On the other side:-
Sale of Land occupied by Land Office and Crosby's Store, as estimated by the Director of Public Works, 16,078 square feet at $10, ..$ 160,780 Sale of land occupied by Post Office and Law
Courts, 25,867 square feet at $12,................................ 310,404
Rents now paid or to be paid next year for Offices as estimated by the Director of Public Works, capitalized,
75
80,000
Total,-
-$ 551,184
199,000
Net cost of proposed new Offices to Government, say,......$
13. The net cost shewn above of $199,000 is against the net cost shewn by the Director of Public Works of $162,000 for his scheme, and I venture to think that the convenience to public and accommodation gained would justify a far larger expenditure.
14. I have taken the value of the site of the present Land Office and Crosby Store, 16,078 square feet at $10 per foot as given by the Director of Public Works, but for the site of the present Post Office, I am confident that $2 per foot more would be obtained, owing to the superior position and frontage.
15. As for the value of Plot No. 1 on the new Praya Reclamation, put down at $10 per foot by the Director of Public Works, I fear that it will be a consider- able time before so large a piece of ground can be sold at such a price.
16. I wish to point out that no allowance appears to have been made for the sale of the ground at present occupied by the Harbour Office, which land is in a most valuable part of the City and is worth about $15 per foot, the area is about 8,000 square feet and therefore the net cost to the Colony of the new buildings should be reduced by $120,000.
17. I wish to record my opinion that the plans for the new Public Offices should be made by local architects of standing who, I think, by their experience of local requirements and construction, are far more likely to produce a satisfactory and economical building than any firm of architects in England. The work already executed in this City seems to me quite proof enough of the ability of the local architects to undertake the proposed buildings which, I may mention, are not so large as the blocks now being built on the Reclamation.
C. P. CHATER.