SALVATION ARMY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 58, 6 September 1926, Page 5

SALVATION ARMY

NEW HEADQUARTERS

FORMAL OPENING OF BUILDING.

The formal opening of the new Dominion headquarters building of the Salvation Army, in Cuba street, took place ou Saturday afternoon, in the presence of a large gathering of the general public and of members of the Salvation Army. The building is a handsome three-story structure of reinforced concrete, and is earthquake resisting. It has a frontage of 50 feet, a depth of 138 feet on the basement floor, and a depth of 72 feet on the first and second floors. The floor space is 8000 square feet. The three floors are divided into various offices for the use of' the different departments of the headquarters staff. The structure has been bo built that a fourth story can be added, when required, and Colonel Knott, chief secretary, is of opinion that the need for the additional story has arisen already. The cost of the land and the building, apart from fittings and furnishing, was £25,000. The sum of £15,300 has already been raised toward the total cost. The architects were Messrs. Gray Young, Morton, and Young. The opening ceremony was divided into four distinct functions, namely (1) the turning of the key and opening of the front door by Commissioner Hoggard; (2) the unfurling of the flag by Mrs. Hoggard; (3) the unveiling of the tablet, at the top of the main stairway, commemorating the opening ceremony by Commissioner Hoggard; and (.) the holding of the dedicatory service. In his address at the dedicatory service, Cojonel Knott, chief Secretary, read an apology from the Mayor for his absence, owing to being away from the city. The Mayor expressed his admiration for the great and noble work of the Salvation Army, and said he recognised that the completion of the new headquarters building, which would replace the present scattered offices in the city, would facilitate the work of the organisation. Mrs. Commissioner Hoggard, after stressing the need for a new headquarters building, remarked that the occasion was a great -one in the history of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, and in its work for the uplift of fallen humanity. Commissioner Hoggard said his first feeling was one of gratitude to God, Who had made it possible for the New Zealand division of the Salvation Army to have such a magnificent headquarters building. His wish had been that in a sense it should be regarded as a memorial to the early settlers—the pioneers who had left such a fine heritage to their successors. After acknowledging the good work of the collectors, the Commissioner mentioned, amidst applause, that he had that day received a cheque for £1000 from a lady benefactor, who, in her accompanying letter, apologised for the amount being bo small. The speaker remarked that just before he left South Africa to come to New Zealand the Salvation Army decided to erect a shelter in Pietermaritzburg. The municipal council invited him to meet them, and one councillor after alluding to the rescue and humanitarian work of tho Army, remarked, "God help us; none of us kn6w what we are coming to!" and added that the council had decided to donate £1000 towards the shelter building. In view of the wide activities of the Army and the pressure upon its funds for various purposes, it was wonderful to think that so much money had been subscribed toward the headquarters building in the Capital City of the Dominion. He mentioned that the sum of £120,000 a year had been raised for the social activities and other branches of the organisation. Congratulatory remarks were made by Mr. W. Gray Young, architect of the building, and Colonel Clark, international auditor, London. Appropriate hymns were sung, and prayer was offered at the dedicatory service. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the< visitors inspected the building.