BUILDING PROGRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1924, Page 6

BUILDING PROGRESS.

STATE FIRE OFFICE.

A HANDSOME STRUCTURE. OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY. The new State Fire Insurance building in New Plymouth was officially opened yesterday by the Hon. G. J. Anderson in the presence of a large attendance of the public. The cold wind necessitated an alteration in the programme and instead of the Minister formally opening the door of the new building, the ceremony was held in the spacious and well lit basement, where the guests were entertained to afternoon tea. The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) presided and associated with him at the head table, besides the Minister, were Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., Mr. J. 11. Jerram (general manager of the State Fire Office), Mr. T. S Ronaldson (member of the State Fire Board), Mr T. H. Bates (architect), and the Mayoress find Mrs Bates. Welcoming Mr. Anderson, the Mayor said that the Minister’s presence was specially welcome, a* it was in connection with the opening of the new building, which he thought he could safely sav was the most handsome that had yet been erected in New Plymouth. As citizens of the town they took pride in the fact that the department had sufficient confidence in the future of New Plymouth to spend the large amount of money represented by the building. Mr. Wilson then called on Mr. F. Whitaker, the representative >f the contractors (Messrs J. T. Julian and Sons, Hflf), to present the Minister with a key of the building as a memento of the occasion, Mr. Whitaker handing over the key amidst applause.

A PROSPEROUS BRANCH. After acknowledging the welcome anJ the key, Mr. Anderson said that on the previous day he had opened in Palmerston North a State Fire Office in which the department had invested a portion of its reserve funds and another portion was invested in the New Plymouth building. When a fire insurance company was started it had to have capital or reserves. The State Fire Office was started with borrowed capital of £2OOO, but to-day it had a very large sum of money. These reserves were being invested in buildings and in other ways, so that the funds might be kept secure and earn fair and satisfactory interest, thus placing the department i i a position to meet any great calamity in the way of fires that might come along. Continuing, Mr. Ahderson said that the New Plymouth branch of the department was the most prosperous outside of the city offices and a great part of the new building would l>e required for the accommodation of the branch staff. The architecture of the building in keeping with the progressiveness of New Plymouth. The wisdom of having good architecture could not be gainsaid. The more handsome buildings there were »n a town the more cultured would the people become. Mr. Anderson mentioned that, as at Palmerston North, the new building had been so designed that two more stories could -be added when required in the future, and he paid a tribute to the architect, the contraeto)*, and the foreman. The Mayor had said that the building added to the beauty of the town, and Mr. Anderson said he had been informed that the w ) r k had been carried out to the entire satisfaction of the department. Mr. Anderson closed his remarks with some references to the growth of the department and the policy of the Government with regard to accident insurance (reported elsewhere) and then formally declared the building open for business.

STRATFORD RAILWAY.

During tea a short toast list was honoured. Responding to the toast of Parliament, proposed by the Mayor. Mr. Smith made an appeal to the Government to favourably consider placing c-n the estimates a sufficient sum to carry on the Stratford-Main Trunk railway. Mr. Anderson also joined in the reply with some Parliamentary reminiscences.

Proposing the toast of the “State Fire Office,” Mr. P. E. Stainton (president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce) said the success if the office wa: due to the management and to the prosperity of New Zealand. He was phased to hear the Minister’s remarks concern ing the New Plymouth branch of the office, and he paid a tribute to the managers and other employees forming the staff of the office, particularly mentioning Mr. R. H. Newbold, late manager of the New Plymouth branch, who has been transferred to Auckland, and Mr. Jerram. who, as general manager of the department, carried the hall mark of success. Replyirfk, Mr. Jerram said the success of the department could not have been obtained without an enthusiastic staff. Other toasts honoured were “The Architects and Contractors.” proposed by Mr. Ronaldson, who said that Mr. Bates enjoyed not merely a (peal reputation but was well known in other parts of the Dominion by his work. The toast was responded to by Messrs Bates and Whitaker. “The Companies.” was proposed by Mr. Newbold and responded to by Mr. C. H. Wyatt, who congratulated the department on its success. The ceremony then terminated, many of the guests accepting the invitatio i to inspect the building.