Sessional_Paper_1898 — Page 78

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MR. CHATER'S PROPOSAL.

The scheme I now beg to propose for the future accommodation of the Govern- ment Offices is as follows:-

GENERAL SCHEME,

1. To adopt the recommendation of Messrs. ASTON WEBB and INGRESS BELL and to build the Law Courts and accessories, including Land Office, on Plot No. 2 i.e., the back and larger block in front of the City Hall.

2. To build on Plot No. 1, .e., the front Lot on the Praya Reclamation, a block of Offices, the Ground Floor being for Post Office, First Floor for Treasury, Assessor and Sanitary Board, and Second Floor for Public Works Department.

3. The existing Government Offices, St. John's Place, to be occupied on First Floor by the Colonial Secretary, Auditor, Council Chamber, &c. as at present, and the Ground Floor, now occupied by the Public Works Department, to be given. to the Registrar General's and Education Department.

4. A new Harbour Office to be built on the Praya Reclamation in front of the present Harbour Office, as recommended by the Director of Public Works.

5. My reasons for proposing a scheme differing somewhat from that recom- mended by the Director of Public Works are as follows:-

ADVANTAGES OF SCHEME.

6. The Post Office would be on the new Praya facing the Harbour and in the natural site for same, mails can be expeditiously and safely landed and des- patched at a wharf opposite the site, which is not usually used by launches and ferry boats, these going to the Ice House Street and Pedder Street Wharves.

7. The proposed site, and not the present position, of the Post Office will, in the course of a short time, be in the very centre of all the Banks, Insurance Offices and principal European and Indian merchants of the Colony, and these are by far the principal users of the Post and not the Chinese, who will in a few years entirely surround the present Post Office and Law Courts. The proposed site would be convenient for the Military and Navy, and also those frequenting the Law Courts and Land Office, who constantly require various description of stamps.

8. By placing the Treasury, Assessor, Sanitary Board and Public Works Department in the same building, communication, which is frequent between these Departments, is rendered easy and the transaction of public business greatly facilitated.

The Public Works Department will also have in the proposed new Offices ample light, which is very deficient in the present rooms.

9. It is very desirable that a building on the front block, facing the Harbour, should be at least three stories high or the building will be dwarfed by the adjoin- ing blocks on either side which are four stories.

10. By utilizing the Ground Floor of the Government Offices, St. John's Place, the Education and Registrar General's Departments, are brought to the same building as the Colonial Secretary's, which would be very convenient, as the two latter Offices are held by the same Officer.

FINANCIAL.

11. As regards the financial part of the question, I will take, as far as possi- ble, the figures given by the Director of Public Works, and it will be found that my proposed scheme is at, practically, the same cost as that of the Director of Public Works, while it centralizes all the Government Offices and provides new buildings in a good position in place of detached Offices and old buildings.

12.

Cost of new Law Courts, &c. on Plot No. 2 as esti-

mated by the Director of Public Works, ...$ 400,000 Cost of new Post Office and Treasury as esti-

mated by the Director of Public Works, In proportion to the above costs, allow for ad-

ditional storey to Post Office, say,............................... More handsome elevation on New Praya and more

expensive foundations, say,

200

150,000

40,000

50,000

Cost of new Harbour Office as estimated by the

Director of Public Works,

110,000

Total,

$ 750,000