1.— 14.

J. Campbell.]

5

109. Mr. hard.] I should like to know whether the present House of Representatives on sheet No. 2 is any smaller than that in the old House was?—lt is exactly the same size. 110. And that in the Legislative Council is larger?— Yes, that is larger. 111. I see that on both plans we have looked at you have practically made both Chambers the same size? —Yes. it is only a sketch-plan. I have been considering that, and the question is, in making the drawings, whether it would not have been better to have made the Legislative Council a little smaller and the House of representatives a little larger. 112. Mr. W. Fraser: If one is smaller than the other, it may be the reason for raising an insuperable bar to any increase in the future. 113. Bight Hon. Sir J. G. Ward: On that site there is any amount of room to extend anywhere. 114. Hon. Mr. Paul.] May I ask what is the accommodation for the public in the strangers' galleries in the new House?— That has not been determined — this is only a sketch of the main building; but there will be an abundance of space in the galleries. They will be deeper than the old galleries were. 115. Mr. Barclay.] And on this new site there is room to extend? —Yes, there is certainly room to extend. According to sheet No. 1 you can see there is any quantity of room towards Museum Street for extension. 116. Mr. E. McKenzie.] It is important that the Chamber should be increased in size to provide for a larger number of members for future generations who may decide to increase the number. Could this be done?— Yes. 117. Eight Hun. Sir J. G. Hard.] According to this plan of the building upon the Government House site, there is room for extension in the future both towards Museum Street and Bowen Street ?-—Yes. 118. There can be no question that extension can be made if it is necessary?— Yes. 119. Now, does this estimate of £180,000 provide for the building being on fireproof lines?— Yes. 120. With regard to the floors, what is it suggested they should be made of? —Concrete floors, fireproof throughout, and steel construction throughout. 121. How about the lighting and \entilation in this proposed building?— The ventilation would be as perfect as it could be, and also the lighting, provision being made for window ventilation. 122. Is there direct window ventilation in both Chambers?—ln the upper portions of the Chambers. There are no windows in the lower portions, but you could direct fresh air from the courtyards right into both Chambers. 123. You could have direct fresh air from both sides? —Yes, a direct course of ventilation by means of tubes. 124. The ventilation in the proposed building would be better than in the old building? — Very much better. 125. Mr. E. McKenzie.] Could you design this building so that we could get a glimpse of the sunlight?— With regard to the House of Representatives, in which there are late sittings, and which is occupied very much longer than the other Chamber, I have shown that on the sunny side of the building, so that you will get the sun practically all round it, and it will be very much warmer. It will be very much less exposed to the cold southerly. 126. Mr. Massey.] I should like to know whether it is possible for the sun to reach the Chamber of Representatives at all as proposed by this plan of the building on the Government House site t —You mean direct by the windows? 127. Yes?— That is quite possible by windows. You could have direct sunlight through the lantern or dome, and you could also have windows on the north-west side of the building. You could have clerestory windows on the north side, and you could have the sun streaming through that building. That was the object in keeping the House of Representatives to the north side. 128. Mr. Barclay.] Is it intended that the middle portion shall be one story, or two, or three? —The House, of course, must be one story, and so must the lobby. 12!). Eight Han. Sir J . G. Ward.] But equal to two stories of the main building?— Yes. 130. And in this proposed building on the Government House site you would have ventilation direct from outside into both chambers, and in the old building you could not?— Yes. If you did get it in the old building it was from the south side, and members used to complain of it. You could have these windows open in the public galleries without getting the cold southerly wind into the House. The same could he said of the Upper Chamber, because it is also screened by rooms on the south side, but it would not get so much sun as the House of Representatives. Still, it would get better ventilation than was possible in the old Chamber, because it is screened from both sides. 131. Mr. W. Fraser.] In the event of this plan being adopted, would it not be possible to increase the size of the House of Representatives by taking it right through to include the back portion, the corridor behind it, and also the Speaker's rooms, and then put the rooms behind as a wing?— That is quite possible. 132. In the future, I mean? —Yes, that would be quite possible, I think. If you look at sheet No. 1 you will see that the whole building might be kept a little nearer Bowen Street, so as to leave a greater space next to Sydney Street for future possible extension. 133. Without much alteration to the walls you could do that?— Yes, that could quite easily be done. 134. Eight Hon. Sir J. G. Ward.] Now look at plan D 8, sheet No. 1, the part marked dark pink. That is the portion which it is suggested at the moment should be built, with the existing Government House remaining, is it not? —That is so. 135. What is the estimated cost for building that pink portion? —£90,000 —practically half of trie whole building.