THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1907. A QUESTION OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9006, 16 December 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1907. A QUESTION OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

The Premier has thrown out a hint that it may be considered desirable to rebuild Parliament House on the site now occupied by Government House. It seemed to him, he said at a function in Dunedin, on Friday, that the time was opportune to take advantage of the untimely destruction of Parliament Buildings and "•build something that would be for all time —something that would be a credit to the dominion and its people." He went on to say that he thought a change of site would be well, and he believed that the courtesy of the Governor would not permit His Excellency to view otherwise than favourably any proposal made by the Prime Minister and his colleagues. The Government Hous'! site, Sir Joseph further declared," was an area more suited for Parliament Buildings than for Government House." He, however, omitted to state what area would best suit the latter, or why the Governor's "courtesy" should be appealed to if it were really desirable to shift his residence. It is fortunate that the question is one upon which Parliament will have to be consulted, and it is to be hoped that a moribund Parliament will net undertake the responsibility, but leave the matter for the decision of its successor. There are strong reasons why the project which is in the Premier's

mind should not be carried out. In the first place, it would necessitate the erection of a new gubernatorial residence without the least necessity, and at a time when there is an extraordinary demand upon the funds of the dominion for the purpose of building public offices. The Wellington Post Office is to cost £72,000; the Auckland Post Office, £78,000; the Public Trust Office will involve a very large expenditure—we are not aware of the full amount —and the Parliamentary Buildings will probably not cost less than £150,000, wherever they are erected. Here, alone, we have close upon a quarter of a million pounds required for three or four buildings. Indeed, the estimate of a Wellington contemporary of the expenditure required for public buildings in Wellington City during the coming year is £250,000. Then it has to be remembered that the Parliamentary Library wing of the old General Assembly Buildings, which cost a great deal of money, is still intact; and, further, that a heavy contract was only a few months ago let for extensive additions to the Parliament Buildings, and much of the n work has already been done and remains uninjured by the fire.

The site on which the General Assembly Buildings have so long stood is an ideal one as regard locality and size, and nothing could possibly be gained by a change of situation. If it is desirable—as Sir Joseph Ward declares it is—to provide a Parliament House that will meet the requirements of the next 200 years, the present site is as good ss the Government House site; but no reasonable statesman would deem it necessary for the present small community to attempt to provide for a period which will see half-a-dozen genera tions metamorphosed into angels—or something else. Suclr a "far-seeing" policy is a little bit advanced, even for New Zealand. So far as Government House is concerned the plea that it is old is not a valid one for its demolition and the erection ofja viceregal palace elsewhere, as o£ late years Governors have rarely permaently lived in the State residence. The last Governor and the present one have been guests of the colonists outside of the capital during the greater portion of each year, taking up their residence in Government House as a general rule only during the session of Parliament. For the rest of the time the house is occupied by a few servants only. We trust the country will have the fullest opportunity to consider the pros and cons of this important question before any decisive step is taken by the Government or Parliament.