D.—l

amount of work lias been done in the way of farm-land development, the funds for this having been provided by interested settlers and from unemployment moneys. The Ashley River control work is"gone of the largest jobs in hand under this section of the Department's activities. The work consists of a system of stop-banks and groynes extending from the junction of the Okuku to the sea, which is a distance of 12 m. It will afford jprotection to a large area of rich agricultural |land. The works were designed to cope with what was considered the largest flood likely to be encountered, but in February, 1936, during the progress of construction, a record flood was experienced, which made it appear advisable to construct the stop-banks and groynes to higher levels. The work is now nearing completion. An extensive survey and report was recently completed dealing with the Ashburton River, and a similar one is in hand for the Hinds River. The' one pertaining to the Ashburton River has been made available to the Ashburton County Council. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The net expenditure for last year in the various classes of buildings was : — £ General Government buildings .. .. .. .. .. 58,565 Courthouses .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,655 Prison buildings and works.. .. .. .. .. 4,621 Police-stations .. .. .. .. .. .. 7,149 Postal and Telegraph buildings .. .. .. .. .. 158,005 Mental Hospital buildings .. ~ .. .. .. .. 142,109 Health and Hospital institutions .. .. .. .. ~ 12,921 £386,025 New Departmental Buildings. Buildings were erected at Alexandra, and at Wellington the excavations for the foundations of a new departmental building have proceeded satisfactorily, although they were stopped for a considerable time pending the purchase and demolition of the adjacent premises required for further building space. The final Government contribution of £36,969 was made towards the erection of the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum Building, the total subsidy paid to date amounting to £100,000. A new Ministerial residence was erected in Tinakori Road ; a new store for housing plant was built near the Public Works Workshops ; additions were made to the Meteorological Office at Kelburn ; at Lincoln College a new plant-research laboratory was erected ; at Mamaku a new farm residence was erected for the Manager ; a new wharf was erected at Taupo for the Internal Affairs Department; magazines were erected at Greyrnouth and Wingatui; at Greymouth a new residence was erected for the District Engineer ; and at Rotorua the Public Works garage was extended and new plant installed. Courthouses. The intended programme for courthouse additions has not been advanced to the stage which was hoped for twelve months ago. The new Courthouse at Ashburton has been completed. At Auckland the new library additions have been completed and are in occupation. A new site has been acquired for the new courthouse at Invercargill, and working plans for the building are now complete. The present building, which is over half a century old, is entirely unsuitable and inadequate for present needs. At Kaeo a new courthouse has been completed. The need for more adequate Court accommodation in a number of centres is still pressing, as inadequate provision had been made over the past twenty-five years to meet normal growing requirements. At Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin the accommodation is insufficient, and necessary extensions or replacements

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