PROPOSED NEW ZEALAND CLUB IN LONDON.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12481, 18 April 1906, Page 8

PROPOSED NEW ZEALAND CLUB IN LONDON.

PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS.

(FROM OCR OWN CORHKSFOXDENT.) LONDON, March 9. Last evening, at tho Holbcm Restaurant, a well attended meeting of members of the Association of Young Now Zealanders mid their friends was hold for the rurposo of considea-ing what stops shoul<l be taken to develop tho work of tho Association. The High ComruLs'siouor for New Zealand was in the chair, and about sixty people attended.

Tho objects of tho Association, rt may be et;Ued, are :—(1) To provide oen>tral and convenient premises in London for all members of the Association who may bo elected in aocordaJice wUli the rules. (2) To encounago friendly and business intercourse between New Zealandojs residing in Great Britain, or visiting this country. (3) To do all such things as, in the opinion; of the committee, shall tend to~promoto the interests of the members of tho Association. (*) To raise a fund for philanthropic and charitable objects. Visitors from New Zealand are eligible for membership at the discretion of the hon.. secret ary> upon introduction by a member of tiio Association, and membership of the Association is avatlablo to any person who was bom in tho colony of New Zealand, or who has resided thero for sov<?ral yeare, or who has business or orther interests with the colony of New Zealand. The philanthropic and chaj-itablo fund shall be solely devoted to the objects of oharity, and sliall be administered at tho discretion of the committee. SI uld any member cf the Association, through unavoidable misfortune, be reduced to straightened circum«tanocs tho committee ehaJl investigate the merits of the cjise, and grant such reJiof to Lim. or his wife or children as they may see fit. Further, it s<hall be in tho power ot" the committee to grant relief to any New Zealnndor in digressed, circumalthough not a member of the Association. 'Mr W. P. Reeves said that more tJian one colonial club of £fca.ter or less size had been started in London with varying degrees of success. He raw no reason why' a New Zealand Association, neither too modest nor yet too presumptions, but upon a reasonable basi*, should not be a good thing both in tho interests of good feHovrsMp among these who lived in Great Britain more or Ices permanently, and for tho benefit of the casual visitors and travollens from New Zealand. (Hear, hea-r.) The idea had boon discussed anraaig a certain number of New Zealanders. and a test had been made of the feplins of New Zealanders in London. So far, the promises of support luad been decidedly encouraging. Tho hon. secretary (Mr K. Bockmaster) said he had sonit out 755 circulars outlining the scheme, and he had received IG6 replies. Of theee, 123 were favourable, and the otibere could not be fa id to bo unfavourable. It was suggested that the subscription shoniW be one guinea per aruiuni; subscripticniß for lifo roombere to be ten guineas. Guanantees of support had a!«> lw?en received from tba Now Zealand Shipping Q)., the Shnw, Savill and Albion. Co.. and otihor firms.

It was agreed to thank the committee fnr what they ha-d dnaie, and to ask Ihem to continue their endeavours to start tiic club. Tho mem'tirs of the committee are:—Mohstb R. H. Hooper, J. P. Wlhil'toW, W. C. Robinson, G. P. Hjxwner, W. K. Sorroll, H. Baud, H. Macintosh, J. Foster, S. P. Spflter, and K. Bookmaster (hon. fiec).

Tlie secretary s;iid tho enmmittee had made all onquiries and had thought the rwcist suitable place would be at Westminster, where they had the cbc>ice of rorons adjoining the Palace Hotel.

In reply to a question, the Chairman Haid'he thought there would not bo 500 Now Zealanders living in or noar London. He did not think a Oai7ie<;io or a Beit "vva* among thorn tr> ac(jiiir<j a isit-o at Aldwych such as had l>ecii For the proeont ho thought they might make a modest start lik« tho Australasian Cub in Edinburgli had done, or the old Colonial Club a* it was before it triod to develop itself and become a residential club. If they oould be content with r-KHii-p thins on the lines of tho AiK-tra-la?ian Club they would have lomothing very eonifortabio, pleafiant, and usetiil. lie saw no reason why thoy should not get 300 members in six mnntlis, and perhaps more. That was, nit\mb<M* who r*--:dod i>orma!ic;i*ly in tho United Kingdom. In addition to that there wero gentlemen who came •to thi*» country in considerable numbors ovory year for a few months. Ho would not be eurpri*ed if they got as many as forty or fifty of thoj.e to join orory yoar. He tbought tho schomo was quhe practicable and v.-hat "was even bettor, it iv.if t|uito safe.

Tho committee wa<s empowered to tako the Iwo rooms adjoining tho Wotmiw*er Palace Hotol, where tho advantaco of tho hotel service mild bo sooured, rrr o'hor rooms that m<i!it be found available, and report to a further meeting.