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In all major schemes, careful consideration has been given to the possible utilization of defence accommodation for civilian needs. Hostels erected for " essential" war workers are so designed and located that they may ultimately be converted to flats, schools are being erected for use as hospitals for the duration of hostilities and will ultimately revert to modern, educational centres, and new hospitals erected for military purposes are located in centres where they will be readily available for civilian use after the war. During 1942-43 the capital cost of defence buildings erected, together with ancillary services, amounted to £12,200,000, and 7,100 tradesmen were employed, working a minimum of forty-eight hours, and in the main averaging between fifty-four and sixty hours per week. These tradesmen were supplemented by factory personnel engaged upon the prefabricated work, but accurate records of men so employed are not at the moment available. In addition to the defence building programme, the following civil works were carried out:— Department of Agriculture.—Vegetable-production camps were established in various sections of the country suitable for the purpose and the necessary buildings erected by this Department, At Te Kauwhata, Block B of the winery and distillery was completed. Education Department.—Extensive alterations and renovations were made at Titirangi Hotel for use as a school for deaf children. The additions at Waimate High School have been completed. Mental Hospitals Department.—Comprehensive repairs and renovations were carried out at Avondale. Considerable reorganization was necessary in the Wellington Province due to earthquake damage rendering Porirua Mental Hospital untenable, and a large amount of demolition work has been carried out before rebuilding. Health Department.—At Palmerston North Hospital two new military wards and a new wing of the nurses' home have been completed. A soldiers' block and nurses' home were erected at Cashmere, while a new stores block was built at Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer. Post and Telegraph Department.—Additions were made to post-officcs at Dargaville and Mangonui. Extensive alterations to the chief post-office, Auckland, were completed, and a new line store was erected at Helensville. Wholesale earthquake repairs were necessary in Wellington district. Three new post-offices were erected at Owaka, Clydevale, and Brighton. The new post-office at Lower Hutt was officially opened on 3rd February, 1943. Native Department.—Thirteen houses were erected under the Native housing scheme. Linen Flax. —Factories were erected at Clydevale, Tapanui, Balclutha, Otautau, Woodlands, and Gore. Ota,go Iron-rolling Mills. —Duplication: The above work was completed. Earthquake Work.—The earthquakes occurring in June and September of 1942 threw a very heavy load upon the architectural staff at a time when personnel required for the prosecution of the defence programme could ill be spared. It was necessary to arrange immediate inspections and reports upon a large number of State and civil buildings throughout the Wellington district. Many contracts were prepared for the reconstruction of " essential " public buildings, and this work was perforce undertaken concurrently with urgent defence works, and necessitated a considerable amount of overtime work. In many instances it was imperative that buildings be temporarily strengthened pending detailed investigation to determine the extent of reconditioning necessary to render them safe for future use, and this further complicated the work of the staff involved. There was a large volume of defence building work under construction at the time of the earthquakes, and the erection of these buildings was seriously hampered owing to the necessity of diverting both man-power and materials to reconstruction of buildings essential for the maintenance of public services and for the demolition of buildings damaged beyond repair. General. —In addition, the usual maintenance and renovation work was carried out at various departmental buildings throughout the country. Team-work and co-operation have been two marked features of a most successful building programme, and I wish to place on record my keen appreciation of the work of the staff both directly under my control and associated with me, and also of contracting organizations and their tradesmen, for the whole-hearted and loyal support which has made such an effort possible. I have, &c., E. A. Patterson, A.N.Z.1.A., Government Architect.

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