HASTINGS PROGRESS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 276, 4 November 1933, Page 7

HASTINGS PROGRESS

STOCK FIRMS’ ACTION Erection of New Buildings PROVISION FOR EXPANSION Among the business firms that have taken part in the building activities of Hastings since the earthquake, the stock and merchandise firms have hud a large share and together have accounted for an expenditure of about £22,000. Several of them, besides entirely new premises, have considerably increased the size of their buildings in comparison with those existing betore the earthquake, and have enlarged the scope of their business. lhe most notable individual devclopm tits have taken place in the case of Dalgety and to., Ltd., who have more than doubled the size of their previously existing building, and have now made Hastings the headquarters of their stock and merchandise departments; and Murray, Roberts and Co., who now have their district head-office tn their fine new building at the corner of Queen street and King street. In addition, Williams and Kettle. Ltd., have erected handsome and spacious new premises on their old site m Market street north, and also have extended the scope of their business. Dalgety and Co.'s new building cost approximately £BOOO, Murray, Roberts •nd Co.'s building over £5OOO, and Williams and Kettle's £5OOO. Amounts spent by other firms are £2OOO for the restoration of do Pelichet and McLeod's buildings, and £l4OO for the erection of temporary offices for the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd. The damaged part of Hoadley, Son and Stewart’s building in Karamu road is now being prepared for reconstruction, and will add yet another considerable item to the list of the town’s commercial building activities. Dalgety and Co.’s building, as has been said, is more than twice the size of their pre-carthquake premises, and includes not only a set of roomy, well furnished, and handsomely designed offices, but very largo rooms for their grocery and tyre departments, which are important features of their business. In addition, there is an unusually large amount of floor space provided for the storage and display of seeds, manures and farm machinery. Jt is not, perhaps, without significance that the stock and merchandise firms, who handle the type of business upon which Hawke’s Bay almost entirely depends, have shown so much confidence in the prospect of better times that they have set out to make provision for increased business activity.