CIVIL SERVICE CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 513, 21 May 1909, Page 7

CIVIL SERVICE CLUB.

.:•,.-. '.'. '..ANNUAL .BBPOIiT. • ,; ' -Tlid fifth jlnritial topott antl Baiaiico-sbeet,'6f the Civil; Service Club, ,tb be i>re?scjited at the hrmuid meeting .to-night,.states, that upon 'August''. 21 last, the., club entered into occupation of .thd handsdhie and Well-de9igndd pre-: raises, erected for, it upon a. site at the corner bf Stout and Ballanco Streets.' The number of members at the «hd of the 1 financial year was BSG; oonsisting of two life members; 279'ordihary flliti country rriemberSj hhd 105 ItbhbrSfy Members. ; Uur'lhg the year. 101.wdrti etebted, 33 tesighedj and.29 .weio"written off; thus shbwliug.a.iiet ihSrcaseftir the year'of 93 mehlbets. The largo number >pf resignations is mainly Id bo attributed td changes now taking place in tho Civil Service,'and to. the genotaf de>' pression through ; which tho. Dominion, is, pass* •Inj.. A large proportion of those written off :fdr hoh-paynient of subscriptions should, reatjy nave b'een written off Inst yeaf, but ,it iftis ■thought' that thd.-maiiy dttfabtibhs of tlio. netv premises ~would induce thbso -iil '-arrears to ;becomo, financial* .The- finances of the club are in a. sound and highly satisfactory .condition.' Notwithstandingthe.heavy drain:oh the funds; consequent, upon.'removal', to the hew premises, and the • fact that occupation whs entered' into at the commencement of the Slackest of the year, the year's, operations resulted in a 'profit, which, though not rtrcat, is nevertheless a matter for congratulation. Uhfortiiuately it.was. hot. fduhtl possible . 16'sefcHrd. a, tenant fbr ih*'old. premises, df ;vhich the club held a lease whidh expired' dii Ajlrll 30 last; Had the cliib not been liable .for this, rent, tho yeni's profit;, would ; have been',£loo greater. A large proportion of. the expenditure under, the head of "General Expenses" was entailed by the'removal to tho new club-hduse;' and is therefbro hbit-f eehfring. Thp revenue received from the bedrooms has hot been eb; great .as was anticipated, but .ah .improvement in this department is now being experience;!. The committee, when con-'l sidehhgi.the clubs prospects at the time, of taking'.dVei l the hew premises, flilly rfnticipated that thd, first year's working ivbllld result, iri a.loss.' From the fortgdihg it will bo seen that the financial outlodk for the ehsuiiig ■yfcar is,exceedingly brigktj especially .ithen- it; is remembered that the subscription is liow double,what it was' last year., During the year the library lias been freely patronised by members,: and over .300 books have beeh added to :the bataldgucr The.' many demands -.oh the funds.for-other,purposes prevented. A, lit get bipenditUre in. this department; Mttch'iiicinv vteniende is dahsed by the failure bf members to return books within the specified Mine, and if. thdre. is no improvement in this direction, it ' 'will be necessary to place more restrictions .upon'the removal of books frbm.tHe shelves. In conclusion tho committee regrets to record the loss by death of Mr. James M'Lean, who last ydtir was chairman of the committee.- .