NEWTON POST AND TELEGRAPH-OFFICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5497, 30 June 1879, Page 5

NEWTON POST AND TELE-GRAPH-OFFICE.

The want o£ a properly-appointci post:* office, and mr.rc ?>,pc: ially of a tffe;rapi station, has fey ;;- -"-i been cause c; ".omplaint amongst the residents in the popiiious district of Newton, and owing to the persiatent and wcii'directed efforts of Mr. W. Swaason, M.H.K. for the disti ict, tlie Governm»!E* j last year agreed to comply with the *vishes of thb eonstitneney. According-y * site was secured, fortunately in a very central position, at the corner of Kurangbape Road and Dublin-street. The line was extended into Newton, and plans for a suitable building were prepared. About six months' ago duplicate tenders for buildings in brick and wood sv;r** called for. When the tende.'s vrere Toeeived, it was decided to adopt the brick edifice, and the tender of Mt. W. Jones was accepted. The contnict has baen completed within t'i<s specified tir.ie, and the building now erta-wv. is not only ao.itabi3 in every respect to th-i y.irposss reauxrfid, but is an ornament to.Ne?-.:on, and i, -.''redit to the contractor. The following is a brief description of it:—The building is two otoreys high, with a frontage of 32 feet to Karagahape Road and 40 feet to Dublin-street. The ground floor contains the instrument room and postal department, a room 16 feet by 20 feet, handsomely fitted urj with pigeon holes, &c., and a delivery sliding window. The instrument table is a handsome slab of polished cedar. The front entrance is at the angle of the building, through two pairs of swing doors, admitting to the public room, on which the delivery window opens. The public room is 9 feet by 8 feet. An opening from the public room leads into the office of the annuities department. This is 10 feet by 11 feet, and is fitted np with a fire-place and register grate, as is also the postalroom already described. As it is intended that the officer in charge shall be provided with a residence in the premises, a handsome dining-room, 12 feet by 12 feet, has been fitted up at the back of the annuities room, and a good kitchen, fitted with a Leamington range. There is alsii a scullery, and we may here parenthetically remark that these apartments tare beec fitted out in tho same complete aad matjner as the other $artio&s of the building. The staircase leads to a larga and capacious landing, from which the upetairs rooms open. A large bedroom and aifctiDg room, each 1(5 feet by 1.4 feet face the Karangahape Road, and two more face Dublin-street. The sittingroom is a very neat apartment, lighted by three window**, one at the angle and one facing each street. The fronts of the building are very neat and ornamental. They are carried out in plaster and cement, with fine courses in entablature to the main streets, and we may e.s well remark that the original designs have in several respects been improved upon, but in every other respect the building has been faithfully carried out to the architect's design. The interior is tastefully fitted; the public-room, the postal, and instrument room, and the annuities room, being finished in paneled dedo, the panels being 6-inch boarding. The windows are seg-mect-headed, and neatly finished. We may add that the plans for the building have been furnished by Mr. P. P. M. Burrows, Colonial Architect.-- The brick-work was performed by Mr. Holland, and the woodwork, &c., under the direct supervision of Mr. Jones, the contractor. The work is in the highest degree creditable to those gentlemen, as may be inferred from the fact that they have not only completed their work within the time specified in their contract, but on handing it over to the inspecting engineer, he had hot found it necessary to suggest a single alteration or addition.' The contract price for the building was - £1400, bat some of the internal fittings were, of course, additional. We have no doubt in a few days the offices will be opened, 'for all that remains to be done is to place the instruments in their proper positions, and eoanest them with the main wires.::'.. ■„>. \