THE WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5172, 19 October 1877, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

A largely attended meeting of-the Wellington Working Men’s Club was held on the Bth October, at the Wellington Fire Brigade Hall, Manners-street. Mr. Galvin, president of the club, occupied the chair. Amongst those present were Sir John Richardson, Speaker of the Legislative Council; Mr, Maitland, Commissioner of Waste Lauds, Otago; His Worship the Mayor,, and Mr. Quick, solicitor. - Sir John Richardson stated to the chairman that' Sir William Fitzherbert had been speaking to him a short time before coming to the meeting, and wished him to say that it would have afforded him (Sir William) much pleasure to be present, had his parliamentary duties permitted him to do so. The Mayor stated that he had been speaking to the Governor lately on various topics, and among them was that of the Working Men’s Club, and his Excellency had informed him that whenever the -club decided upon building or leasing larger premises, he would he happy to assist them. The Mayor expressed his pleasure at the progress the dub was making, and said he felt convinced that there were enough working -men in Wellington to make the club a thorough success, and to enable it to be self-supporting. The progress report showed a very satisfactory state of things. There were 2 life members, 90 honorary members, and 125 ordinary members on the books, besides which there were about 20 mm e proposed, but who had not as yet paid their entrance fee. The receipts up to the end of tlie quarter had been about £225, and the expenditure about £246. The assets (uot including hooka or perishable materials) amount to about £l2O, and the liabilities to about £3O. Messrs. Watson and Eraser were appointed auditors; and a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. Anderson, Broadribb, W. Claridge, Jones, and O’Neagle, was appointed to co-operate with the general committee in making arrangements for a,concert and soiree, to be held on the Prince of Wales birthday, or some other day, if deemed more suitable by the committee. Votes of thanks were passed to the committee, trustees, and chairman. In acknowledging the compliment the chairman desired to return thanks to the members for the cordial manner in which they supported the 'committee, and he spoke highly of the manner in which the finance committee performed their duties. He also desired to say that the Mayor deserved their best thanks, and he was all the better able to mention the fact now that his Worship had left the room. From the first moment up to the present he had given them kindly ad vice and assistance, and some measure of their success was, he thought, due to Mr. H utchisou, and the leading citizens of Wellington, who had almost without exception given every assistance and encouragement to the movement. He also desired to thank the proprietors of the various newspapers in this colony for the way in which they enabled the committee to supply a great want. As the progress report set forth, .they could see that nearly all the leading papers in the colony were forwarded to the club, besides a large number of Home and intercolonial papers as well. The thanks of the members were also -due in a large measure to the gentlemen connected with the Press in Wellington, who had rendered great assistance to the movement. PROGRESS REPORT. In laying before you a progress report of what has been done during the past quarter, your committee have to congratulate you on tho steady progress which the club has made. As you are aware, the beginning was very small. When it was decided to take premises and open the club, the number of members who had paid their entrance fee did not exceed 25 or 30. At the present time we have on the members' roll 2 life members, 90 honorary members, and 125 ordinary members, which distinctly shows the hold which the institution has taken on the public mind. It is a source of pleasure to be able to note' that other places, such as Masterton and Napier, have taken courage by the example which Wellington has set them, and that in both places the success of the respective clubs is already assured; and your committee have little doubt that when the benefits to be derived from such institutions become more fully known, nnd the educational and social advantages which they will tend to cultivate become better appreciated, similar institutions will be found in every town in the colony. In saying this, hon ever, it must not be forgotten that Dunedin took the lead in this matter ; and the members of the club which was established there some two years ago have conclusively proved, by their large roll of members and the extensive premises which they have lately built, that institutions such as ours can be made financial successes.

The receipts for the past quarter have been as follows :—Life members, £2l ; honorary members, £lOl 17-si; ordinary members, subscription, £l3 135.; entrance fees, £3O ; bar receipts, £SB. There have been about twenty other ordinary members proposed, who have not as yet paid their entrance fee ; but we expect that the majority of them will pay up in a short time.

The expenditure, including furniture and fittings and the supplies for the bar, amounted to about £246. •■■■-'

The assets of the club (not including hooks or any perishable materials) amount to about £l2O, and the lia 1 llilies to abopt £3O. The committee desire to thank the leading citizens of Wellington for the assistance and encouragement which, almost without exception, they have given them in their endeavors to establish the club on a sound basis ; and should the club not succeed—a contingency which they think very far remote—the fact will certainly be due more to the classes for whose benefit the club was established than to the gentlemen whom we desire to thank. The best thanks of the committee are also due to those gentlemen who have assisted them in laying the foundation for a library. The club has now about 150 volumes of books, besides a large number of copies of the Athenamn and London Spectator, presented by the Hon. Mr. Mantell, as well as a quantity of books. Through the kindness of the same gentleman, the committee have received from the Colonial Museum a number of reports and catalogues, and also a geological map of the colony. Copies of Parliamentary reports and papers and Hansard are regularly received, for which the committee desire to thank Mr. Geo. Didabury, Government Printer. The following papers are regularly received at the club ;—Evening Argus (3 copies), Evening Post ( 3 copies), New Zealand Times (3 copies), th» Canterbury Press, the Wanganui Chronicle, the Nelson Daily Times, the Hawke's Bay Herald, the Masterton News Letter, the Grey mouth Weekly Argus, the New Zealand Sun, the Saturday Advertiser, the Marlborough Express, the Australasian, the Australasian Sketcher, the Illustrated New Zealand Herald, the Home News, the European Mail, Reynolds’ Newspaper, and the Penny Illustrated Paper. The Scientific American, and the English Mechanic have been ordered, and will be soon available. Besides, a largo : number of Home papers are regularly presented by members of the club, so that it cannot be said there is any lack of reading matter for the members. As

the number of members increases, the committee (or their successors) will be able to. adil high-class papers, such as the Graphic, the Illustrated London News , and the London Times, rtUrl will also be able to make 1 large additions to the library ; but at present the committee desire to keep strictly within their probable income. Since t e club has been opened the committee have been able to, make an addition of a bagatelle table, and as soon as our present lease is up, and larger premises are procured, the committee trust that they will have the pleasure af seeing the club in possession of a first-class billiard table.

• A debating society has recently been formed in connection with the club, from which sectarian subjects are excluded, so as to make its debates open to persons of every creed. It holds its meetings every Tuesday evening, and we have no doubt that it will prove of great advautage in developing the minds of many of our members.

The committee have set apart the room formerly used as a committee room for the purpose of quiet games of chess, draughts, whist, &c. A suggestion book, visitors’ book, and a catalogue of the library are always to be found on the tables. The committee will be only too glad at all times to take note of any suggestions by members of the club ; and all complaints, if handed in in writing (as specified in the rules) will receive careful consideration. The committee are glad to be able to state that the writing materials, which are always obtainable, have been largely availed of. From a temperance point of view the club is every day proving itself a success. The average 1 takings at the bar (including coffee, cocoa, sandwiches, &c.) do not exceed Is. per head per week for ordinary members. This fact ought, we think, to convince soma of our temperance friends who were distrustful of the social success of the club in consequence of intoxicating drinks being allowed, that the cause of temperance is not weakened, but materially strengthened, by the establishment of the club; and the committee are glad to state that a good many total abstainers are members of the club.

The committee decided, for the better government of the club, to divide themselves into a house committee and a finance committee. The duties of the former are to see that nothing is wanting in the club; and the duties of the latter are to examine all accounts, and recommend them for payment to the general committee, and also to examine the treasurer’s, secretary’s, and steward’s books. In concluding their report, the committee desire te express their grateful sense of the assistance which the gentlemen connected with the Press have given to the movement, and to the proprietors of the various papers in the colony for the way in which they have sent their papers to the club, thus enabling the committee to supply a great want, which otherwise they would not have been able to do for some time to come. The committee also return their thanks to the members for the assistance which they have rendered them, and for the way in whicji they have adhered to the rules and by-laws of the club.