OUR PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2141, 25 July 1907, Page 2

OUR PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

EXTRAVAGANCE CONDEMNED.

(Special to Tiiins.) WELLINGTON, last night. Speaking on the question of public buildings in the Budget debate, Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, member for Wellington Central, said he did not wan? the Premier to repeat here_ the fata' error he tnade in Dunedin in connection ivith the costly railway statioi there, “The railway station a b Dun eclin,” he added, “ is. in the first place, a monument'- to the Ministry who built, it; in the second place ii is a monument- to the architect ?vlio designed it; in the third place it is a monument to a mistaken policy o! frenzied finance; and in the fourth place it is a railway station.” In his speech last night Mr. Massey referred to the general question of public buildings. The Govern men! he said seemed to be going in for very costly buildings in some of the centres. The four corners of the earth had- been searched for nc?\ styles of ornamentation for certain buildings. The consequence was tliai in some centres they had palatial buildings that would be cut of ali proportion to the needs of the population for fifty years to come. In other centres on the other hand.the public' business was conducted in buildings that wore- quite unfit foi til-, purpose. He deprecated this extravagance in one direction and neglect in another, and urged that- the happy average should be -struck.