31

D.—l

Ministerial Besidences. —The Bowen Street house was painted by the landlord. A good deal of the weatherboarding of the residence in Molesworth Street being decayed or worm-eaten, it has been replaced, and the buildings painted. At Tinakori Eoad East the northern boundary of the ground was refenced ; the building has been repaired, and is now being painted. Various. —A concrete retaining-wall was built at the Museum in the place of the brick facing at Boweh Street, which collapsed in consequence of the heavy rain-storm in December last; and the Observatory fence has been repaired. A store and six huts for the accommodation of prisoners to be employed on the road from Milford Sound to Lake Wakatipu were built and shipped by the " Hinemoa." The old Government Printing Office was burned down on the Bth October, a small portion only of the building being saved. Temporary offices have in the meantime been found for the various offices that were located there, and permanent provision for them is now being planned by the proposed extension of the present printing-office on the Lambton Quay side. The general maintenance of the buildings and grounds in Wellington has been satisfactorily attended to by the regular staff of workmen, with some occasional assistance. Mablboeough-Nelson Disteict. Departmental Buildings, Nelson. —These buildings are now being repaired and painted. Post and Telegraph Offices. —Extensive repairs and additions have been made to the buildings at the Cable Bay Station, Wakapuaka ; and the offices at Nelson and Picton were painted. Police-stations and Gaols. —The Nelson and Blenheim Police-stations have been painted; the station at Havelock is being repaired ; and repairs were executed to the gaol at Nelson, and the roof covered with iron. Lunatic Asylum. —The repairing and painting of the Nelson Asylum has been done under petty contract. Westland Disteict. Post and Telegraph Offices. —At Greymouth the Postmaster's residence was painted, the office at Eeefton repaired, and additional accommodation provided to the lineman's quarters at Longford. Courthouses. —The Eesident Magistrate's house at Greymouth has been added to and repaired; the Courthouse at Westport drained; those at Lyell, Greymouth, and Hokitika repaired and painted ; and the Warden's residence at Westport repaired. Customhouses and Various.' —The contract for the new Customhouse at Greymouth was completed, and the Collector's residence there repaired and painted. The necessary repairs to the office of the District Land Eegistrar at Hokitika have been made, and the police-station at Denniston is now being repaired and painted. Canteebuey Disteict. Sunnyside Asylum. —ln the west wing, rebuilt after the fire, the painting of the dado, and fitting of new special locks, which remained unfinished last year, were completed. The female patients having been removed to the west wing from A and B wards, the latter were thoroughly repaired and painted. Various repairs and alterations to the drainage, hot- and cold-water supply, &c, have been attended to. Post and Telegraph Office. —The office at Timaru was repaired and painted. Courthouses and Police-stations. —At Kaiapoi a new Eesident Magistrate's Court, stable, and lock-up have been built. Minor repairs were effected at the Supreme and Eesident Magistrate's Courts, Christchurch ; and the police-station at St. Albans has been placed in good repair, and reroofed. Various. —The old Government buildings and the new buildings in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, were repaired ; and, after being put in order, the Land Office at Timaru was painted. Otago Disteict. Police-station, Dunedin. —The progress made with the contract for police-station, lock-up, stable, and boundary-walls has not been so rapid as was expected, principally in consequence of deeper foundations being necessary than was expected, and the inferior quality of the bricks at first brought on to the ground. The work will probably be finished by the end of June. Seacliff Lunatic Asylum. —Eebuilding the west end of the north wing, which was approaching completion at the end of last year, has been finished. Post and Telegraph Offices. —The sanitary arrangements at the North Dunedin office were overhauled and put in proper order, and sundry repairs executed at Dunedin, South Dunedin, Naseby, Arrowtown, Tapanui, and Owake. Courthouses and Police-stations. —Considerable sanitary improvements have been made at the Supreme Court, Dunedin, and the Courthouse at Hampden was repaired. The police-stations at Maclaggan Street and South and North Dunedin have also been repaired and the drainage improved. Various. —The minor repairs and maintenance of public buildings in the Otago District were attended to, the expenditure under this head being £2,300 for the year.