JOURNALISTS’ INSTITUTE.

Evening Star, Issue 11895, 25 May 1903, Page 3

JOURNALISTS’ INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting of the Otago branch of the above was held at the Coffee Palace on Saturday evening, under the presidency of Mr T. J. Walker. From the report of the Executive we make these extracts:— During the year the branch put forward a scheme for the establishment of a sick benefit fund, which it was hoped would commend itself to the kindred branches of the Institute. Your Committee understand, however, that owing to the indifference of the bulk of the members regarding it the scheme has been practically abandoned by the Executive. During the year two of the younger members of the branch—Messrs H. 0 Hanby (‘Evening Star’) and J. J. Grealish (‘Bruce Herald’)— left the district to take appointments on Northern papers, and your Committee congratulate them on the advanccmeilt they have made in their profession. Your Committee recommend the election of the following new members:—Mrs M. Cohen, Mr S. T. Sharpley, Mr J. A. Scott, Mr J. C. Thomson, M.H.R., Mr P. Bell and Mr G. Bell. Financially the branch is in a sound condition, although there are more outstanding subscriptions than there ought to be. A credit balance of £l3 2s lOd is carried forward to next year. ( The Chairman, in moving the adoption pi the report, said that a sick benefit (scheme that had been thought out with (considerable care by Mr R. G. Thomson had been before the branch, as well as a mortuary scheme drafted by Mr M. ( Cohen. These had been considered, but (for some reason or other, he regretted to , the support to either was not very warm. He could only regret that so far the careful work of Mr Thomson and Mr Cohen had been unavailing. For some time past it had been found that the present constitution of the Executive of the Institute was unwieldy, by reason of its weight. As a matter of fact, it was quite .impossible to get a quorum. If the Institute _ was to continue its work it appeared to him that some means should be devised ■whereby the carrying out of its affairs could be entrusted during the recess to. say, four .persons who could be depended on to act with promptitude and energetically.—After some discussion the report was adopted, and the new members mentioned, together with Mr P. Clapperton, were elected. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows:—President, Mr J. Hutchison; secretary and treasurer, Mr E. C. Huie • hon. auditor, Mr W. Easton; Committee Messrs M. Cohen, T. J. Walker, A H Grinling, W. Judge, and A. De R. Barclay ; representatives on the Council—Hon. \Y. Carncross, M.L.C., and Messrs A. E. Cohen, D. H. Cameron, and R. G. Thomson; Qualifii ations Committee—the president, secretary, and Mr T. J. Walker The meeting tendered congratulations to the Hon. W. Carncross, M.L.C., on his appointment to the Legislative Council he having been a member of the Otago branch lor many years and one of its representatives on the Council The Canterbury branch invited co-opera-faon m requesting local representatives in Parliament to support a Libel Bill on the fines of Sit Patrick Buckley’s Bill—Referred to the Committee, with power to act. Some discussion followed on the mortuary scheme, and the representatives on the Council were instructed to again brine the matter before that body. g