SAILORS' HOME.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19970, 3 July 1930, Page 11

SAILORS' HOME.

PROPOSAL TO CLOSE IT. HARBOUR BOARD'S DECISION. Built away back in 1883, when tho tall masts of stately sailing ships used to bo seen against tho sky-line of Lyttolton Harbour, the old Sailors' Homo is to bo closed, provided that tho sanction of tho Minister for Marine is forthcoming, and the building and property on which it stands vested in tho Lyttelton Harbour Board, as in the opinion oi that body, it has now outlived its usefulness. In a report read to the Board at its mooting yesterday, it was announced that the Minister for Lands (Hon. E. A. Hansom; had indicated that, without naming any special terms at this stage, there should Oe no difficulty in securing the legislation necessary, but it was thought that some publicity should bo given before duality was reached. In tho course of a comprehensive report placed belore the Board, it was shown that tho debit balance for tho nine months, ending Juno 30th. waa £B6 Us sd. Tho homo, the report stated, was originally provided by the Board in 1883 as a home or boardinghouse for seamen in the days of small pay and sailing ships. The annual loss to the Board, over many years, had boon a heavy one and the number of seamen using it had steadily decreased with tho advent of steam and motor vessels, and the changes in transport generally. After careful consideration the committee concluded that the home had outlived its usefulness and should bo closed. Tho position as it stood to-day was that, under a deed of conveyance in trust to the Board of the site on which the home stands, the land would revert to the Crown if the site were not used for a sailors' home. In 1883, when tho building was erected, the total cost was £3855, to which the Government contributed £SOO, the public £1147, and the Board £1928 or pound for pound. Today the building . and equipment are valued at £4586. The closing of the home or a change m its purposes which might necessitate the surrender of the building with the site, to the Crown, was evidently not contemplated or provided tor, added the report, when the deed of conveyance in trust was executed. The Government, having indicated that it did not desire to talje over the building a» a valuation, the Board instructed the chairman and the secretary to find out on what terms the title could be conreyed to them. In putting their case before the Minister, they jointed out

that the original equity of tho Government and of tho public in fclio Homo, somo £1927, had more than disappeared in the accumulated annual grants and losses borno by the Board in conducting the institution, the total sum of which amounted to over £6OOO. Tho chairman (Mr H Holland, M.P.) said the idea of the Government in suggesting that tho matter be given publicity before finally making a decij sion was that those of the public who j had subscribed towards the institution should know tho exact position and tho relation, of tho Board towards it 3 Tho recommendation of tho commits - too to closo tho home was adopted. i Tho Sailors' Homo was opened on De--3 cember st'h, 1883. It was five years earl--3 ier, however, in 1878, that tho project was first mooted. In that year the Lytl telton Harbour Board asked tho Government to vest in the Board a site for ' a Sailors' Home. In 1881 a trust deed vesting the present site in the Board I was executed and in December of that ' year a Sailors' Home Committee was I appointed. The tender of Messrs Sollott and Comber for the erection of the building at a contract price of £2460 was accepted, and the foundation stone was laid in 1882 by the Mayor of Lyttelton. In 1894 tho Sailor's Rest, a forerunner of the present Seamen's Institute, was in financial difficulties and was taken over by the Board, a room | being added to the Sailors' Home at the east side of tho building. In 1913 the home was enlarged by tho addition of ten rooms The first superintendent of tho Sailors' Home was Captain Owen. and he was succeeded ill turn by Messr? Sargeant, Stevens, and Paterson, Mrs Paterson, and the present sup<""i"tendaufc, Mr E. R. Hopwood.