RE SITE FOR NEW POST OFFICE.

Colonist, Volume XLV, Issue 10545, 21 October 1902, Page 2

RE SITE FOR NEW POST OFFICE.

To the Editor. gj r _j would be glad if you would 1 favor me with space to say a few ' words in support to the proposed • new site in Trafalgar street north. ■ I wish to point out that to my mind it is a very suitable situation for the r proposed "new Post Oflice, as i% would I have four frontages, andtnereuy give opportunity for architectural^ dis- ; play, which is so greatly needed m 1 NelSofi, whereas if the, old site. is to 3 be utilised only one frontage dah be b had for the architect to employ his J talent upon, aDd the loss of light, through being shut in by other build--3 ings, is in itself enough to. pass the 3 old site out in favor of the new one, 1 where there would be no chance of b the light being shut out. and where 3 a building could be erected, hot only 1 convenient, but ornamental, ahd a T credit to the place. A few otha--1 mental is what Nelson 1 stands greatly in need of. Although it is one of the oldest cities in the > Colony, yet it has not advanced much 1 beyond the bush townships in the matter of buildings. Now there -a * a chance to have a decent Post Olhce J built, it would be a pity to have it hidden away out of sight, and 1 : trust citizens fcill see thafr their-m---r terests as a body are not sacrificed to the interests of a few. It has been used as an argument against shifting the Post Office that ' the new site is surrounded by lowlying lands and stables. 1 will grant \ that this is so, but supposing that the new Post Office is built on the > northern site, how long, might! ask, r would such a condition t of things 3 exist? It is almost certain that the I low-lying ground would be all filled I I up' long before the Post Office was finished, anri as for the stables, they would be shifted to less valuable ■ sites, to make room for business premises. A Where would Lambton Quay, and Victoria street, Wellington, be to-day if people there had said, "We can't , build here its all water, let us get I on the hills" ; but they did not go . on the hills, they went in for re-- . clamation, and now some of the fanest buildings in the Colony stand where once the waters of Port Nicholson used to be. Nelson wants to go ahead after her long slumber, and will do so in spite of the conservative party, who oppose all progress on the grounds that what was good enough for their fathers is good enough for them, and because the » present Post Office has done duty for > many years it must do duty for ali ' time. . „ , „ i lam pleased to note that the progressive party have ' ' come to light,' ! and trust they will succeed in their ;■ endeavor to get the Post Office built ion the new site, as that is T the only direction left for the town to spread. I am sure all who sfop'to thinK will agree with me that the town will never spread over the Church Hill, but will make northwards, towards the water front, and it is my contention that the Post Office should go iuthat direction, and we must not forget in looking after the needs of to-day and to-morrow that a few years will bring a vast difference in the sate of things, and after all the difference in yards is nofvery great, and lam sure that no unbiassed business man south of Bridge-st. would mind sacrificing the few moments of time entailed in going to the northern end, in order to benefit the city as a whole. Thanking you in anticipation. , Yours etc.. LOOKING FORWARD.

To the Editor.

Sir,— -In reading the correspondence re proposed site for Post Office, I notice that advocates of Trafalgar street north Bite appear to lose sight of the fact that a Post Office is for use rather than ornament. No doubt a building there costing, say £10,000, would be an ornament to that end of the city, but one cannot get away from the fact it would be away from the principal business houses of the town. It has been stated as a reason or putting the Post Office there that the city will extend in that direction. Now. sir, which way has the business portion of the city extended within the last few year., certainly not in that direction. To be sure, a few private residences have been built in Halifax street, "but they are few compared to other parts of the town. I would like r to suggest to those interested gentlemen who offer to contribute land for Post Office site, that if they offered half the'value of their land in cash to the City Council for the erection of a Town Hall they would effect fwhat they profess to lie their chief, aim, of beautifying the city, without being detrimental to the progress of the business men. Yours, etc., ' L BEAUTIFIER.

them to return to South Africa, and co-operate with zeal and judgment in the reconstitution of their homes.