THE DOMINION SITE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 17, 20 January 1914, Page 4

THE DOMINION SITE.

It seems to us unfortunate that the scheme' for the erection , of a central office for the- oversea. Dominions in London has been taken up so late in the day. The position is that Karl Grey has acquired a three years option over a splendid urea of about two and a half acres between Aldwych and the Strand, in the very heart of London, with the object of inducing the Dominions to establish there what may be termed a colonial produce agency.and information bureau. Xo doubt the situation is unsurpassed for aireh a purpose, but the questions oi convenience and expense are •far too important to be overlooked. The London County Council is prepared to grant a 99 years' lease of tie site at a" rental of £50,000 a year. The value of "the fee simple would, of course, be enormous, for a much smaller adjacent urea has recently been sold to the Australian Commonwealth for the erection of its London offices at a cost of about £700,000. However, for the time being, the promoters of this project would be content to lease the site and erect oil it a building that would cost about one and a quarter millions sterling. The land ie certainly well situated, and it has been suggested that another bridge might be built across the Thames, to give access to it' from * the eastern end. In view of, 'the close proximity of Waterloo Bridge, this seems improbable; but the site in itself does not really need this additional recommendation- Nor can there be any question that Karl Grey's chief purposes—'"to enable the attention of the home consumer to be effectively and ■impressively focussed on the products of the Dominions oversea, and to enable the manufacturers of the United Kingdom to ascertain ami to meet the requirements of Greater Britain"—would be admirably served, if only the Dominions could all be induced to fall in with his scheme. But in. the first place Australia, as we have seen, has just gone to heii.vy expense in putting up offices for the Commonwealth close at hand; most of the Australian States have well established oilices in other parts of London, and most of the other Dominions are in the same position. It seems that Canada iund New Zealand an; the colonies that the promoters regard as most likely to fall in "with this scheme, but there is still the question of expense to be considered. Supposing New Zc-iland decides -to support Earl Grey in this 'matter, it will .be interesting to knorw wihat proportion of the ground xent of £50,000, and what share of the maintenance of si 'building .tflrat is to cost one a*nd a-<]uarter millions sterling ie to fall upon our ehouldcre; and it will then 'be time to decide whether the advanUage& to be secured will be com■meneura'te with the outlay. Meantime, Earl Grey's option on <llhe site has been tak<en u.p by "Dominion .Site, Limited," .oT: Anhich company Mr George. Beetharn. .Sir Henuik'fr Ueatora, and Sir Leandcr -liamqson lire .prominent membere; and the project ie being well advertised and vigorously puslhed on. It is an ungrateful task to discourage co putolioepirited an unde-rtalring; mit we cannot sirut our eyes to the fact that as most of the oversea Dominions seem to be well pro' : vided nvith permanent London offices •already, only a comparatively email section of Greater Britain could bo repfe- : serried- on the Aldwych cite, and the financial iburden time thrown upon the weaJker partners, like Kew Zealand, would therefore probably bo heavier tlban .they cou-ld afford , to bear.