WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 777, 21 January 1887, Page 10

WORKING MEN’S CLUB.

The half-yearly general meeting of members of the Wellington Working Men’s Club was held last Friday night. There was a large attendance of members, and Mr J. H. Heaton, President, occupied the chair. _ The Chairman said he was in the position that night of a ship which, having weathered a storm, was about to go straight on with a flowing sail. Further, he was left alone as the captain, “ with only one A. 8.” The secretary (Mr W. K. Bishop) read the following printed address by the President “ Gentlemen, —The Club’s financial year expired on the 31st December, and the usual balance-sheet is presented to you for ybur consideration and approval. The Committee congratulate members upon the marked increase in receipts under various headings. Since your last half-yearly meeting, we took possession of our new Club premises, and finally removed on Saturday, the 18th September. Members must feel satisfied that the Committee was extremely fortunate in being able to secure a building so commodious and well suited for your requirements. The Committee fully calculated for a few weeks after being located in our new premises that the receipts would show a slight reduction. That is not so ; on the contrary, the revenue under each heading from the very commencement shows a decided and continuous increase. Your Committee felt a little disappointed at not being able to let to a permanent tenant the three rooms known as the surgery, and after careful consideration, and in consequence of large inorease of new members, decided to furnish and keep them for their accommodation. Taking over the responsibility of the bar continues, under careful management, to prove a great financial benefit to the Club’s funds, After all expenses, removing, new fittings, improvement 3, alterations and the unfortunate double rent, members could scarcely expect a large surplus. But after deducting our total liabilities from bank balance, cash in hand, and bar stock, shows a balance to credit of £3l 10s Bd, which, we trust, will be considered very satisfactory. All our troubles having now disappeared, the Club should, with careful management of your Committee, and with the cordial co-operation of members, have a prosperous career. Toward " the end of December, the Vice-President,

Treasurer, and six Committeemen tendered their resignation after an adverse vote. Had I called a special meeting to explain to members the position, it would, after due notice having been given, only been held a few days before the usual general meeting. There being no pressing business, I decided to continue the management, which I trust will meet with your approval. The Committee have not given that attention to the library and reading-room which those two important branches of your institution require. Other pressing requirements during our change needed careful watching. It will be for the new Committee to recommend improvements. As winter evenings approach, concerts and social gatherings must have special attention. After removing to your new club, the Committee printed and posted about 250 circulars to various gentlemen, asking them to assist the Wellington Working Men’s Club by becoming honorary members. Only four responded to our invitation.”

The balance - sheet showed balance at the Bank at the end of December to be £153 12s lid. During the half-year the expenditure had been £992 13s sd, the principal items being— Beer, £I7S 153 4d ; wines and spirits, £156 16s 9d ; fittings to new premises, £llO 10s 5d ; and rent, £166 10s. The receipts had been £973 7s 7d. of whick £749 0s lOd was bar receipts, and £179 Is 3d balance carried forward from the last half-year. The assets showed an excess over liabilities of £842 14s, lOd, The President went on to say that the Club would derive for last year, by taking over the bar, a profit of £lB9 9s sd» The percentage of profit on the bar, he understood, was remarkably good, and the steward and stewardess showed great interest to the benefit of the QUUEj. The average takings up to October naa been £3 18s Id per day ; but for the last two months it had been £4 12s 3d per day. The reason he staid there with only one committeeman that night might be explained. He might be censured for not resigning with the committee, but he had considered it unwise to do so with the balance-sheet so close at hand, and there had been no important business to necessitate a special meeting. The subscriptions for the last five half-years had been as follow :—Ending December, 1884, £39 ; ending June, 1885, £36 ; ending December, 1885, £52; ending June, 1886, £42 ; ending December, 18S6, £SO. _The increase in members had also been considerable. . , . Mr J. B. Wallace moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Mr Cheeseman seconded the motion. Mr R. W. Watson supported the motion. He congratulated the Club on their accession to new premises. He also congratulated them on the non-success of the circulars inviting honorary members, because he preferred that the Club should be self supporting. Mr T. Miles spoke in a similar strain, and expressed a hope that the Club was about to become self-reliant. In answer to a question the Secretary said the balance of assets over liabilities at the end of 1885 was £893. Mr W. K. Bishop asked whether the Club was adopting the President’s address. A reflection, he said, was cast on his manner of keeping the books. He claimed that there was a deficiencv of £75 instead of a profit of £3l. The stock in the bar was set down as cash at £9B, but was that not an asset; and for the President to say there was a profit of £3l was to oast a reflection npon the Secretary and auditors. Mr J. Maginnity thought tho President deserved the thanks of the Club for enabling the meeting to be held, and presenting the balance-sheet.

Mr Bishop : Talk sense. In an uproar Mr Bishop rose to a point of order, and objected to the reflections insinuated in Mr Maginnity’s remarks. Mr Maginnity objected to beinginterrupted by a paid official of the Clnb. Mr Bishop interjected that Mr Maginnity had paid himself better out of the Club than he (Mr Bishop) had. (Laughter and uproar). . _ Mr Maginnity and Mr Bishop conducted a brisk argument for a few minutes, the former referring to Mr Bishop as “the paid member.” /Several members suggested vigorously that “there was too much of the paid secretary,” whilst others as vigorously urged Mr Bishop to allow Mr Maginnity to go on. " Mr Watson objected to the Secretary’s interruptions. If there was anything to be “rubbed in,” it would have to be “rubbed in.” The President made an explanation, after which Mr Maginnity rose to complete his speech. In response to cries for order, Mr Maginnity said he would sit down if the Chairman wished. The Chairman preferred that he should sit down.

Mr Wallace rose to object to discussion, on the ground that the report and balancesheet had been adopted. Thereupon a gentle, man in the room asked whether Mr Wallace was to be allowed to speak all night. Mr G. Fisher, as an honorary member, asked whether he would be allowed to speak. This point having been discussed, it was decided that Mr Maginnity Bhould complete his remarks. That gentleman then said that anything on the shelves represented cash. He referred to Mr Bishop as “ the paid secretary.” This caused an uproar, and Mr Bishop, rising, said that Mr Maginnity had been brought to the meeting for a certain purpose. The Chairman suggested that Mr Maginnity should confine himself to the question at issue.

Mr Bishop : I won’t stand it either. Mr Maginnity went on to express regret that he had trodden on anybody’s corns. He was again interrupted by Mr Bishop, and the Chairman called the latter gentleman to order. Mr Maginnity : Never mind him, sir. There’s blood in the mushroom. Mr Crisp objected to a gentleman who came so seldom saying that the secretary had not prepared the balance-sheet. Mr J. Hollis said if a gentleman was a member of the club it did not matter whether he came on six days or five hundred days in a year. (Laughter.) Mr Fisher was of opinion that both address and balance-sheet, or neither, must be adopted. He expressed his appreciation of

the work done by the chairman .during the past year, and regret that anything should be said against Mr Heaton in the presence of men he had done so much for.

The motion was then put and carried. Mr Bishop rose to express his regret at the scene which had taken place. He had applied months, he said, to the service of the Club, and might be said to have extricated it from its difficulties. For the paltry sum of £25 a year he had done this, and he felt it hard that under such circumstances he should be persistently referred to as a paid member of the Club, and that it should be suggested that he had not prepared the balance-sheet.

The Chairman said the balance-sheet was prepared by Mr Bishop. The President, leaving the chair as retiring from office, said he had done his best for the Club, had never missed a meeting, and had paid every attention to tbe business. He was of opinion that Mr Edwards, who was opposing him for the Presidency, deserved recognition at the hands of the Club* and he should not have opposed him had he known he was coming forward. Mr Heaton said that, seeing what he had done for the Club, he thought it would be ingratitude on the part of members if they did not re-elect him. He might say he should feel it very much if he were not re-elected. He denied flatly that he had ever received any commission from the Club.

Mr Cheeseman moved a vote of thanks to the president, retiring committee, and the secretary, and other officers. This was seconded by Mr Hollis and carried unanimously. The election for President then took place. The candidates were Messrs H. Edwards and J. H. Heaton, and Messrs Galvin and Fisher acted as scrutineers. Mr Heaton was elected by 75 to 34. Mr H. Mills was elected Vice-President (unopposed), Mr W. G. Moat and Mr Flood were elected auditors, and Mr J. H. Smith as treasurer (unopposed). The following gentlemen were elected, a committee :—E. Jones, 63 votes ; A. K. Duggan, 59 ; J. Goss, 58; J. H. Wallace, junr, 57; E. Willis, 52; J. Hollis, 52 ; Y. Claridge, 51. It was unanimously decided, on the motion of the President, That the hearty vote of thanks of the Club be conveyed to the steward and stewardess, Mr and Mrs Read, for the able manner in which they have carried out the bar management, and that the question of a bonus be left to the incoming committee. This was all the business.