NEW BUILDING PROPOSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 293, 11 December 1925, Page 10

NEW BUILDING PROPOSED.

FOR WAR VETERANS,

At the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Patriotic Association yesterday mention was made of a proposal to rebuild the Auckland Veterans' Home in concrete, the new building to be endowed for veterans of the New Zealand, Boer and Great Wars.

The president. Sir James Gunson, stated that a letter had been forwarded to the National War Funds Council drawing attention to the present state of the wooden building, and the great risk of fire. The association had asked whether the War Funds Council, the other patriotic societies of the Dominion and the trustees of the canteen funds would subscribe £75,000 towards the cost of a new building, the Auckland Patriotic Association to contribute £25,000. If a larger building were not available the association might be forced to confine applications to those men for whom it had local responsibility.

The War Funds Council replied stating that the matter would be considered at a meeting to be held in Wellington early next year. Mr. W. B. Leyland, as well as other members, considered that the present wooden building was quite unsafe. Mr. H. Horton agreed with this, but mentioned that nearly every nursin<* home and private hospital in Auckland was in the same condition. He deprecated the idea of any large building at present and wondered whether accommodation costing £100,000 was needed. There were only 21 veterans in the home at present, although there was accommodation for twice that number. Mr. Horton favoured the building of a new home in sections.

The treasurer, Mr. A. S. Bankart. said that there was no desire to commit the executive to any particular sum. However, he thought that Sir James Gunson, the association's representative on the War Funds Council, should go to the meeting with the understanding that the executive was behind him for a substantial amount. The proposal was simply one to conserve funds for the probable needs of the home.