NEW POST OFFICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20981, 18 September 1931, Page 8

NEW POST OFFICES.

The Public Works Department is calling for tenders for the erection of a post office at Taumarunui, a concrete building of two storeys. There has long been a demand for a new building in Taumarunui. Apparently the accommodation there is insufficient; for when the estimates were being discussed last year the member for the district reminded the Postmaster-General of the representations that had been made to him regarding a larger post office, and described the existing facilities as "miserably inadequate." The Minister said the department was anxious to have the work done, and tenders would be called for almost at once. So far the casgt is all in favour of the new Taumarunui post office ; but what can reasonably be asked is whether the building planned will be as far ahead of probable needs as many post office buildings that have been erected in the recent past. As was remarked when the official opening ceremony was held, the new office at Upper Symonds Street is obviously far more elaborate and more costly than the business likely to be done in that part of Auckland can justify*. The fact that the department will seek to let a portion is sufficient evidence of this prodigality. It is not by any means the only example of extravagance in building. Last year a vote of £13,000 for the Taumarunui post office was authorised. The question now is whether there has been any modification of the plans for what appears, to put it mildly, a building on an ambitious scale for the size of the town. Even then there was every reason to doubt the cheerful disregard of consequences with which costly new post office buildings were being scattered about the country. Circumstances have altered sufficiently to make far greater the need for calling a halt in this progress in prodigality. Even if it can be established that Taumarunui requires a new building urgently enough to justify proceeding with it in these times, the question whether the plans have been modified to meet the call for economy demands an immediate answer.