Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1938. THE POST OFFICE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 83, 7 March 1938, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1938. THE POST OFFICE.

Tiie public of Palmerston North will learn with gratification that plans for modernising the Post Office have been completed and that the work should soon be commenced. The Government is spending a considerable sum on Post and Telegraph buildings throughout the Dominion and in a number of places the work is in progress. Palmerston North’s position has been before the Department for a long time past, and the Postmaster-General stated in August last that the sum of £27,00U would be spent in enlarging and improving the facilities at this centre. The announcement gave great pleasure at the time, for it was wellknown that the work was most necessary in view ✓of the restricted space in which business is now transacted and the steadily growing strength of each department of the Post Office at Palmerston North. The plans now prepared give promise of a structure that should adequately serve the purpose for some time to come. Moreover, it will be in keeping with the architectural progress of the city. Internally there will be radical alterations to the present layout of the building, designed to give the greatest facilities to the general public, and permitting the staff to give the service_ they desire without the restriction now imposed upon them by the present limited space. The extent of the work is shown by the fact that it will take possibly a yeaf to complete. That the new structure will serve the city’s needs for some time is apparent, but the growth of Palmerston North is so steady that it seems not improbable that the future will require a new building altogether. That, however, may. be left to the time when it arrives. It will be hoped that little time will elapse before the Government accepts a tender for the construction of a new Police Station in Palmerston North. A year has passed since it was announced that a Ministerial inspection had roundly condemned the present structure of ancient design and construction, and later a departmental inspection was followed with the statement that plans for a new station would be prepared: In the meantime the Police Force have continued to carry, out their duties in what was originally a dwelling-house, in spite of protests made by the Chamber of Commerce. Besides being old the building is unhealthy, and the men assigned to it have to carry out their duties under conditions which should not be permitted to continue. The standard of their accommodation is considerably below that afforded in smaller towns, and the matter is one to be expedited.