F.—l.

BUILDINGS AND LAND. The erection of nine new post-office buildings and one major addition to an existing building has been completed during the year. Particulars of the official ceremonies held in connection with the opening of these buildings are as follows : —

In addition, a ceremony at which the Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. Jones, officiated was held in connection with the laying of the foundation-stone of the Invercargill new chief post-office building on the 2nd August. Also completed during the year were Postmasters' residences at Cambridge, Kaipara Plats, Mangaweka, Poolburn, Waiau, and Wairoa, and a staff residence at Te Teko ; a line, store, garage, and workshops building at Gisborne ; a line and store building at Huntly ; a line, store, and garage building at Geraldine ; a line and battery building at Clyde ; line, store, and garage buildings at Amberley and Milton ; and garage buildings at Devonport and Motueka (2). The first floor of the post-office building at Bluff was converted into living-quarters for the Postmaster, and the old post-office building at Maungaturoto was converted into a residence for the lmeman. Major additions and alterations were made to post-office buildings at Newmarket, Parnell, Te Awamutu, Waimauku, Waitangi (Chatham Islands), Wakefield, and Wellesley Street (Auckland). Improved accommodation was provided at the following places : Ashhurst (addition), Balfour' (addition to quarters), Christchurch (alterations to garage), Geraldine (addition), Gore (alterations to garage and store), Lyttelton (alterations), Mount Albert (addition), Paekakariki (addition to quarters), Takaka (addition and alterations), Taradale (addition and alterations), Te Akau (addition to quarters), and Warkworth (addition to quarters). Buildings no longer required at the following places were disposed of: Aria, Avondale, Blackstone Hill (old post-office buildings), Castlecliff (cable hut), Dunedin (telegraph-office building), Havelock (residence), Otiake (post-office building), Pahiatua and Tauranga (old post-office buildings), and Waitara (residence). The post-office buildings at Linwood, Milton, and St. Albans were demolished to make room for new buildings. The post-office buildings at Mahoenui and Motueka and the lineman's residence at Tolaga Bay were destroyed by fire during the year. Sites no longer required at the following places were relinquished or disposed of: Avondale and Castlepoint (old post-office sites), Dunedin (telegraph-office site), Havelock (site of lineman's residence), Herbert and Katikati (redundant sites), Kumeu (old post-office site), Opunake (portion), Owaka (redundant site), Pahiatua (portion of old post-office site), Tauranga (old post-office site), Tuatapere (redundant site), and Waitara (site of Postmaster's old residence). Sites were acquired at Balclutha, Bulls, Christchurch, and Gore (extension of post-office sites), Helensville (for line, store, and garage building), Hokitika (for post-office building), Karori (for automatic exchange), Levin (extension of site for post-office addition), Lower Hutt (for post-office building), Matamata (for garage and store), Palmerston North (for line, store, workshops, and garage building), Papakura (right-of-way at rear of departmental site), Ponsonby (extension, of site for automatic exchange), Roxburgh (for storage purposes), Silverdale (extension of post-office site), Stratford (for garage, store, and line building), Takapuna (extension of telephone-exchange site), Taumarunui (for Postmaster's residence), Taupo (for new post-office), Tauranga (for line, store, and garage building), Te Puke and Waipawa (for Postmasters' residences), and Wellesley Street and Wellington South (for new post-offioes). The following buildings were in course of erection at the end of the year : Christchurch (chief post-office, No. 1 block), Dunedin (store and workshops), Gisborne (automatic exchange), Hamilton (chief post-office), Invercargill (chief post-office), Mount Pleasant (automatic exchange), New Brighton (automatic exchange), Okaihau (residence), Otorohanga (post-office and residence), Wanganui (chief post-office), Wellington (office and line depot building), and Whakatane (line, store, and garage building). Other works as follows were also in progress : additions and alterations to the chief post-office buildings at Auckland, Oamaru, and Palmerston North, and to the post-office buildings at Ellerslie, Huntly, Kaipara Flats, Okaihau, Opotiki, Rangiwahia, and Waiau; and additions to the automatic-telephone-exchange building at Mount Eden and the store and garage building at Kaitaia. Buildings-maintenance gangs were established in the Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin Districts for the painting and renovating of departmental buildings.

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Building. Date of Opening. Ceremony performed by Avondale .. . . . . 19th August, 1938 . . . . Hon. H. G. R. Mason, M.P. Devonpart .. .. .. 14th November, 1938 .. Mr. F. W. Schramm, M.P. Grey Lynn .. 13th February, 1939 .. Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P. Linwood .. .. .. 26th April, 1938 .. . . Hon. D. G. Sullivan, M.P. Little River .. .. .. 30th April, 1938 .. . . Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, M.P. Milton .. .. .. 12th December, 1938 .. Hon. F. Jones, M.P. St. Albans .. .. .. 3rd February, 1939 .. .. Mr. S. G. Holland, M.P. Sumner .. .. .. 23rd November, 1938 .. Mr. T. H. McCombs, M.P. Tauranga . . .. 1st December, 1938 .. .. Hon. F. Jones, M.P. Te Awamutu (major addition) . . 8th April, 1938 . . . . Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P.