MINISTERIAL HOUSES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27576, 5 February 1955, Page 8

MINISTERIAL HOUSES

TWO MORE BOUGHT IN WELLINGTON

THIRD PROPERTY UNDER CONSIDERATION (From Our Own Reporter) , WELLINGTON. February 4. To accommodate the families cf several new members of the Cabinet, ine Government has bought two houses in Wellington for use as Ministerial residences, and is considering (repurchase of two more. The newly-appointed Minister Assistant to the Prime Minister (Mr E. H. Halstead) will occupy a bungalow at one the most popular suburbs of Wellington. The house was wcupied by Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Saunders when he was Chief of the Air Staff from 1939 to 1941. Mr Halstead, whose home is in Auckland, has three children of school age. c-u e Pos tmaster-General (Mr T. P. Shand), with his wife and four childwil| move into the second new Ministerial house, in Upland road. Kelourn. which is within walking distance of Parliament Buildings. Mr Shand's wife, Dr. Claudia Shand, vjas previously in medical practice at Kaikoura, but she will not practise in Wellington. The Government is considering the purchase of a third additional Ministerial house for the use of the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr D. J. Eyre), who has three children of school age. The Government is also considering the purchase of a Ministerial residence for the Minister of External Affairs <Mr T. L. Macdonald). The Minister,

who has a grown-up family, has occupied a flat at Roseneath since his appointment to the Cabinet in 1949. I*

is considered, however, that his flat is not big enough for the considerable amount of obligatory entertaining that -» with his new portfolio, that Mr Macdonald's be taken over by the (Mr W. S. Gooshis wife, has lives hotel since