CO129-302 - Public Offices - 1900 — Page 210

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This unfortunate result

of the architects satisfactory.

is due to the fact that the condition that certain rooms

must face the east was not communicated to the architects

until after the plans were finished. A point to which so

much importance is attached by the Government that they are

prepared to spoil the building on account of it should have

been laid down from the first, when no doubt the design

satisfactorily could have been so arranged as to provide for it. With

the express object of ensuring that the plans should in

every respect conform to the wishes of the Government,

small scale drawings were sent to the Colony in September

1898, and it is difficult to understand why, if it is so

important that certain rooms should face in a particular

direction, attention was not called to the point when these

drawings were returned to us in February 1899 with a memo-

randum embodying the results of a conference between the

Director of Works, the Chief Justice and other officers

interested.

3. The only way in which, if the present requirements

be adhered to, a thoroughly good result can now be produced is, it appears to us, to ask the architects to re-design the building. This would entail some loss of time and

additional expense, but, unless the Government consider that the architects have much overestimated the inconveni- ences likely to arise, it is for consideration whether it

should not be done.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

Matomerm

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