THE WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5734, 15 August 1879, Page 6

THE WELLINGTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

The second annual meeting of the Wellington Working Men's Club was held at the club-room on Monday evening. There was a large attendance, the chair being occupied by the president, Mr. O. C. Heiden.

The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed the secretary (Mr. O. Hendrey) read the HALF-YEARLY REPORT. “On behalf of the committee I have the honor to lay before you our report for the last half year, which has been a momentous period for the club, not only through the disastrous fire, but also as it has shown the way iu which the debt of the club could be and was in process of being entirely paid off. At the last general meeting you may remember the committee were empowered to devise a scheme in lieu of debentures, and by the purchase of an extra billiard table the problem of paying off the club’s indebtedness was being rapidly solved, for during the time the new billiard table was being worked it produced £42, and would have paid for itself in about eight months and have left the billiard table in our hands as a good asset, and about, say, £IOO to £126 besides its weekly earning of an average of £3 per week. This of course was put an end to by the fire, and cannot be again started until we have sufficient room. I have to congratulate you on a steady increase of our members, which has been considerable. We now muster, after writing off those members who do not pay up, 395 good members, of whom 70 are honorary members and 8 life members. Eour of the latter have been made lately for services rendered, viz., our trustees Messrs. Samuel Brown and William Hutchison, our solicitor Mr. W. H. Quick, and our late secretary Mr. Laughton, We have besides written off as bad 106 members, and 112 who have left the town. Amongst our members we muster some of the highest names in this colony, from the late Governor, who is our patron, the members of the Government and many members of both Houses of Parliament, and some of the leading members of the mercantile and business community. “ Further, it is now seen that our institution is growing iu importance as one of the public institutions, not only of Wellington, but of the colony at large, and is taking up a high standing as such altogether outside the political turmoil of a young country. Amongst the benefits of the club I may mention that we have concluded arrangements by which we can transfer our members from town to town where there is a respectable bono fide Working Men’s Club, cither as visiting or permanent members, without entrance fee ; aud besides the social improvements which our club produces, it is a place of resort where instruction is combined therewith, and will become more aud more so as year after year goes by. The committee had made arrangements previous to the fire for a debating class, dramatic class, mathematics, &c., and it is hoped the new committee will not lose sight of these matters as soon as it is possible, when we again obtain sufficiently commodious premises, for the influence for good of such classes can hardly be over-estimated.

“ Now to come to the financial statement, and as soon as that is mentioned your minds will naturally revert to the possible loss thereby. Well, we lost about £2OO by it in actual property, but unfortunately we also had to go into smaller premises where we suffered from decreased accommodation and decreased trade, and we are losing something like £4 per week through that ; that is, compared to what we were doing during the time immediately preceding the fire, when we had our billiard room fully furnished and at work, and I hope the new committee will therefore bear this fact in mind, and endeavor to get as convenient, or perhaps I should say more convenient, premises. Our secretary will give yon the balance-sheet, from which you will see the items ; but I may say, en passant, that after paying close up all outstanding accounts as well as the furniture debentures, that we have at this moment to the good of the club the sum of £B4B 15s. 7d. It is made up as follows, viz. Cash in hand at bank, £lB3 18s. 4d.; stock, drinkables only, £46 9s. 6d.; and billiard table, £391 10s.; xiisuranoe policy, yet to be received, £l5O ; out-

standing subscriptions, £27 ss. ; total, £799 2s. XOd. Wo owe £385 ss. 3d.; do. to furniture debentures, £65 25.; leaving a balance to the good of the club of £348 15s. 7d. “Now, gentlemen, I think you will agree with me that all things considered, the bad times, the fire, &c,, that that is not so bad a state of affairs. But, gentlemen, I must impress on our members the necessity of paying up their subscriptions strictly ; our institution is not calculated to make a grand profit, but only sufficient to maintain a good financial position, and to do that all our resources must be kept irtfca healthy condition. I must also request all our members to be careful of the properties of tho club, both of books, papers, &c. “la conclusion, I beg to congratulate members on our good financial position, notwithstanding our severe loss by the fire ; and I also take this public occasion to tender my thanks to the retiring committee, for their cordial assistance, as evinced by their attendances and the large amount of business done during the past half year.” The auditors (Messrs. Henry and Broadribb) reported that they had gone through the books and vouchers, and found-everything to be correct.

In reply to a question from Mr. Dutton, the President stated that steps had been taken to obtain the remainder of the insurance money —£lso, which was due by the Manchester Insurance Company—and the matter had been placed in the hands of the solicitor of the club, Mr. W. H. Quick, who had written to Mr. George Thomas, the local agent, and also to the head office of the company in Auckland, on the subject. After some discussion the reporta and balance sheet were adopted. election of officers. The Chairman, in tendering the resignation of the committee, desired to thank all those who had acted with him during the past halfyear, and spoke in flattering termsof his brother officers. Ho called on Mr, S. Brown, one of the trustees, to occupy the chair during the election of the committee, Mr. Brown, in taking the chair, congratulated the-members upon the sound financial condition of the club, and spoke highly of the President and members of the committee, who had worked very hard in the interests of the club. The following officers were then elected : President, Mr, O. O. Heiden (unopposed); vice-president, Mr. L. Harrison (unopposed) ; trustee, Mr. IT. A. Krull (unopposed) ; treasurer, Mr. E. Player (unopposed); committee : Messrs. A. Orr, C. Harman, G. T. Richardson, J. Young, W. Warcup, A. Franklin, and A. Jardine ; auditors, Messrs. H. O. Williams and W. J. Ashton (unopposed). Upon resuming the chair, Mr. Heiden, who was re-elected for the second time to the position of president, thanked the members for the trust they had again reposed in him. There was a good deal for the new committee to do in securing new premises, and also to replace the books which had been lost through the fire in their former premises. He referred to a suggestion which had been made to the late committee, with the view of endeavoring to form the nucleus of a Small Farm Association—not that the club should go in as land speculators, but that they should endeavor to obtain land for the purposes of settlement amongst those of their members who might wish to settle upon the lands of the Crown. He deprecated anything in the shape of political action in the club, and hoped that the members would not allow the present election to disturb the harmony of the club in any way. (Applause.) LIFE MEMBERS. Letters were read from Messrs. W. Hutchison, Mayor of the City, S. Brown, J. Laughton, and W. H. Quick, accepting the positions of life members, tendered for services rendered to the club, with' thanks ; and from Mr. P. Galvin, gratefully declining a similar position, but preferring to simply remain a working member. The name of Mr. H. E. Warcup was also added to the list by the meeting, but that gentleman also declined the honor. After some further business of a routine character, the meeting adjourned; votes of thanks having been previously passed to the retiring committee, and to Mr. S. Brown for presiding during the election of officers.