WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5449, 13 September 1878, Page 3

WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

The first annual meeting of the Wellington Working Men's Club was held on August 26 in the clubroom, Manneis-street. The President, Mr. Galvin, occupied the chair. The meeting was well attended. The minutes of the previous meeting were, read and confirmed. REPORT. ■ The Secretary then read the following report : In laying before you their first yearly report, your committee have once again to congratulate you on the steady progress which has been made by the club. Up to the end of our financial year.' ending June 30th, there were on the books of the institution 314prdiuary members, of which 106 new members were admitted during the 1 *st six months, thus showii-g the steady progress which has beeiujoing on. Your committee regret, however, to state that out of the total number no less than 72 members were in arrear beyond the time prescribed by the rules, very few of whom have paid up to the present time. This is a very serious matter, as printed circulars were sent by the secretary to every member in arrear; and your committee trust that this matter will receive the careful attention of every member of the club, and especially of the members of the new committee. Th-re were also two life members, and 101 honorary members, which fact must be taken as an indication of good-will from the employers of labor and well-to-do citizens'of the city towards the club. From the end of the financial year to the present time, your committee have to state that the number of ordinary members has increased by 57, the life members by one, in the person of George Hunter, Esq., ‘Wellington ; and the honorary members by four. Your committee have also decided upon tendering to'Miss M. J. Park, of Dunedin, a , life membership in the club, in consideration of her very handsome present to the club of an oil painting of Sir Julius Yogel, and for which gift the committee begto tender to Miss Parle their warmest thanks, and also desire toexpress their bent wishes for her success. The committee would also desire to thank all those who have contributed to the library. By the aid of a donation from Mr. W. T. L, Travers, they have been enabled to add Dickens* works to those already in *hand : and there has just recently been sent a very valuable collection by Mr. J. W. A. Marchant. By the aid of some popular amusements, in the shape of concerts, lectures, &c., the committee hope that during the next twelve months the library will receive a large addition. Donations of pictures have also been received from Mr. A. Jack and Mr. Boscawen ; for all of which the committee desire to express their grateful acknowledgments. As most of *ou are no doubt aware, the committee made efforts to'get the Market Hall Reserve from the Corporation, but were not successful. Negotiations were then commenced with- Messrs. Eddie and Jack, which resulted in the taking of the present premises for a period of seven years, at a rental of £6 per week, with tlio right of renewal at the end of that time, subject to the rise or fall in the value of property. With regard to the furnishing, the president and treasurer waited on the club's banker to* secure an overdraft; but that gentleman declined to treat with the club as a body, but stated that bo was quite willing to treat with the trustees. These gentlemen at once consented to give the necessary guarantee, and so enabled your committee to go into the open market, - which otherwise they would be unable to do.' Your committee would hero beg to tender their sincere thanks to Messrs. Hutchison and Brown for their cordial and generous assistance, as well as advice, whenever they deemed it their du'y to consult with them; and also to the solicitor of the club, Mr. Quick, who has been untiring in his efforts to get the club properly registered as a friendly society, but is at the same lime endeavoring to secure that en‘ 1 withoutputtlng the club to the same trouble as friendly benefit societies, as the precautions deemed necessary for the proper government of those societies are not necessary for an institution like ours, which Is more of a social and educational than a benefit one. Your committee trust that the Hon. the Attorney-General will introduce a short clause or two Into the Friendly Societies' Act of last session, which would enable working men's clubs to bo registered without having to go through the same formulre as benefit societies. You are all aware th it an Art Union and Fine Arts and Industrial Exhibition were projected during.’the past half-year. The secretary to the Art Union, Mr. F. A. Harper, will give the meeting a statement as to the progress which has been made, a*id your committee trust that the members will aid in bringing it to a successful issue. The Exhibition, although a great success in many respects, has not turned out so well financially as was anticipated, as the expenditure has been very heavy. But the committee have fully accomplished the objects they had in view when they made up their minds as to the desirability of holding the Exhibition. They looked morn to the indirect good that the undertaking would do the club than to the amount of money which would bo likely to accrue to the club’s funds, and in this respect their expectations have been fully realised. The committee also looked to the fact of the great amount of good which native an and native manufacture would receive from the holding of such an exhibition, an I in this respect they were not disappointed. They now trust that the work which they have begun wiU bo taken up by tho Government, or by persons who have more leisure than themselves ; and they trust before long to see an exhibition in Wellington whichi will bo not alone a credit to tho city, but to tho whole of New Zealand. During tho past half year, Mr. Jennings resigned his scat on the committee, os private affairs would not enable him to give tho necessary time on it. The committee elected Mr Harper to Ml the vacancy. Mr. Isherwood left towards the close of the financial year for Christchurch, but your committee did not think it necessary to appoint any person in his place, as their term of office was so nearly expired. Your committee regret to state that they deemed It necessary, in tho discharge of their duty, to siispond one member of tho club. They trust that it may be a long time before any other committee wi feei itself called upon to discharge such a disagreeable duty. Your committee, recognising the largo amount of work which would devolve upon tho steward and stewardess in connection with the now am! enlarged premises, decided upon raising their salary to per week and rations. In adopting this course, they feel that they will have the entire sympathy of every member of tho club, as there can bo no two opinions as to the efficient and courteous manner in which Mr. Barber and Mrs. Barber discharge tho duties devolving upon them. The committee decided also to grant a bornis of £4los. to tho secretary; not that they considered such a small amount would compensate Mr. Laughton for the hard work and loss of time which fell to his lot since ho became secretary, but rather as a recognition by the committee of the manner In which that gentleman discharged his duty to the club. Since the appointment of your committee, no less than thirty-three meetings have been held up to August 21st. The attendance was as follows Mr. tlalvin.33; Mr. Hclden, 32; Mr. Wnrcup, 27: Mr. J.liter, 23; Mr. Btowltlbb, 22: Mr. Eyre. 22; Mr. Harper, 21 ; Mr. Capper, 13 ; Mr. lahetwood, 15 ; Mr. Jennings, 0.

In order to aid the committee in carrying out their plans for the furnishing of the present premises, the members of the club decided uppn taking up shares, and giving the amount unconditionally to )vbe committee till such time as the club would be in a position to repay the respective amounts. Your committee feel that they would be wanting in their duty if they did not .tender their warmest thanks to the members for thus generously coming forward and assisting them in their effor s. N inety five shares in ail were taken up, out of which will have to be deducted six shares which are unlikely to bo paid up; thus leaving eighty-nine shares at tho present time which are likely to be paid up; The shareholders appointed Mr. Barber collector, and as .showing how zealously ho has performed his duties, the committee might state that there is at present lodged in the bank to the share account the sum of '£43. If there are any members desirous of taking up one or two shares, the committee would like to see £IOO placed to the credit of that account. , xil ■ In conclusion, your committee trust tlutthe club will continue to prosper; that their successors will receive the hearty support of ever member of the club; and thus enable the inslitution to do that amount of useful work which a working men's club, properly regulated and conducted, ought to be able to perform in any city or town in which it may be established. They also trust to see a reciprocity of feeling established between tho various working men a clubs in New Zealand, for which object they have labored during their term of offl.ee. Before retiring, they also beg to thank the editors of the four Wellington papers for tho assistance which they h:»ve always given to the club, and also the proprietors of the various newspapers throughout the colony who have so kindly supplied their journals to the club. List of assets and liabilities of the club for the halfyear ending June 30, 1878 Assets— Stock in bar, Juno 20, £36 10s 2d ; furniture, £4O; bagatelle table, £2O ; members’ subscriptions duo, £l2 2s ; cash in bank. June 29.1873, £47 Os Od. Total. £155 12s Bd. Liabilities —Mitchell and Thompson, £5; Eddie and Jack £4 12s; T. J. Mountain, £1 5s 9d; George Dixon, £4 17s ; John Walt, £3 8s 3d ; Stevenson and Stuart, £lll6s Cd; Blundell Bros., £l3 4s Od; W. H. Bannatyne and Co., £3O 32s Gd; Pascoo and Co., £2l; T. Stephenson, £0; Strike Saunders, £4 Cs ; Taylor and Ersklne, £lB 4s lid; New Zealand Times, £1 16s ; C. Cooper/ £3 9s 6d ; Lyon and Blair, £0; accounts not rendered, £2O. Total, £15512s Sd. The following is an account of the receipts and expenditure for tho half-year, ending June 30, 1878: Receipts: By life members subscriptions, £2l; honorary members'subscriptions, £96 lls: ordinary members subscriptions, £73 12s ; ordinary entrance fees, £GS ; , advertising on card and rules, £7 10s; donations, 15s Cd : Mr. Falconer's deposit on coi -raefc, £lo* beer, giugerbeer, and cordials, £203 Cs la; wines and spirits, £143 4s 9d ; tea and coffee, £3O 17s 4Jd; bagatelle. £l4 9s 9d; tobacco and cigars, £4 15s 9d ; sandwiches. £2 2s; discount, £2l2s: concert and ball, £ls 8s ; sale of waste paper, 2s Gd; sale of table, 14s. Total, £702 0s Bjd. Expend*, turc : To preliminary expenses, £3 3s 9d ; stationery, printing, advertising, and postage, * 42 14s Id ; rent, £69 9s ; Insurance, £1 10s 8d ; furniture, £SB 4s 6d ; gas fittings, £9 18s ; gas, £3l; bagatelle table and repairs to same, £lB lls; concert and ball, £IC 17s Od ; wines and spirits, £7l ss; beer, gingerbeer. cordials, &c„ £l4O 7s 7d; tobacco and cigars, £0 14 7d; sundries, £24 14s Id ; secretary's salary, £0 ; stewards salary, £80; steward’s petty cash, £39 10s o}d; treasurer's petty c-ish, £23 Os 3d; balance In bank, June 29, 1878, £47 0s Od. Total, £702 0s SJd.—Audited and found correct,—R. W. Watson, auditor. The Chairman said, in regard to life members, that Mr. Kebbell had become one, and had sent a cheque for ten guineas, A letter had been received from the Napier Working Men’s Club enclosing a cheque for £2O, the proceeds of the sale of two books of tickets for the art union. They had also received a letter from the Dunedin Working Men’s Club enclosing a cheque for the price of three books of art union tickets. The 'Chairman said that the fact of receiving these cheques from kindred clubs fully testified to the fact that there was a good aud kindly feeling existing between the Wellington Working Men’s Club aud similar clubs iu other parts of the colony. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Mr. Harper read a short report relative to the art union. He stated that the credit account in the bank was £177, and the amount of moneys received up to date was £206. The reportstated thatt here was little doubt as to tho art union being a success, as nearly all the tickets were bespoken. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE. The following were elected a committee for the ensuing six months :—Messrs. ■ H. Austin, J. T. Griffiths, E. J. Graham, O. Harman, F. A. Harper, O. Heiden, and F, Jennings. Messrs. J. Dauks and E. W. Watson were elected auditors. A sum of £lO was granted to Mr. Warcup in recognition of the amount of tinoe he spent in performing the business of the club. An amusement committee was formed for the purpose of getting up concerts, lectures, &c., the proceeds to go towards the library fund.

The remainder of the business transacted was of a routine nature, and was chiefly confined to the alteration of some of the club’s rules,.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.