NEW POST OFFICE

Evening Star, Issue 21433, 9 June 1933, Page 6

NEW POST OFFICE

HOPES OF EARLY COMMENCEMENT EXPANSION LEAGUE ACTIVE Hopes that the building of the new Post Office in Dunedin may be commenced before long have been revived by the announcement of the Acting Prime Minister (the Right Hon. J. G. Coates) that the Government has decided to increase the Public Works expenditure this year by £500,000 to a total of £3,500,000, and that the money would bo devoted to highway and other bridges and other road works, and to certain buildings. g The Otago Expansion League, ever watchful of the interests of Dunedin and of Otago, promptly followed this announcement _ with telegram to Mr Coates and Sir Charles Statham reminding them of the promise given by the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes) to a deputation from Dunedin last year that no major Government building would take precedence over the Dunedin Post Office. The secretary of the Expansion League (Mr W. B. Steel) also drew attention to the fact that a subsidy was now available from tiie unemployment funds. A reply was received from Mr Coates last night stating that full consideration would bo given to the Post Office when the allocation of the funds was being made.

The estimated cost of the completion of the new Post Office, the foundations of which are in position, is said to be about £120,000. At the present time a third of the cost of the labour could be obtained through the unemployment building fund subsidy. Tradesmen would be engaged,, and, instead of being on relief work, they would become contributors to the unemployment fund through the wage tax. It has also been an open secret in Dunedin for some time that a big block of buildings in the immediate vicinity will be rebuilt once the Post Office commences to take practical shape, plans already being prepared for that job. It is also felt that the building of the Post Office would give a decided fillip to building generally in the city. Mr Steel’s telegram to the Acting Prime Minister read: “ Now that Public Works fund and unemployment building subsidy available to Dunedin, expect fulfilment promise that no major Government building will precede Dunedin Post Office.” A telegram was also sent to Sir Charles Statham seeking his co-opera-tion in the matter. The Acting Prime Minister replied: “ Your telegram received, and Sir Charles Statham has also interviewed me. Will be glad to give full consideration to your representations when the matter is under review.” Sir Charles Statham replied: “Have received your telegram, and have personally interviewed the Acting Prime Minister. Will telegraph you again as early as possible.”