A NEW GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1885, Page 2

A NEW GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

It is extremely difficult to understand what the Government mean by Baying that the Exhibition Building is to be utilised for the purpoaea of a Government printing office. Not a foot of the ground upon which the Exhibition stands belongs to the Government, and although its temporary use was permitted by the owners upon nominal terms, it is pretty sure that they wonld require a very substantial rental for continned occupation. The building as it stands is certainly not an ornament to the oity, and we should be very sorry to have to regard it as in any way a permanent structure. No part of it is really at all suitable for the purposes of a Government printing offioe. It would, indeed, be difficult to imagine a more unsuitable kind of a building for such a purpose. It oonld only be used as a miserable makeshift. No doubt it might be made better than the present offioe, bnt that iB not saying much in its favour, as it would be quite impossible for any ohange from that offioe not to be one for the better. There oan be no true economy in honsing suoh a large department in an unsuitable building, and we strongly advise the Government to give up the idea of using the Exhibition for the purpose on any terms, and to boldly ask the House to vote a sum sufficient to oommenoe the erootion of a properlydesigned and suitable building. The sum whioh would be" saved annually in eoonomy of working, if proper premises were supplied, would go a long way towards paying the interest on the first cost of the building.