OLD PROVINCIAL BUILDING.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18408, 15 June 1925, Page 17

OLD PROVINCIAL BUILDING.

■♦ QUESTION OF ALTERATIONS. Inigaturday morning some members Christchurch Beautifying Asso-f-S? n vjjeld a conference with Mr F. $ liirkert, Engineer in Chief to the PabliC Works Department, and dmr id with him the question of altcrV Vand additions to the Deeds RoDepartment in the old Pro- *' 5 "'nl Council Chambers. Some years Sditions were made to the origin-'rt-wJlfline in order to provide accom"lt on for the Department. Owing '"-Wall of th e addition having sunk necessity of providing more a #nr the staff, further alterations fjojn. ior "' Chilton said that the i;*tjj plans provided for a comglete Wjs building and as had been pointby Mr Hurst Seager, any alter%mi and additions made should bo in Sne with the original building. Ij&lfl.G. Ell said that the building v3%6 only Provincial Parliament Sing left in the I)ominion 9, and Si-that because of its beauty it Sfljld bo preserved as a link with the B. Owen said that the AssoA Jon had no desire to prevent the LfSfroro being given better condiStfbut was of the opinion that the iLriit pathetic makeshift r.hould be out and a splendid vista opened *%?. Chilton said that nothing should kg dane wliich would interfere with the tfchitecturnl harmony of the building, rfceifooden part of the building would ater'he suitable for a museum of hisaricai records, if not used for offices. Mr Pnrfcert statedthat the Public jerpoe Commissioner had been told bai the present offices used by the )e«is Registration Department were inihV to work in, and he himself had leeij told bv a solicitor that it was mpbssible in the present circumstances iropefly to search deeds in them. It ttf proposed to spend £ISOO on imiroVements. The work necessary, nd it would be cheaper to spend £ISOO n itLthan to rent other offices, even if bey. could be obtained. Besides, the Iterations would not be of a permanni'character, and when there "was no artner use for thein, they would have certain scrapping value.