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Police-stations. The capital expenditure on police-stations for the year amounted to £2,535 out of an allocation of £8,000. The only new police-station erected was that at Te Araroa. A new office and lock-up was provided at Opotiki and a lock-up at Tolaga Bay. Land was purchased for a site for a constable's residence at Paeroa. Post and Telegraph Buildings. Owing to the adverse economic position, the Post and Telegraph Department's building programme has been greatly restricted. Although authority was obtained for the erection of several large buildings, it was found necessary, for financial reasons, to defer the works. This was the case with the proposed new chief postoffice at Dunedin. The call for tenders which had been made was cancelled before the date fixed for their receipt. The question of proceeding with the work will be considered as the financial position improves. The following is a complete review of the activities engaged in during the year : — New post-office buildings were erected at Palmerston (Otago), Ruatoria, Upper Symonds Street (Auckland), Urenui, Waitara, Wellington East, and High Street (Christchurch). A residence for the Postmaster was erected at Ruatoria, and an automatic telephone exchange was completed at Lower Hutt. The most important post-office erected was that at Wellington East, a building eight stories high on concrete-raft foundations. It was opened for official business in February last, arid accommodates on the ground floor the former Courtenay Place Post-office and two branches of the Accountant's staff (Head Office). The next important building completed was that at High Street, Christchurch, a building of four stories on concrete-raft foundations. The contract for erection was completed on the 10th June, 1932, and the building will be ready for occupation shortly. A substantial addition was made to the Masterton Post-office building, and the Hampden Courthouse was converted into a post-office at very little cost. The position of the postal buildings damaged in the earthquake regions is as follows : — Extensive repairs were effected at Dannevirke, Waipukurau, and Wairoa. The Westport Post-office has been rebuilt, and was opened for postal business on the 17th June, 1932. The reconditioning of the Napier and Hastings Post-offices is progressing satisfactorily. The former was reopened on the stli August, 1932, and the latter will be ready by the end of September. Owing to the possibility of danger from future earthquakes, the clock-towers at Cambridge and Wanganui have been removed. Areas of land were acquired for departmental purposes as follows : Hampden, site for post-office building ; Hastings, extension of post-office site ; Mamaku, extension of post-office site ; Naumai, new site for post-office building ; New Plymouth, site for line-depot; Thornbury, site for post-office building. Areas of departmental land were disposed of as follows : Blenheim, portion of storage site (for street purposes) ; Cheviot, departmental land ; Kamo, portion of post-office site ; Rotorua, portion of post-office site ; Tangitu, old post-office site ; Urenui, old post-office site ; Waiuku, additional portion of old post-office site. Mental Hospitals. The net capital expenditure for the year on mental hospitals amounted to £45,938, being £88,202 less than that of the previous year. The following is a summary showing the position of the works completed :— Avondale : The residence formerly occupied by the doctor has been converted into a receiving-home. Puhitahi: Two brick villas were completed. Permanent power and light mains were installed to buildings and roadways, and a permanent transformer substation erected. A temporary laundry has been erected and fitted up. Tokanui: The Nurses' Home has been completely furnished and occupied. A private exchange telephone system has been installed. A radio installation has been extended to wards and a new set placed in the Nurses' Home. Alterations, repairs, and renovations were carried out to the main buildings. iii—D. 1.

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