DUNEDIN'S POST OFFICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21232, 12 July 1932, Page 6

DUNEDIN'S POST OFFICE.

NEW BUILDING DEMANDED.

PUBLIC OPINION AROUSED.

It is stated by the Otago Daily Times that there is a strong growth of public opinion in Dunedin in favour of the erection of the new post office in that city being promptly undertaken. It is felt that, if the Government has money to spend on the building of State offices in other cities, it has no reasonable grounds for its decision to postpone the building of the Dunedin post office. In an interview a building contractor referred to the lack of interest which had been shown by the citizens of Dunedin in the decision of the Government to postpone indefinitely the erection of the new post office. Some significant comments upon this attitude were made by Mr. J.

H. Duncan, Mr. Duncan said that, if it were essential that the Government should avoid all possible expenditure, he thought that the citizens of Dunedin should be prepared to support it in the regrettable decision to postpone the building of the new post office. If, however, the Government was willing to authorise the erection of public buildings in other parts of the Dominion, Dunedin had every right to demand that the much-needed central post office, which had been promised for so long, should be proceeded with. "It has been suggested to me," said Mr. Duncan, "that a certain section of the community is lukewarm in its support of the agitation for the erection of the post office, owing to the fact that it is interested in the rentals of buildings which are at present leased to Government departments in various parts of the city. I cannot believe, however, that any citizen would be so mercenary in aims and outlook as, from a selfish, pecuniary point of view, to oppose or fail to support the request for a new post office." "Without doubt, Mr. Duncan continued, Dunedin had been promised a post office many years before any suggestion a been made regarding the erection o a State Fire building in Christchurch and it would appear that the financing of tM Dunedin post office was on a par witn the suggested financing of the State *ire building in Christchurch. If this were correct, as all recent references to subject made him believe, the citizen 3 s Dunedin should demand, and should take all possible steps to ensure, that the new post office would be erected to a y departmental building elsewhere in JNew Zealand.