Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 623

To His Excellency

REPORT.

Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,

Governor.

619

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

We, the Members of the Committee appointed by Your Excellency for the purpose of reporting on the condition of the present Government Offices and the advisability of locating the various Government departments under one roof, have the honour to report as follows.

PROCEEDINGS.

2. The Committee has held seven meetings, at which the general condition of the present Government Offices, their arrangement, and the accommodation both as regards extent and the facility it affords for the transaction of public business, were considered.

3. At an early stage of the proceedings the Committee formed the opinion, that a change in the present arrangement of the Government Offices is desirable, but that it is not expedient that it should extend to the present Government Offices at St. John's Place, the Central Police Station, the Magistracy, the Gaol, Queen's College, the Botanical and Afforestation Department, or the Fire Brigade Station.

4. The heads of the various Government departments concerned have been addressed with a view to ascertaining the nature and extent of the accommodation in respect of the following departments, viz., the Supreme Court and Law Offices, the Treasury, the Registrar General's Department, the Public Works Department, the Land Office, the Local Auditor's Department, the Sanitary Department, and the Inspector of Schools.

5. Projects have been considered with a view respectively to meeting the requirements of these departments in the existing buildings and for the erection of entirely new offices on the Praya Reclamation in the vicinity of the City Hall.

6. The question of the desirability of inviting competitive designs for new offices was also considered at Your Excellency's request (see appendix 4), and on the motion of Mr. CHATER, seconded by Mr. MCCONACHIE, it was decided by a majority of three (the Chairman and Mr. THOMSON not voting) that "the Com- mittee is in favour of inviting public competition and awarding a premium for the most suitable design and plans sent in."

The Chairman moved as an amendment that the plans and designs be pre- pared by the Public Works Department and submitted to a consulting architect in England for report and revision if desirable, but the amendment was not seconded.

Particulars and conditions of competition, which will be found in appendix B, were submitted by the Director of Public Works, adopted with some amend- ments, and forwarded for Your Excellency's consideration on the 15th May last.