A MASONIC HALL IN DUNEDIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1789, 24 September 1867, Page 4

A MASONIC HALL IN DUNEDIN

A numerously-attended meeting of shareholders in the proposed Masonic Hall Company (Limited) was held last evening, in the Masonic Hall, Princes street,- for the purpose of receiving a report from the Provisional Committee, electing directors, selecting the site for the new Hall, &c.

Mr IV. Pykb, who was called to the chair, explained the objects of the meeting. • ■•- , Mr H. S. Fish, jun. read the following report- from the Provisional Committee :—- ■'

Your Committee have much pleasure in reporting that since they initiated the present undertaking "they have met with most gratifying success, the Lodges and the Brethren braving responded.to the call made upon them in a most liberal manner; insomuch that, ■with trifling exertion on the part of the Committee, no less than 360 shares have been taken rip : 167 oi this number by the Lodges and Brethren under the S.C. ; and the remaining 190 by .. Lodges ; and Brethren' under the E. and I. C. This represents the sum of LI 800, and leaves only 220 shares to be taken up to complete the amount sought to be raised ; and as not one-half of the members of the Craft have yet been solicited,, your Committee* entertain not the slightest doubt but that they will be taken up with alacrity, almost every member of the Craft appearing most desirous of promoting this laudable project. ' - Your Committee have had offers laid before them of several pieces of ground for the proposed Hall, and these will be laid;before you this evening, and from them you will doubtless, be able to select a suitable-site. Permanent directors will also have to be appointed^ so that the Company may be enrolled; under the Joint Stock Companies Act, and active proceedings forthwith commenced. Your Committee have been working with seven members, and they would venture to suggest, that that should be the number of the directors.

Your^ Committee, in resigning their selfimposed trust into your hands, hope that their labors, so successfully commenced, may be carried to a successful termination'; and., that the great desideratum—a Masonic Hall, worthy of the name and the Craft—may, ere many mouths are past, be an accomplished fact. ; Vincent Pyke. Chairman.

H.■ S. Pish, Jan., Secretary.

The Chairman said that since the numbers had been given in, 12 more shares had been added., as taken under' the Scottish Constitution.

Mr John MitiLatr moved, '" That the report of the Provisional Committee be adopted ;" which was seconded by Mr B. W. Sh^ppard,'and agreed to. The Chairman explained the course which it was proposed to take with the business of the meeting. Mr John EvAmoved, Mr T. M. WiliprsoN: seconded, and it was resolved, ' That; the; name of the Company be 'The Masonic Hall Company (Limited).;' arid that it be registered under the JointStock Companies Act." '-■'_ -•• The Chairman said tlia*; what was desired was to get a Hall which should be, a credit to Punedin^whieh. should '...not, tonly supply -to the different' Lodges the means <>f holding their meetings in a proper, decent/ and orderly manner, but which; should also < afford a rational 'and reasonable prospect of an income. Seeing that there were 10 Masonic Bodies rer quiring the use of the Hall, the Company wSuld at once have 10 good tenants ; and those tenants, paying at the same rate as they were now paying for accommodation, would produce an income exceeding L 250 a-year. What was proposed was to have (j a double Hall—an upper storey, exclusively d^eyoted: to.Masonic purposes ; a lower due, for emergencies, when two Lodges twanted. to me.et at the same time, or when there was such a meeting as the presentj and which would also be available as 'a Music HalL A ~Music Hall was much "needed ; and the ( iSyif&i "storey of the M^onib^ Hall should {be built with a special Jview"to that purpose. .Pour rooms would be required—two oW each, storey. A. goof- site, itf appeared,:could be obtained j for L6oCi—one 1 requiring: neither .t^tjfli6 builder should go .considerably. beApw the roadway-level in to get

a proper foundation, nor that the users of the Hall should have to go tip a hill to get to it Taking L6OO as the price of the ground, it appeared, from very careful calculations, that L3QOO wotild do all that was required: L2OOO going for the mere erection of< the building, and L4OO for internal decorations- and fittings. The Provisional Committee strongly recommended that the capital should be fixed atL3OOO. ; ;

It was resolved that the question of the site should be decided, before that of the amount of capital

Mr Fish read offers of eight or ten sites, as follows :—Moray Place, opposite Mr Matthews, gardener, a quarter-acre section, ,82ft. 6in. frontage'to Moray Place, with a depth of 182 ft. for L6OO ; Maclaggan street, 44ft. by 88ft. 3in. on conditional terms ; Hope street, 44ft. by 66ft. L 8 0; High street, above Messrs Driver and Maclean's, L 525 (section 42, block 7) ; Maclaggan street, on the area cleared by the fire there, 66ft. by 155 ft. L 200; the Octagon (also on an area cleared by fire), a quarter-acre section, L 80 0; the corner of the Octagon and Princes street, west side (similarly cleared), at per foot frontage, in proportion to quantity taken ; and two in Stafford street, each at per foot. Mr J. Eva moved, " That; in the opinion of this meeting, the site in Moray place; is the one best adapted for the Masonic Hall,"

Mr G, H. Campbell seconded the motion.

In reply to Mr F. Russell,

The Chairman said that the Committee found, at the outlet of their labors, that if they attempted to recommend a particular site, the result would be a failure of the scheme; because none could be selected, against which some objection might not be urged. Therefore, the Committee absolutely declined to enter into the question. If his cwn individual opinion was. asked—and he had examined very carefully each of the site 3 offered— he said that, for the purposes of the Company, none of the other sites bore the slightest relative value to that in Moray Place. It was within 60ft of Princes street—in such a position, adjacent to the corner, as to enable the, building to become an architectural ornament to the town ; the building would not be jammed up ; but there would be ground enough left for adornment; and the Manse reserve and the Church, reserve came next, on the east of the site.

Mr Sheppard asked whether it was understood that the hill was to be cleared, and: the permanent level gained before the site was handed over

The Chairman said that the material of the hill was being removed by the prisoners, the Government wanting it, and having obtained the consent of the owners to take it. No doubt, when it was known that the site was wanted for such a public object, speed would be used in getting it cleared. ....... ,

In reply to another question;

The Chairman said that he was perfectly sure that if it was decided to take any site on which it : would Be necessary to sink for foundations, it would also be necessary to add another thousand pounds to the capital of the Company! ; The' motion was unanimously agreedto.

Mr Hawkins moved, and Mr James Mills .seconded, that the capital of the Company be L3OOO, in 600 shares of L 5 each.

Mr Babkon moved, as an amendment, that the capital be LSOOO, in 1000 shares, of L 5 each. ...■-....

. Mr Sheppabd seconded ~ the amendment. ■ .:■;■:. '.-.. .1. , \

After some discussion, »s to the difficulties that would inevitably1 result, if the prospectus fixing the capital at L3OOO, in L 5 shares, were now departed from, seeing that Lodges and individuals. had subscribed, and paid L 2 10s deposit, on the faith of such an arrangement. '.'[ . . Mr Fish said that he was sure that if it was resolved to raise LSOOO, the whole affair would fall to the ground. . Mr Hawkins suggested that the quesr tion of whether there need be, or should be, power to increase, the capital, would best be raised in dealing with the Articles of Association, which the ; directors would have to prepare.

The Chairman was satisfied that L3OOO would do all that was required. The Lodges had been induced to take shares in a Company having that capital, with a view of eventually sitting rent-free. There were 10 "Lodges;' exclusive of* the Provincial Grand Lodges of England and Scotland. Those ten, when representing-60 shares each, would be rent-free • the proposal being, that shareholders, whose names might be drawn, at intervals as resolved upon, should sell their shares at par to the Lodges requiring them. . The Otago Kilwinriing Lodge had passed a resolution to take the 60 shares, so as to be rent-free from the commencement.

The amendment was negatived,"only two haqds being held up for it ; and the original motion was adopted without dissent.

The Chairman said that the Committee had worked harmoniously from the first because it had been recognised that there was a fair relative representation of the several Constitutions—three members for the English, three for the Scottish, and one for the Irish. He recommended that the proportions should be adhered to in electing .the directors for the first year; and out of ■ the. directors now. chosen,: the meeting would be asked to select one as Chairman and another as Honorary Secretary, so that those officers might feel that they had the confidence and support of the whole body of shareholders. .

; It was resolved on that the number of directors should be seven \ and the result of the election was the appointment of the following Board :-—Messrs Carrick, Fish, and Hyman, B'.C ; Messrs Pyke, Sibbald, and MiUs, S.a ; and Mr Xxfaham, LC.

Mr Pyke was elected. .Chairman of- the Directors, and Mr JKsh was appointed; Honorary Secretary;. ~ , • , The other appointments made were- - Solicitors, Mr J. Hyde Harris -j- Bankevs, Bank of New South Wales.

The Directors were: instructed tc, negotiate'for, and, if possible, complete the purchase of, the site in, Mojeay, I?)ace, for the erection of the HalL -~..,

It was agreed that a special general meeting should be palledto, -consider the Articles of Association. .■ ;. ■•: -

The proceedings were... closed" with a vote of thanks to thft provisional Coin-; mitteei ......... ~- ■■-,-:;■AA-[t. . ..: _; i