A PUBLIC BUILDING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1357, 7 February 1912, Page 4

A PUBLIC BUILDING.

TO BE ERECTED IN SYDNEY STREET. A new public building which is about to be erected in Sydney Street will provide safe storage for the records of tivo Departments for which at present no efficient provision exists. Tho Native Land Court has at present no permanent headquarters, and its records, which in effect are tho foundation of some of the most important land titles in New /Sealand, arc stored m cases which accompaily the C'oiirt in its 'movements from one Pt>.fc of temporary quarters to another. The Stamps Department now occupiei temjjo'rary quarters, its late headquarters, in the rear of the main Government buildings, having been gutted by tiro during the last session of Parliament. The piotectiuu of tire plant, paper, etc., of the Stamps Department is u matter of nb less importance than the preservation of the Native land records. The last firo did no great damage, but if the plates and other materials used in printing stalups were destroyed, very serious inentivenienco would b<? caused. For a time temporary stumps would have to printed on ordinary paper, and the illicit production of counterfeit stamps would be made correspondingly easy. Thi iiew building in Sydney Street, for which tenders are now being called, is to be a fireproof structure in brick and concrete, and it will 'comfortably hou.se both the Stamps Department and Native Lands Department, besides providing safe and ample storage for their records and materials. The building will be of lira (-lories. The Minister, Ulider-Soerc-tary. iliid subordinate officials of the Native Lands Department will occupy the first floor, ami' one large chamber downstairs will be allotted to the Native Land Court. The rest of tho ground floor will )>e occupied by u loom.v public ollice for (he Stamps Department, a stamp room, packing-room, and various rooms for its ofiicials. Tlioi'e will be strong-rooms on each floor, and further storage space for records in the basement.