THE WORKING MEN'S CLUB.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3044, 29 March 1881, Page 3

THE WORKING MEN'S CLUB.

I :Rhe seventh half-yearly general meefV ing of the Napier Working Mens *Club was held last evening in the Club Hall. Mr 11. C. Wundram, the President of the Club, occupied the chair. committee's report. The following report from the committee was read: — In presenting the seventh half-yearly report of tho Working Men's Club your committee havo great pleasure in being able to speak favorably both of the past progress of the club and of its future prospects. [Financially, it will be seen by the balancesheet, there is good reason to feel secure, our credit balance being larger than at any previous half-year. The balance-sheet shows a credit of £379 18s, which together with the bagatelle room and skittle-alley will give £480 19s, to the credit of the club, being an increase of £43 over the last half-year. The only matter for regret in this connection is the actual loss of a sum of £13 4s, being £8 4s for rent clue by Mr Flood and £5 paid for rates on Mr Thomas's house. Tbere are at present 125 working members, 12 honorary members, and 8 life members. Among other things done by your committee might desirable improvement'to tbeTi-ont of "TEo club premises. A new fence has been erected and painted, and a large part of the section has been filled in and levelled. The value of the filling in cannot be less than £250, and the thanks of the members are due to Messrs Chicken, Spence, Waterworth, and Stevens, who contributed greatly to the successful carrying out of tho improvement. The bagatelle-table ancl skittle-alley having been freely patronised during tho past half-year have now more than paid for th oncost. Part of the money accruing from these games has been expended on the filling in of the premises. The bagatelle-table and skittle-alley are now the ho*a fide property of tho club, and are together valued at upwards of £100. Much praise is due to your enterprising steward, who was mainly instrumental in introducing tho above games to the club. Your committee would observe here that their confidence in tho steward and stewardess of the club remains unabated.

In conclusion your committee desire to remind yon that in a few months the financial affairs of the club will to some extont require re-arrangement. The mortgage upon the premises for the sum of £400, at 10 per cent, interest, held by Mr Burgess, flails due on November next. There is a sum of £160 out in debentures, also bearing 10 per cent, interest ancl there is a mortgage of £150 held by Mr Heron, at 2\ per cent. Your committee would respectfully suggest to their successors tho desirability of consolidating those several claims upon the property, and of placing tho total sum with ono creditor, raising at the same time a further sum of £200 if possible. The first step in this direction would bo to redeem Mr Heron's mortgage. Its present value (£l5O at 2,\ per cent, for 8. years) would be about £120, which with tho debentures to the amount of £160 and tho original mortgage would make the club's present indebtedness £680. Your corn-

mittce would suggest that this sum be increased to say ,-CS.IO, which would leave £170 to be expended in erecting and fitting a billiard-mom, an investment which must prove remunerative and afford an additional attraction to the now popular and to ho more successful Napier Working Men's Club. BALANCE-SHEET. The balance-sheet showed receipts amounting to £450 8s 3d, including £14 16s 7d balance at bank last audit; £31 15s contributions aud entrance fees from members; £14 Is Gd for rent of ball, and £383 7s 8d for refreshments. The expenditure amounted to £438 5s Gd, of which the principal items were £250 8s 2d for refreshments, £60 steward's salary, £27 gas and fuel, and £37 15s for interest. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Mr Wootten was unanimously elected President. The following members were elected as committeemen : — Messrs Hodgson, Williams, Wundram, Gillespie, White, Parker, Bear, Kemsley, Waterworth, and Foster. Mr F. W. Bear was elected treasurer, and Messrs F. Bee and F. Garner were re-elected auditors. . BILLIARD TABLE. The committee were empowered to purchase a billiard table from Messrs Burrougbes and Waft on the terms proposed by them, namely, £70, exclusive of freight, &c, on credit for one year bearing interest at five per cent. Mr Hodgson estimated the cost of the tabic and room at £120. VOTES OF TfIANKS, Cordial votes of thanks to the retiring officers terminated the proceedings.