SIR WILLIAM FRASER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19812, 2 December 1919, Page 8

SIR WILLIAM FRASER.

VISIT TO THE SOUTH, A passenger for tin, south, to-day is Sir William Frnser, Minister of Public Works. Sir Willinm. who ia member for the Wakatipu electorate, is not con-fc-stincr the sent at this election, no hav:ns decided to retire from the active politics of tho House. Ho left for the south bv the mkldav express. Tho fact that work on the Otira. lino wos in danger of being hold up on account of la"k of cement was men-ti-iied. Sir Willinm stated that 300 tonß of cement had now been ohtnined from Wh-nT-rei. TV Tntanekai having be°n specially for it. Further supplies were cumin" to band. THE NEW POST OFFICE. • THE PLANS DE'-CRIBET). Sir William .slated to a representative of the 'Mar" to-day toot i tender lor a new General Post Orifice in Christclmreh has buen accepted. In tho new biuknng wild bo situated tho Money Order Umce and Savings hank Uiiice, the letter carriers' rooms, »nd the automatic telephone exchange .The room in which the Money Order office ia at present situated will ho taken over for tho Telegraph Office. The building will be built of brick, faced with Oamaru stone, and will bo of tho usual Government design, lb will be fireproof, -with concrete Teinforoed floors, a steel roof covered with concrete, and cast iron* or rolled steel window frames. Eash room will be heated by moans of two boilers and a circulating system, with radiators. Electric hgnt wiil be installod throughout. Tho ground Moor measurement will be practically lOOir, ;< 58ft, and the front will be 54i't high. 7he new structure will face Hereford Street, and will adjoin the present General J/ost Office building. The counter in the Money Order and Savings Bank office, on 'the ground floor, will be horseshoe shaped, with u terminating curve at one end, will" have a marble front with a greenstone, or Takaka dove-coloured marble framing. The panels will be of white Sicilian marble, and a brass footrnll will bo provided, O'n the first floor will bo tho letter carriers-' room, which will bo fitted up with tho usual appliances. A lift will run from the basement to the third *oor, which will bo especially used for the conveyance of mail bags to and trom the carts. The present letter carriers room trill form an extension or tho present mail room, which it adjoins. On the top floor the automatic telephone excuange, which is at present situated in the old Government Tourist Olkcc in Hereford Street, will 1 K) mstalled, and the cables will pass down ti special enclosure. Tne columns supporting the stec, girders mil be of reinforced concrete lira cost of the building will probabh tof 0,000, and A su k«& aoore tho pre-war estimate. Presupposing a good supply of labour, it will probably take about two years to erect