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The Downlands Water-supply Scheme is now serving the Pleasant Point Township and 834 farms Sr g a a ro a of 15 y 24:4 acres - T . he scheme, however, provides for the serving of a further "alvanizedpipes areora ut has been indefinitely delayed owing to the shortage of St ° ppage of irrigation activities is, I hope, only temporary, but work can be resumed readily as soon as conditions improve. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. , l )e 'P art ™ ental Hidings With the exception of hospital buildings, the erection of new departmental tings o a civil nature has practically ceased. Those structures in an advanced state of construcwon were pushed ahead as circumstances permitted. The new departmental Buildings at Stout Street, Wellington, and at Jean Batten Place, Auckland, are now in occupation, but certain items, where practicable, have been deferred until after the war. _ _ Agriculture.—-At Te Kauwhata Horticultural Station considerable progress was made in the provision of more adequate buildings and winemaking equipment. The facilities so far established will assist m meeting the increasing demand for locally-manufactured wine and in raising the quality standards No further major improvements are contemplated in the immediate future. Courthouses.—-After considerable delay arising from difficulties concerning the supply of interior hmshing materials, the new Courthouse at Invercargill was completed and opened during the year. IHe old Courthouse, which was built many years ago, was neither suitable nor convenient for the conduct needed 6 w'lilt neSS ' the accommodation of the staff in the new structure is filling a muchrppWo?er+bwl com l )le *? d a , nd brou g ht into use were the new Courthouse at Ruatoria and a 3cc nstructed Courthouse at Omakau, to which centre the Court business was transferred from Ophir. H °W ltal and additions were made to provide additional ' ~ ~ a ion a Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer, to meet stall: and other requirements in connection ATw X ?r nSlOn institution to accommodate sick and wounded soldiers. At Wellington and Invercargill alterations and renovations were carried out at the St. Helens ttospita , P i ans ere completed and tenders obtained for the new St. Helens Hospital, Christchurch but, owing to the effects of the war upon the availability of materials and building activities generally it was not round practicable to commence this proposal. Internal Marketing.—Two cool stores, at Hastings and Nelson respectively, were completed for fruit-storage purposes, including facilities for receiving and despatching supplies, i+v i ° rce(l " c o no rete building was also completed at Auckland where butter, honey, and fruit, >o, l oca y grown and imported, are handled. This building also includes accommodation for administrative offices. \iin^ m A a ?' Ju° SpUals 'lT Inorease , d accommodation for occupational-therapy work was provided at an , ie nurses home and a number of staff residences at Kingseat were completed, while other residences at Kingseat were commenced. At Ngawhatu three new villas for male patients were completed and are in occupation, and at iempleton one new villa for male patients was also completed. Work was commenced on the erection of a residence for the Assistant Medical Officer at Tokanui. + *v, r 7 7 a -, S ex tended, and the nurses' home and another building were approaching completion at the close of the year under review. Police-stations.—The police-station at Glenavy, and the offices and residence at Temuka, were Wanaka ' Statl ° nS WOre erected at Waiheke Island, Mount Maunganui, Havelock, and ™,„f e V ffi wir 6r ! provided at Kaitaia and South Dunedin, a residence for a Sub-Inspector was purchased in Wellington and sites for police purposes were acquired at Kerepehi, Ngongotaha, Petone, Karamea, Millerton, Dobson, and Riversdale. Kl -l P° stal Telegraph. The following works were completed during the year: Chief-post-office buildings at Christchurch and Invercargill; post-office buildings at Katikati and Mount Maunganui; a post-office building and residence *t Mosgiel; an automatic-telephone-exchange building at Mount W -if t an f | buddings at Dunedin, Stratford, and Wanganui; and garage buildings i"?; Llr T ood > Brighton, Rakaia, Roxburgh, and Waitara. Post-office accommodation n 11 wJr T" Gov A e ™ ment building in Jean Batten Place, Auckland, and in the new State nffi K u mg ' ® . vl Addltlons were made to the chief-post-office building at Auckland, postiw , Helensville, Kaeo, Kawakawa, New Lynn, Papanui, Waitoa, and Waitotara, the at In J er ? a rgf alld tlle garage building at Hawera. Improved accommodation was provided at Nelson, Port Nelson, and Timaru. Several buildings and sites no longer required for departmental purposes were disposed of during -he year. Sites and additional land for departmental purposes were acquired at nine places. Three residences for departmental officers were acquired. A small number of buildings were in course of erection at the end of the year, and also in progress were large additions to the departmental building at Herd Street, Wellington; additions to the onsonby automatic-telephone exchange ; major alterations to the Auckland chief-post-office building ° t + i, n < New ™ arket ) store and workshops building ; and alterations to the Awarua Radio SSfflS ,ho w ' iM h " » ,d the •» ***«- Prisons. There has been of necessity a minimum amount of new building and construction work tor prison purposes The mam works carried out included the installation of electric lighting at Rangipo Brison Camp, and the erection of a new cottage at Invercargill Borstal to relieve to a small degree the "Tf a At Borstal Institution, Te Awamutu, two new staff cottages were completed, and also a new glasshouse and tobacco-shed, which were both much needed to meet departmental requirements. EDUCATION BUILDINGS. The gross expenditure for the year on school buildings, additions, teachers' residences, and the Purchase of sites totalled £486,536, this sum including £20,850 provided by the Consolidated Fund to meet tne cost 01 minor works. and NSive schook Wll ° l6 ° f eXpenditure was incur red in respect of primary, secondary, technical

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