THE WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5096, 24 July 1877, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

The inauguration of the above club took place last evening; It is scarcely two months since the first-preliminary meeting,; consisting of some seven or eight persona, was held at an hotel in Te Aro. Soon after wards; a' meeting was advertised at the Foresters’ Hall, : when a preliminary committee was appointed for the purpose of obtaining and revising the rules of the Dunedin Working Men’s Club, arid generally to report at a future meeting. The committee then appointed lost no time in obtaining the Dunedin rules, and after carefully revising them, they called a meeting at the Odd Fellows’ Hall, for the purpose of confirming the rules, electing permanent officers, and securing premises for the club. Suitable ‘ premises, they reported, were to be had in Taranaki-piaoe ;' • but it was found - that no room in the building was Capable of being converted to 1 the purpose of a billiard-rooin, Which the committee was very desirous of having in connection with the club. There were other preriiises in view, which the committee thought would be more, suitable. The matter was left in the hands of the'permanent' committee ; and after an inspection the same obstacle presented itself no room could be found capable of-holdiug a billiard-table;’ The committee therefore decided on taldrig the building which first met -With favorable con-. sideration. It is entirely new, and the : club are the first occupants: In the basement story there is a shop, which the committee, have converted into li readihg-rpora, capable of holding about thirty to forty people. , There are also a kitchen and- bedroom, which are marked “ private,” and are reserved for the pse ( of the steward and stewardess. Outside the kitchen there is a small lavatory, which has been, very comfortably fitted up. There are three basin-stands, two towel-racks, and a shelf for blacking-brushes in this tiny compartment. Upstairs stands the club-room, another'read-ing-room, and a small room', which is intended for the use . of the committee and for keeping stores. The club-room 1 will Comfortably seat about thirty -persons. ' In it is situated the bar, 1 which is very comfortably arid .tidily fitted up; the object 'being to secure as rimch room for the members as possible, There are two round arid two square tables in this room,: with a sufficient quantity of chairs. Here it is intended that a member, should he feel so disposed, shall smoke his pipe, talk on the topics of the day, sip Iris 'tea, coffee, beer, wine, or whatever his fancy may incline to. In this room chess, draughts, cards, ,and dorriinoes are provided for the use of (lie members; ; Tfie reading-room upstairs will, contain, about twenty'pepplo; arid here will be. found any papers which the club can procure, as well as copies of the local ones, which will be found in every room. No conversation or sriiokirig will be permitted in this room. Writing materials are also provided, and,a table.specially sot apart for the purpose. Overhead the correspondence-table shelves * are erected for the purpose of keeping any. books which the club may from time' to time piricure. There are already 25 volumes on the shelves, pre-

hented" to” the iclub■ by Mr. E. Berber. The! Mayor, htf.‘' Jackson, and other gentlemen! have also promised contributions for this very! .pbjeot j jand ;the: committee hope, in' the 1 course or a short: time,(by means of lec-| tures and concerts, the.proceeds of. which theyj intend •toi .deypte/Solejy towards.; purchasing! pooks,—to place 300, or 400 ..volumes..on the; shelves. J!he" premises are;,taken,for a period, of six months.. jShck'ld the member roll justify! the committee at the,,end! of that, peried ini taking more commodious premise;., they intend doing- no. : 'At present there are about 80: ordinary ! members, and 35, to ,10 honorary! members, in the club. His thel Governor has become patron, and in his letter ; accepting th’e position .his Excellency said he i was only too : haj)py in identifying hhirnself with; a movement which he. 1 had no, doubt would] tend'to elevate tile Working classes of Wel-1 UngtOn. : The government of the club is vested in a president, treasurer, trustees (two), aud 1 five members of committee, the. secretary being a paid officer. 1 ‘ At'the Opening of the club about thirty to ; forty, persons were present, the. room presenting! 'a comfortable appearance. - Invitations, were , issued to his Worship the Mayor, the members : foi; the city, and a few other gentlemen. , It: was 1 intended that the'Mayor should take the i chair on, the occasion, but in his absence,; Mr. : Galvin, the president of, the club, opened the ! proceedings. In doing ' so he. read letters I of apology from the ; Mayor, G. Hunter,: M.H.R., aud W. T. L. _Travera, Esq., M.H.R. The Mayor , said it would 1 have afforded him much pleasure to be present, but he !was prevented in consequence of the citizens’ iheeting re the Te Aro reclamation. Mr. Hunter was unable to attend,'as he had to be jpresent at a meeting of the stewards of,, the Wellington Jockey/Club that evening, and Mr. Travers was. : compelled to be abseut iu consequence of press of business. The Chairman then called on all present to charge, their, glasses, and gave the toast of “ The Queen and Eoyal Family.”

The next toast was , “ The. Governor.” In proposing; it the .Chairman said it was unnecessary to enlarge on the good .qualities of the Governor, as they., were well known. He, had .become the : patron' of the club,' and he had no , doubt they would all appreciate the kindly and grapjous letter which-his Excellency had sent to the club in accepting that, position.'/.. -The toast of .“The Parliament of New Zealand”; then followed, the Chairman . stating that he regretted the city members were unable to be present that evening. ;■ -

The next toast on the list was •“ Success to the Wellington - Men’s Club.” Ini proposing the toast of the evening, the 1 Chairman said that he regretted very much his Worship the Mayor was unable to occupy the position of chairman that evening.; He felt he Was in a position where he ought not to be, and where he would much rather not be. It was unfortunate that the committee were not aware of. the citizens’ meeting until after they had issued the invitations ; but as the duty of chairman devolved upon him that evening, he would endeavor as well as he could to tell them the progress the committee had made. The rooms, as they were filled up, they could all see, and judge for themselves. He calculated that about £IOO had been spent iin furnishing the club as they then saw it, I although they could perceive that the furnishing was not in any way I luxurious. He had no doubt of the success of the club, from the favorable manner in which the idea had been taken up by all classes. He said that the deputation appointed by the committee to canvass for ordinary members had received not alone words of encouragement from'the leading citizens, but generous promises 1 of support as well. He hoped that the club would yet become,/an 1 educational institution as well as a: social means of intercourse for the working classes; and he trusted that next winter, or at some-not far distant period at all events, they would be able to establish a night school for members and the children of members. He asked tbit every member would take a deep interest in all that concerned the welfare of the club, just as if it was his own home. Without the moral support of the members, all the efforts of the committee would not avail-much. He trusted that, whilst a man could have a glass of anything he required, they-would; one and all; set their faces against anything in the shape of drunkenness, unoleanliness, or obscene " language. If any; one of • these evils were permitted, he felt • sure the , germs / of- corruption would set in ; but if,, the members generally aided the committee ,in carrying out rules, and such by-lavs ■ as they might from time to time think it necessary to make, he was confident the;club would go on and prosper, and preve a blessing to the working classes of Wellington, and. would tend to ele- , vate them intellectually, socially, and morally,. i and would leave its name connected with the future history of the city. ;He hardly thought ■ the Good Templars avere acting .fairly ; he thought they had better leave, the club j field to them, and go in for,, a free 'public library in some* convenient part of the city. Still there o 'need be 'no cause fof jealousy; there was room’enough forall ; and he had not been an officer of : that club, he thought, he. would have been very much inclined to be ' a member of both : clubs. He for one would not encourage anything in the shape of jealousy or/hostility between the two clubs ; but he trusted that gopd fellowship would prevail, not alone between the clubs of this city, but between the members of every club in the colony. The next toast was “ The Press,” which was ;drunk with three-times-three, and suitably re-; sponded to. Mr. J. A. Capped proposed the toast of |“ Kindred Clubs,” which was responded to by ■Mr. .Jennings in an appropriate speech, in ,which he detailed the rise and progress of the Dunedin Club, of which ho had been a member until quite recently. ,

Then followed the toasts of “The Promoters,” “The Chairman,” and “The Steward and Stewardess,” which were-all suitably responded to.. ...

! The proceedings were enlivened by singing and recitations, and altogether a very agreeable evening was-; spent. ; (Before the close of the meeting,-the Chairman announced that it was his duty to formally declare the club open; and he again asked the earnest co-operation of every member of the club iu seeing that the rules were properly carried out. It would be necessary, he said, fop members requiring refreshments to produce their tickets for some time, until the caterer was well acquainted with them all. This was Accessary,' he said,-so as to ensure that everything they did was within the law ; and he knew that; none of them were anxious to do anything which might be considered in the least contrary to law. The Club was open to every person, 1 whether laborer, tradesman, shopman, clerk, civil servant, business or professional man, and their, assistants. , It was established bn the' broadest possible basis, and bo 1 had ho doubt, if properly conducted, it would receive the hearty support of all classes, i The proceedings were brought to a close about half-past ten o! clock. . : , > 1

and of coffeeusecond/dnlyCini appearance andi flavor to the itruei3locha,' :l There is an enlightened Government and perfect security to: and ['property, i’ throughout ', the - islands.; Education and , the>.indigo plant overrun- the jgroup, ,atid be had-for nearly nothing by | those who choose to utilise those ‘ advantages,-'