THE TRADES HALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22657, 19 February 1937, Page 8

THE TRADES HALL

RENOVATION SCHEME BUILDING PROJECT DROPPED ALTERNATIVE TO COST £2500 Renovation of the present Trades Hall in Hobson Street, instead of facing the task of raising money necessary for the building of new premises elsewhere in the city, was decided upon at a meeting of trades union secretaries yesterday afternoon. This decision was announced by Mr. C. A. Watts, a member of the Trades Hall Trust. It is estimated that the work will cost about £2500. There were 14 secretaries present at the meeting, which lasted about two hours. Mr. Watts said that authority had been given the trustees to proceed with the renovations, in accordance with the plans prepared by an architect. The plans encompass a complete internal remodelling of the present building. All union offices will be located on the ground floor, and the large meeting hall on this floor will be taken up with office space. Mr. Watts said considerable alterations would have to be made to the second and third floors to provide sufficiently large spaces for meeting rooms. The architect's plan allowed for five such rooms on the second floor, while the third floor would be converted into one large hall. He believed the new arrangement would give union secretaries and their staffs much larger and more couvenient offices, and should remove much of the criticism. which had been expressed in the past.