RUINS NO LONGER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 624, 29 September 1909, Page 8

RUINS NO LONGER.

OLD-PARLIAMENT HOUSE. V. RKSTOEATION AND ITS BESULTS. •' ; The repairs and additions to what was' left' of .the .old 'Parliamentary, Buildings after-the, ■ firo of December,' 1907, are beginning'"'to -'as-, sumo a look, of - completeness.. In/ addition ,to the, General: Assembly Library,\which/.was iiot ■ touchedby, the -fire,; the block of . buildings now. contains about- 40 rooms—several of them , spacious;, and most of-them-well lighted; The' District, Office of . the Public- Works Depart- ■ housed • there,: the"- Public Health anil Hospitals Department will -soon bo moving in;' and. there'.will oyen. then.be spaco.enough.'for: : some . smaller . Department,Vwhilp. Parliament: will have on .both sides of Sydney-Street;and the "tube," more rooms for. the'sessional ivork: than it'has-ever-had'before; \ ! ..The/former -.'Cabinet'.room andjtlie" others ad--jacent ' t0.,, 'the " front"entrance, /facing 'Males-. . -worth.;. Street, have / undergone..' very/ : great changes,'except one which previ'ously t 're-'- ! ceived'only a 'borrowed.;light, from' the, members' lobby/now has 'two' largo .windows-look-/ . ihg.-'out'iover the ground formerly occupied ü by tho ■ Hoiiso/bf lkprcsc'ntatives. l'//rhb.-'ornamen-tiil-ifeatures .of the.'cbrridorvhetwecii/this, and the/lato Cabinet room.aro,'being.restored;-but, / generally 'speaking, in those partis of. tte/build-/ ing ; where"elabor'ate ■ was d'aniage'd' by-the,.'fire,"it lias simply been. distempered : over. -. ■ '-/_/■ '. . ; THE LOBBY- TEANSFORMED; .'::'- ■ " /..The .most important,alteration.'in' tie/,whole' block is. the/ cutting' up ; of :.th'e,.old:,mettibors'i lobby., into, a series of.-rooms; -It/was divided in. this, .way before . the recent .short'/Session,: but an/upper.story has.,now been.added. The -walls of the old/lobby, were',higher, than .they, had. .need to ;be - for - the, roonis. which/now occupy; its. place; and it- was' therefore : docided, rather than pull down ■ the ;.upper .portion, or • leave it standing: uselessly, to build on-another 14 feet; and add an upper: story.- -, Tho result ■■ is; a .'suite/of five good- rooms, which will -bo occupied by Dr Valintine and his staff of the Public Health and Hospitals Department; ,-Ac- : cess -to .these; rooms ris 'gained -by tho brassage, iwhich: leads from the landing at the head ;«f; .'the.- iriain staircase,- past;tho; rooms formorly occupied by Mr. M'Nab and tlio Leader of- tho . Opposition,- to tho galleries of the, old Legislative Council Chamber In addition to the five ■ rooms over the former lobby on the loft hand ' side of/,this: passage, -.the Pnblic.rHealth. De--partment/mll'occupy, one of. the rooms on: the 'right'hand "side. The other two on the same • - side are already in the occupation-of-the Public . ' Works District Branch ' 'Tho public offica of this Department, the engineer's office, draughtsmen j . room -and 'other ;lipartriients, making six ill all,-may-he .reached; . /from : this.-passage,- or .from a/'-new 'staircasc nt 'the back of the buildmg. - They form the upper 'story;, of what was. formerly Bellamy's,"vand ■ they/make'a light,-, airy,'anu-convenient suite ■ -of topms. '.- • : 'Extbrnally,-' tho walls have- been ..finished ..«< accordance with the original design,.but,tho ; ■ side;'facing..Sydney Street has not- been -plas- / :tered.' This .was not built originally as an .ex-; ; tewial wall, but-was the wall of the member^. ■ 'lobby. .In' the -present restoration -it was^not .' .deemedi-iiecessary- to. givo: it '.any i; .ornamental.': ■ finish, .in view of tho possibility of'buildings ' .being erected,-'at> some -future :time, between-it- " /" Sydney •' Street. ..!The. i'wnhnished'..-work. 1 ;known, as.-."-Frain's.-.contract," v-is. : still. ; in ■' Situ, on, -tlie ;Sydney--Stieetv.y.froiita^e,'- and. - 'there' ,, are s llb -signs 'of any/ intention' either 'toresume the operation or clear, tho;.gTound,./;• ' The new ./and ■ restored - rpome" ■ are . plastered - within,'..and. the woodwork. Is of/ oiled -rimu:,; ■Ths imantelpieces are "made' after,a, simple' but;' pleasing . "design by Mf.„ Louoh, /'the ; district enginterVwho has planned' and out; thfr' . whole'of the work by .day labour; ;;Evefy -fe> ;, turo 'that,- was .spared, by. tho 'fire has ; ,be«n made 'iiso of.\ The' debns will shortly b» cleared : from ; the site , of tho old-LojislatiTo. Council-wing. ■ •-. : ./'/A v curious, feature, of tlio -work on -tlie site' of the. old lobby is': the : "false oeiling", of. tho rooms on the . ground floor. This .was put up before.it 'decided, to, add the/ story.:above,' .'and- the/work.-was pushed',ahead;'.as"rapidly;as 'possible to' be ready -for .'this ';reeettt';'d»brt-s»; '• 'sioli. ; The. result , is,that, the' rooms are; rather, low, - and 'betw'een.'tho ceiling.'arid Uhe joists of thejlborabove a-waste.spare, 3ft.-.'in.height,:'will; rem: /n I ,?until- .the irioney/is. available; to'/throw it into/the rooms below. ./The old:-brickwork 'only" required .'-renewing; in one comparatively, iisniall' "portion, and in other places' it ■ wa_s found' ;!ti) i" be in /excellent , condition. 1 and ,vbry: ; ;solid. The" .walls .of ' the, lobby were' ,18: inches ' thick; bf[ restoration-is-; ifMs's't&'tW-'tHit there, is ;a; : prospect' of . a .return .of '. je7oo''.per:''!innum by.- way- of. rental - of/: the ■ portions .iwt'.regW'rwl. for. -/Parlihmentary purposes.'- \ ■ ,v»- /' / It is 'suggested that the front part pf.f.the .building,' "towards. .Molcswoith . Street, ; may receive, a 'further /addition in the .sliapc of a 'mansard - roof, ' containing' another. 'suito, of - rooms,/-but ;this matter/ docs -not ,: appear.;-:to' have, been settled yet. ' '•/-/'''*■ :'. Somij';^alterations arc 'alsS.'-beingimadV'in the main; Parliamentary' Building's. /The'/Legislhtive .Council Chamber is being, transformed by 'the„ t ronioyal of the -two . ohimneys'and . fire-, placts,', and the introduction ; of, • upholstered benches on platforms rising in :tiers, in placb of the'/oane-bottpmed : :chairs ■ that ; have / done.', duty during 'two • sessions; • rVentilatora.'irl the/ committee rooms,''.'and ;.-folding/d'oorß. l in/ one'. qt . the corridors,-will also-add,, to the 'comfort-o'f the./.'librds," while the .reporters '.will.idoubtV :less-:'appreciate: a long 'desk" which ;/has : been , fixed' in the gallery. ;-. . '.'/ -'- -- . ; ! A fresh .coat .of '.varnish.--'on,, tho "desks /and', 'minor alterations', to the seating- comprise ,most' ■of/'the/'changes' .that: 'Representative;' Chamber;" . , ■; . OTHER DEPARTMENTAL REMOVALS. ■ /. Other .'-oharigra; in.; Departmental ./acrairimpda-.; .tioii' ate; also, about .to ':be 'made.' ;• -fhe .Agricul-? tural,'Department, which ; is ;at/.present . scat-/. : tej'e.d in. Myeral-'buildings, -/will '.'shbrtly'./ibb! ' •housed altogether on the r third - (top) 'Qoor. of . : /the/,Customhouse,' "and 'a. portion/of,'the .sedfind. The/thirdj'ilbor.'-wiU.-contain'/tlie-.offices 1 ;of,;/the'.fields 'division>.Cunder. -Mr./E.:- Clifton),.' ;the-/ live ' stock'and lueat'divisi'on • (Mri .Mfeakes),; ' tho dairy I 'division (Mr. Cuddle), the biological laboratory (Mr.'.'A/.H/'Cobkayiie)','the "o'rehaids, gardejns,;/and /apiiines'division: (Mr;T;' ■ W., ■ Kirk),", aid' the ;«ditbr' of. publications .(Mr.' 6;' : Bisset);.,,/ Mr. Kirk ,an'd' : his '-.'staff ','"will /retain f .|thcir present 'suite of i-boms,' Mr.. .Clifton and- ; 'Mr."..Reakes : and ; th6ir .'staffs .will be /. located 'on the .Waterloo CJtiay : side,' and-. Mr. Bisset ; iwill work in :a. Departmental .library ..at.''the < ;s'outh-western- ; .corncr' bf/tho/Kuirding..''. ;• ; •/,'/About.'half 'of:the' ifeit'. (second):floor .will.'be bc'c'uiiied ' byV the .public'office; the head office , >staff; / iriclnditig'Mr;:S. / IJope • (Secretary"for ; 'Agriculture),,';: Mr. --Robinson /(chief- clerk); --'and ; ; the assistant clerks. 1 > Alterations' of doot-s' and ; partitions ;aro now ; beingi : raade -to- fit ;in with ' ' the: new;'arrangeinents. ..'/;.>/,' "The .Minister.:|or 'Agriculture,'-lyill iiiot move , into the Customs.buiraing, Jiut will retain-his ; present office'.in ..Molesworth Street. ./'He'-,will; however,-/ bcou'py,' duringvthe session, >the-old '- [Cabinet ioomi m.-.the Library,; Wing' of the/Par- . liaijiontary,/Buildings/: '/The;.;, commerce -'i and! ; toUrist:,divisi6n .will'' remain'in -its -new'-quar- 1 r t^rs-an,t/the:/Publib/,Trust-/ : B,uilding. -.' ■/; ' .•'•Om^Aiwi|es,in';lhe/-dce»i^Mjr;:of:flie.jWl>- > 'lib' Trust •Buildipg /are,; however,about'.'toVbe made; • Tho 1 Registrar-General-. (Mr. / P.-'- W. ; Mansfield) is 'taking'half the -third-floor, ind- . .theothor-half, which' is.being'.vacated bylhe . Public'He:dth v Department, ;ia available ! for the needs-of any' other branch' of Service.'' - The Public Trustee' has) circularised the ; Departments; inviting -applications./ -The RegistrarGeneral; finds-that; the- strong-rooms -.available 'on ith'e thirdj'flbbr Kill hot'be snfficient for his purposes,"/and^'.'thej/jublio -Trustee h'ai accord-, mgly .[nithorised'an'eitension 'of the room ' accommbdatibn;in /the basement for the .'storage of.the Registrar-General's-records:'.' A couple'.of/'partition-WAlls have been knocked out'.on'the! third floor,' w as'- to provide'larger rooips 'for '.th'e -Registrar-Gcheral s- 'stalT. .'The Electoral' Department, which is also under/ MrMansfield,; will continue, to be run on 'the'fou'rth"'floor of. the same building.. -The .Public . Health-Department (including:-the triot Office. Under. Dr. Frengley.- as well as the (head 'office; under-D/r.vValintine)'will-.move into, the' Library/Wing'of ; 'the Parliamentary Buildings "at ' the 'beginning,'of iiiext month..