MILLION FILES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 156, 30 December 1938, Page 8

MILLION FILES

TAXES DEPARTMENT

TRANSFER TO NEW HOME

BIG REMOVAL JOB

A big Government department removal job is in full swing. It involves, besides office furniture and other equipment, the transference of a million files from the premises occupied by the head office of the Land and Income Tax Department on the upper floor of the old wartime Base Records office in the Government Buildirtg grounds, Lambton Quay, to the new quarters to be occupied by the Department in the Colonial Motors Building, near St. James Theatre. Twenty members, of the staff have assisted in the work and have done an excellent job. Shifting, particularly when it involves a huge number of records, is not a pleasant or an easy job, but the , attitude of mind of the staff who have assisted in the task no doubt has been assisted to some extent by the thought that in the New Year they will be in much more commodious and pleasant offices. The million files referred to contain the personal records of the returns rendered to the Department by taxpayers all over the country. They have been housed in the premises now being vacated in rows and rows of high cabinets, and they have fully taxed the accommodation available in a room of an area of approximately 6000 square feet. They weigh, between 120 and 125 ' tons. GREATER FLOOR SPACE. The Department has occupied the old offices for about eighteen years, and it has had at its disposal for the accommodation of the heavy quantity of records and a staff of over 500 about 38 000 square feet of floor space. In the new building the staff will occupy eight floors and there will be available approximately 60,000 square feet of floor space, quite a considerable difference from the over-taxed quarters ' that have had to do' for years. The interior of the building has been renovated and altered to suit the Department's requirements. One improvement, of which mention was made in "The Post" last week, is the provision of a long and handsome counter over which taxpayers in February will pass their taxation- money. Incidentally, the demands will be going out about the end of January. < The Department will be established in its new home as from January 4. The transfer involves a change of telephone number to 53-405, the reason for this being that the Department will now be connected with the Courtenay Place exchange. ' ' , ~, Reverting to the Department's files, surnames beginning with the letters "B," "H," and "S" occupy more space than any others. LAMBTON QUAY BUILDING. **N Although the Land and Income Tax Department is making a move, this does not mean the end of the building facing Whitmore Street, which was built as a wartime expedient and was intended as a temporary structure. Other State Departments are too badly off for accommodation to permit of the disappearance of the building. The interior is being altered and generally renovated and it will be used to house sections of a number of Government Departments. Among those which will be moving in will be the Housing Construction office, the shipping office of the Marine Department, the Child Welfare office, the architects' branch of the Public Works Department, andj some of the staff of the Lands and Survey Department. ■ ~