PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 123, 25 May 1923, Page 1 (Supplement)

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

GOVERNMENT AXD MUNICIPAL,

Hamilton has all the advantages of the large centres so far a:; Covcriimcn. and municipal buildings are concerned. In a handsome stone building in Knox Street are housed the Defence, Agricultural, I'ublic Works, and Lands and Survey Departments, while the Registrar of Births, etc.. and Inspector of Machinery have quarters in the same building. The State Fire Department has it's headquarters for the district in an imposing new edifice in Victoria Street, while its brother oflice, the Government Life Department, has ofliccs in Ward Street, where the Public Trust oflice is also situated. An officer of the Public Health Department is situated i„ Victoria Street, and the. Waikato Elsetric Tower Supply branch of the Public. Works Department has ofliccs in the near vicinity. The Magistrate's Court faces Harden Place, while Supreme Court sessions arc held in the same building. As the volume of court work has grown to such an extent, of recent years, and the present building is too near the traffic of the main street, many people consider the time has arrived for new court buildings to ba erected. There lias been a strong, but, so far. unsuccessful agitation for a resident judge to be np-

pointed to Hamilton, and a fruitless j attempt has been made to secure a Stamps and Deeds office in the town. I The I'osl and Telegraph oflice is a sub- I stantial building at tlie southern end of Victoria Street. Kvery branch of the Department is represented, the money order office being in a separate concrete ! building adjacent to the main structure, j while the automatic telephone exchange, is housed in a neat building at the rear. There is a branch post office at Hamilton I Xorth, also post, offices at Frankton, I Hamilton East, and C'laudelands. The police station is a handsome i building in Bridge Street., and although j in ordinary times Hamilton is so law- | abiding the cells are rarely tilled, the I j accommodation is generally taxed to ! the utmost when prisoners awaiting j trial at the Supreme Court have to he | housed. j Little can be said regarding the Hamilton railway station, which is quite out. i of keeping with the size of the town. At Frankton. which, by the way. is

only a mile from Hamilton, there is an important junction, whicli at all times of the day is the centre of great activity. So far as railway connection with Auckland is concerned. Waikato residents consider they arc very badly treated, as unless one leaves Frankton at I he unearthly hour of 4 a.m. it is impossible to arrive in Auckland in timp j to transact a day's business and return • the same day. It. is considered that a j train should leave Frankton at an hour : that, would enable it to reach Auckland about 10 a.m. or 11 a.m.. and business i people would have a full day at their i disposal before returning by the evening j express. i The Hamilton Town JTall is an anti- I quitted structure of which the least said I the. better, but there is an exceptionally line hall at Frankton possessing a firstclass iloor for dancing. The Hamilton swimming bath adjoins the Town Hall and is "very popular during the season. This season the number of children who paid for admission was more than last, year, but the number of adults was not quite up to last year's figure. Upwards of 2000 children attended in charge of teachers free. The income for the season was approximately £15G. Twelve carnivals, including school sports, were held, with a total attendance of about 3.">00.