SOLDIERS' CLUB AND SOCIAL HALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1923, Page 2

SOLDIERS' CLUB AND SOCIAL HALL.

BUILDING FUND CAMPAIGN

The campaign to raise £I,OOO for the Soldiers Club to ho erected in Sewell Street was opened on Saturday—the first of the Soldier days for tho sale of gifts in Revcil Street. Airs Morgan of Hampden Street was in charge and tho cash realised for the day was £l4, which was considered a successful inaugura-

Rersonnl contributions to the amount of £ls were promised, and the Savings Bank lias voted £2 2s. The Gas Coy installed the gas in the shop premises, and is supplying the lighting free during the period of the campaign covered by the Soldier Saturdays. At< meeting of tiro Building Committee on Saturday night, the draft designs were submitted bv Mr A. Milson. who i-, supplying completed plans and specifications free of charge. Iwo designs for the front of the club room quarters were submitted. One is in wood of the bungalow type. Too other is a concrete design and more in keeping with the solidity of the adjoining Government building. The concrete design was favored mostly and will probably be adopted. It will present a very imposing front to the five rooms constituting the suite of club rooms, and will be a decided acquisition to the architecture of tho town.

This afternoon tho Building Committee meets the High School Board in reference to the demarcation of the building area. That determined, tlic clearing the section will be •ut ii hand. Any icturned men out of employment in search of work, i-ho-dd leave their names with Mr T. Kerr. Secretary. As soon as the section is ready, the shifting of the Supreme Hall will lie taken in hand. The Hall will he placed te the rear of the recti. n ; and will he enlarged by about l i t its size. Later the club rooms will he creeled in front of the social hall, It is hoped to have the Hall a y use all through the season, so as to continue revenue-earning.

Tlic raising of funds Iron i.o'v mi will result in the campaign iaiuiuiug more persistent. The Ladies Homey Flub will tender a fall to the fund on Empire night. The Hok’ti < ■Cricket dull- purposes organising a benefit. Assistance is expected if in the other sporting bodies of the town as the Club rooms are likely to become their centre once rooms are available for habitation.

Mis Stow of Revolt Street, lias offered her club room free, once weekly for any purpose to raise funds. This k’lid oiler will be availed oi this week r>.v holding a euchre tournament on Thursday night. Admission will he one shilling and tlic ladies will provide supper. There is a commodious room which will he arranged comfortably for patrons. Airs J. Brown lias offered a prize for gents, and Air Tennent, a prize for ladies. Messrs Yda and Cov.. have offered to pb ce a motor ear at tile disposal of the ladies organising the Soldier Saturdays for one- day a week, collecting gifts tor sale. Airs Benjamin will lie in charge of the next Soldier Saturday—April 28th.

An application is being forwarded to tiie .Minister of Internal Affairs fer permission to organise a monster art union. In connection with prizes an oiler of bicycles lias been made, and jjfit’tK of pictures or oilier works «>f :*it. including gold specimens will be acre) table. “MOTHER OF BLIGHTY” -MAKES AN APPEAL. Ali.-s Lily Butler, C.8.E.. the “A'lother of Blighty,” from London, speaking at a soldiers’ rally in the Wellington, Town Hall, was greeted with three cheers. She pleaded eloquently fer a soldiers’ club. She had a message from many soldiers who went down in tiie tight, to look alter their comrades. How could she do that better than by appealing for clubs in which war veterans could foregather, and invite their wives and sweethearts, the war workers, and tho women who nursed them in tiie field ? Soldiers were practical “over there”; let them I practical here and erect something in the nature of a club that would be a permanent practical utility for all time. In Australia, in the towns where there were no soldiers’ clubs, the Diggers had not the touch of gentility that was possessed by those who had the comradeship a <lul> gave them. She reminded them that, in tho southern towns, file soldiers summoned the Mayor to tiie soldiers’ club to give her a civic welcome. In Wellington, she had not yet been shown the Soldiers’ ( lull, (Laughter and applause). At the termination of her speech, Ali.-s Butler was presented with a bouquet, on behalf of the returned soldiers of AYelingtou. The meeting, which was attended by iOO returned men, resolved in favour of a soldiers i lull, and one citizen of Wellington, at once contributed .CI.COO towards tiie object for which about £30.000 will lie required.