Qu-ren Street building is now going on apace, and another couple of months arc expected to see it ready for occupation. The •transfer from liie old building to the new will therefore take, place about the end of September, but the exact date will be notified to the public beforehand. The process of changing over will not be a lengthy one. an the new building is being fitted up so completely -that the transfer of furniture and equipment will be reduced to the minimum. The probability is that the stalls will change over between a Saturday and the following Monday. As soon as tin. , old building is vacated, it will be thoroughly renova-ted find cleaned— process which will probably take over a month. The cleaning is particularly well needed as amoiic who is acquainted with the will understand. The conditions under which an enormous and steadily increasing volume of postal business has been dealt with have made proper cleaning impossible of late, and the antiquated construction of the building has caused a great deal of dust and dirt to accumulate in inacees sible places. Some of the wall 3, indeed, are believed) by the officials to have gone unserubbed since the day the building was erected. During the renovation the posting boxes will remain open, and wi l ' be cleared of letters at frequent intervals Subsequently the building will be re opened as a"branch office for the transac tion of all classes of business, ns formerly, except that a branch parcels office will probably not be opened there. The hours of nltemisincp have not 'been announced, but it is expected that they will be from ft a.m. to 5 p.m.. as in the case of suburban offices. Eventually there will be pneumatic tube communion tion with the new office for the rapi'. transmission of telefrrums. Consequent the convenience of business people who dislike the ionmry to Lower Queen Street will not suffer by the opening of the new GV O The telephone exchange will remain in its present quarters, as it is evidently to be removed to a special building in Welle.sley Street, and not to the new post office.