DOOR TO "SOCIAL SECURITY."

Otaki Mail, 29 March 1939, Page 4

DOOR TO "SOCIAL SECURITY."

THE PRIME MINISTER TURNS THE KEY. "AN HISTORIC EVENT" WELLINGTON, Mar. 27. "This marks what I hope will be an historic event in the development of the greatest piece of social legislation the world has yet seen," said the Prime .Minister, Kt. Hon. -M. J. .Savage, who was the principal speaker at the official opening of the .Social Security building in Aotea Quay this afternoon. "We had some difficulty in establishing ourselves in these very fine premises," added .Mr. .Savage, "but we are here and that's the main thing. "When the Aitken .Street building was destroyed by lire there were people who said 'they are gone now in any case.' Well, we are not gone. We are here, 1 repeat, and we are going on." Addresses were also given by the Minister of Health (Eon. P. Eraser.), the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash), the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), the Member of Parliament for the district (Mr. C. H. Chapman), the Government architect (Mr. Main, and Mr. James Fletcher on behalf of the contractors. Among the guests, who numbered several hundred, were Sir Harry Batterbee (High Commissioner for Great Britain; and Lady Batterbee. The Prime Minister formally turned the key in the front door at 3 o'clock and briefly declared the building open. Mr. Savage and Ministerial party, followed by the guests, inspected the building from top to ground floor. Afternoon tea was served in the c-afa-tcria, where speeches were given. An apology for absence was received from the Minister in Charge of Pensions (Hon. W. E. Parry,..

At the conclusion of the ceremony Mr. Fletcher, on behalf of himself ar.d his co-directors, presented the Prime Minister with a model of the building in the form of an inkwell stand mounted on a marble base. Mr. Savage, in returning thanks, said he was confident that generations to come would bless the name of Mr. James Fletcher and everyone associated with him in the erection of the building.