D.—l.

Manaia, Ohakune, Bull's, Foxton, Shannon, Wellington (General Post Office), Te Aro, Kilbirnie, Richmond, Wakefield, Westport, Granity, Murchison, Wallsend, Waiau, Culverden, Christchurch (Ferry Road), Sydenham, Addington, Little River, Rakaia, Waimate, Alexandra South, Bannockburn, Dunedin (Moray Place), St. Kilda, Green Island, St. Bathan's, Kaitangata, Balfour. Wyndham, and Riverton; for new quarters at Whitianga, Waipiro Bay, and Ophir; for the purchase of new properties at Taradale, Takapau, Okato, Karori, Upper Riccarton, and Owaka; for additions at Te Puke, Napier, New Plymouth, Stratford, Ashhurst, Levin, Alfredton, Wellington (alterations to Drill-shed), Wakapuaka, Pembroke, Balclutha, and Bluff. Two of the new offices— namely, the new Chief Post Office at Auckland and the new General Post Office at Wellington—are of such impoitance as to deserve special mention. Both buildings will be built largely of granite and strengthened with heavy steel framing, and will be as nearly as possible fire-proof. The contractors for the Auckland office are Messrs. J. and W. Jamieson (Limited), the contract-price being £95,551, and the date fixed for the completion of the work is 25th November, 1911. The contractors for the General Post Office in Wellington are Messrs. J. and A. Wilson (Limited), the contract-price being £96,923, and the work is to be finished by 27th October, 1911. In the case of the General Post Office the contract-price will not represent the full cost of the structure, as the Department had undertaken the necessary excavations and built the foundations (at a total cost of about £6,000) before the contract was entered into. Mental Hospitals. The expenditure on mental hospitals during the year has been £15,296. At Auckland a new residence has been erected for the Medical Superintendent and the rooms formerly occupied by him are being altered for the accommodation of patients. Laundry machinery has also been provided. At Christchurch a general bath-room has been constructed, an artesian well sunk, the auxiliary building connected with the main sewer, and various other improvements carried out. An addition to the female side at Seacliff has been completed, and additions to the male side are nearly finished. At Nelson the Toi Toi Valley School has been removed and re-erected on the Mental Hospital grounds to provide accommodation for fifty-three patients, at a moderate cost, and additional land has been purchased for farming purposes. A cottage for the Farm Manager and a storage-shed in the orchard have been erected at Porirua, additions have been made to the fire-alarm and telephone services, and various improvements and alterations completed. The proposed vote of £25,000 for the current year provides for the erection of the Wolfe Bequest Reception Hospital at Auckland, also accommodation for phthisical and special cases, a new boiler for general purposes, and erection of laundry machinery ; for an additional wing for females, and for an extension of the auxiliary building for males, at Porirua; for a reception-house, and for a boiler-house, boiler, and brick chimney-shaft, at Christchurch; for an extension of the laundry, and alterations and additions to the upper building block, also various other alterations and improvements, at Seacliff; for additions to the auxiliary building at Waitati; and for the purchase of land as a site for a central mental hospital. - Provision is also made for the erection of rooms in connection with the general hospitals, in which mental patients may be examined instead of at the police-stations. Schools. The expenditure on school buildings for the year out of the Public Works Fund was £102,340. The greater part of this amount was paid to Education Boards and other governing bodies for the erection of new buildings and additions to public schools and teachers' residences, training colleges, technical and secondary schools, and University colleges. A grant-in-aid (£2,000) was made to the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland, and buildings and land at Otekaike, North Otago, were purchased at a cost of over £8,000 for the purposes of a school for mentally defective boys. The following were the

xi