The Globe. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1255, 27 March 1878, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1878.

A few days ago his Excellency the Governor performed the ceremony of opening the Auckland Working Men's Club. This institution appears to have started under the most favorable auspices. It was stated that the roll now includes 200 new subscribers aud a total of about 1000 j»e»jb»re, The building fe % very suitable oqo, ayd ie powfe>jto% aijd. cojavewe^tjy

Excellency on the occasion was appropriate, and seems to have met with a hearty response from the large audience present. Of course it was directed chiefly to the benefits which were likely to result from the establishment of the club. He began by dilating upon the advantages held out by New Zealand for working men. Its climato and soil gave a remunerative return to the agriculturalists, and its mineral resources wore yet but barely prospected. Wo possessed a Constitution, ho said, modelled on the Constitution of England, which most people admitted was the fairest and most liberal in the world. We had unlimited command of our resources, and if the laws under which we lived did not suit us we had full power to altor and amend them. There wove no real class difficulties here, which hindered or prevented the advancement of tho working man, "If you consider well," said lie, "tho history of those who are now rich and prosperous, what do yon find ? Why, they aro men who generally speaking—certainly in the first instances -have by the sweat of their brow, by their industry, their energy, and their talents, created wealth for themselves. * * * With these evidences before you, I need hardly toll you that what has been done by one man may bo done by another, provided this other follows tho right course." His Excellency thon went on to point out that there was one great and fatal social evil, which stood in the way of working men obtaining advancement the propensity to drink, and no greater benefit could be conferred upon him than to diminish and remove tho temptation to such indulgence. He believed working men's clubs wore calculated to work out this beneiif. The Governor, we think, laid hold of tho truo point when ho urged making the club as attractive as possible. It would have to compete with the public houses, aud in proportion as it successfully did so, would it prove beneficial to its members. In former articles we have urged the formation of a Working Mens Club in Chrlstchurch, and tho succssful launching of the Auckland undertaking should act as an incentive to a similar effort being made here. As the Marquis of Norman by pointed out, man is a gregarious animal; lie likes society, and naturally wishes for a certain amount of enjoyment and recreation. Those of our readers belonging to the labouring class, who possess attractive and comfortable homes, should bestir themselves on behalf of then less-fortunate neighbours. How many are there amongst us who are forced to seek for their enjoyment in the street or in the public-house. Living in lodgings, thoy have no real home, and so aro tempted to have recourse to tho attractions of the public-house. Although possessing perhaps no taste for drinking, they are thus encouraged in tho habit. A properly conducted club would remove ail such inducements. There would be no necessity, as his Excellency put it, to call for something to drink, not because they did not want to drink, but for the good of the house. Jtesidos, membership of such, an institution would be a guarantee of respectability. Anyone using the rooms would feel a certain constraint placed upon him, for excessive drinking would be discouraged. Were clubs, conducted upon such principles, established in all the chief cities of the colony, they would have a most beneficial effect upon tho toad of the whole population. Apart altogether from the beneficial moral effect of such institutions, we urged their establishment on much lower grounds also—the convenience and comfort they would be to their members. Although we do not agree with those who hold tliat selfishness is the one great moving spring of human action, we admit that it is a very powerful one. Apart therefore altogether from its philanthropic aspect, there are other reasons sufficient to induce those who can afford it, to take action. Even those who have every home comfort they wish, would enjoy an .evening in a wellconducted club. They mry properly have sorioua objections to haunting, even at rare intervals, the bar parlour of * public-house, and so deprive themselves of the benefits which contact with their fellows brings. Thoy prefer doing withr out the esshjlerating effect of intellectual intercourse with others, when by so doing they are placing themselves within the reach of temptation, and laying their conduct open to miseonstructiim.