COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20828, 21 September 1929, Page 11

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS’ ASSOCIATION.

THE BIRTH OF A CLUB. I co: ’i » ' re] of FORTY-FIVE YEARS’ HISTORY. ab su _____ of pr A 5 VALUABLE COMMUNITY ASSET. • ■ ' th it r We all have our houses of call. Not so morosely drunken as the Russians; m< riot so madly fond of ardent spirits as the Red Indians; not so stolidly in-beer-shop-guzzling as the Dutch and Ger- pr mans; not so-long-in-cafe-abiding as the Ve French; still wc are the most addicted ne of all civilised nations to making tip- ° c pling the great agent of social inter- ail course, the great binder of bargains, the reconciler of differences, the smoother of difficulties, the pledge of sincerity, and t 0 the bond of good faith. From the days as ' when Vortigern and Rowena exchanged their "Waes had, trink had,” the men , of Anglo-Saxon lineage have been prone to meet each other over something to drink. From the man of affairs who g. lolls in the smoking room of his city 1 club to the sporting fraternity who spend . ' their Saturday nights at “ free and easies”; from the Supreme Court judge ■who chirps over his port to the barman • who would bo glad ,rD “. . . to drink your honor’s health in • as A pot of beer, sir,” “something to drink,” be.it fermented & or unfermented, as potent as metheglin as or as mild as sarsaparilla,' will be found to he more than popular with the Britiaher. And so we have dubs.. Houses of call where men may gather together and jingle glasses and toast each other’s 80 health in between their billiards, their 19 cribhage, their whist, or their medita- H tive smokes in tho reading room. M Of course, there are men who boast ch that they have cured themselves of the 19 toasting habit in the same way that they N< tell of the /full life that will not allow 19 of club membership. It is to bo hoped Gi that they have exchanged it for no worse ,» habit. Surely if there be an innocent and unobtrusive pleasure, the club man may cry “ eureka ” here, and acknowledge av himself guilty of all such moral weakness as 1 , may he implied by a love of lingering in a warm club room. The dub habit is one that goes back a long way further than the day when men . handed themsdves together to provide palatial and comfortable premises for their leisure hours, and it is one that will , endure as long as good fellowship and the pl chiving for companionship continue to nt play an important part in the life of prac- ac tically every civilised community in the World. th It is nearly half a century, 45 years “ ago to be exact, since a'body of Dunedin business and commercial men, probably “ tiring of nightly sojourns in - the cafe “ rooms of city hotels, meit in just such a *• room at the Grand Hotel to discuss ways u 1 and meins of establishing a club In Don- 8 edin. It required several .preliminary 81 meetings and preparations extending oyer S£ some months before Hr George Bell, first . president of the Commercial Travellers «i arid Warehousemen’s Association in this 81 city, was able to deliver the inaugural ad- a dress—an address which septuagenarian members of tho present club recall as a » remarkably fine speech.' 9 For nearly nine years the only home a the newly-formed club had was the same a old cafe room at the Grand Hotel, where f< the young association was r greatly Y assisted and befriended by tho then pro- a prietors, Messrs J. and J. Watson. It P had at first been proposed that the asso- cl ciation should /be' known as the Commep- ri rial Travellers’ Association, with mem- a hership confined to men who were or had c: been on the road, but eventually it was d designated the New Zealand Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Vssociatlon, Dunedin. At that time it was intended to open up branches in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, but that was an ambition which was never , realised. The first president, as has already been stated, was Mr George Bell, of the Evening Star Company, and Mr J. O. Cameron acted, as interim secretary. The first vice-presidents were Messrs John Maitland Jones, John MNeill, R. Skeocb, and R.‘ Sutherland, and the first trustees were Messrs E. B. Cargill and < Robert Glendining. Mr T. K. Harty j was appointed treasurer, and Mr Thomas’ ] Callender took over the first permanent 1 secretaryship. The inaugural address, i 1000 copies of which were printed and i circulated, was delivered on September ■ 27, 1884, and it was not until April, ; 1893, that the Moray Place Clubrooroa ■ were opened. In the meantime Mr Harty had succeeded Mr Callender as ■ secretary. Five years later, in March, 1898, the Dowling street premises, op the site of the present Theosophieal Hall, were opened. Tljeae rooms proved very suitable for many years, but as the membership of the club increased it became more and more apparent that more commodious premises were necessary. In 1896 Mr James Brown, who has been actively connected with the association ever since, took over the secretaryship from Mr Callender, a position which he held until six years ago, when the present secretary (Mr G. Davidson) relieved him of the post. During the long period when the Dunedin Association was affiliated to the United Commercial' Travellers’ Association of Australasia, Mr Brown and Mr Dugald MTherson were constantly in attendance at the conferences of that body as delegates of the local association, and as a result they'are remembered to-day as among the most active workers in the interests of an organisation that has now developed into a great power for good in the community. In 1913, however, subsequent to a conference with the other throe '‘New Zealand associations that had been formed independently in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, all connection with the Australian organisation was severed, and the Dunedin Association threw in its lot with the Dominion associations t 6 form a New Zealand Federation. With its retirement from the Australian Association the Dunedin club • changed its name to that which it now enjoys—the Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen's Association of Otago. In 1915 the increasing membership and activities of the association had reached such a pass that expansion was absolutely necessary, and at an extraordinary general meeting on March 27 the committee was empowered to proceed with the erection of new club premises higher up in Dowling street. These were the club rooms which have now been vacated in favour of the Bond street site. From 1915 until the present year, when the latest remove was decided upon, there has been little of note in the history of the association beyond the gradual development of, those schemes and projects which were put in hand by the earlier members, such as the Mortuary Benefit Fund, and the accident and sickness insurance scheme. The Mortuary Benefit Fund, which was established in 1902', has now a capital of £11,200, the total amount of dividends paid since its inception being £3400. The relief fund for the assistance of, needy members or their dependents now stands at over £4OOO. The Accident and Sickness Insurance Fund, too, which became operative in 1921, offers members an excellent cover at premiums lower than those offering in any ordinary company. The finances of this fund arc in the same healthy condition. The removal to the present premises in Bond street and the consideration of the proposal is set out in the follow*

ing extract from the last annual report 1 of,the association. ( As an outcome of a resolution which had been passed at last year’s annual meeting recommending the General Committee to make inquiries as to the possi- 1 bilitles of removing the club to a more centrally situated site, a property sub- | committee was set up early in the year, j It was not long before this committee j reported that it had received an offer ; of a central site which would be admir- } ably suited for club rooms. As a re- j suit, an extraordinary general meeting i of members was called to consider the 1 proposal to purchase the property of : Bates, Sise, and Co., Bond and Crawford streets, for the purpose of transferring the club to that site.

The following resolutions were passed: “ That in the opinion of this, general meeting of the Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Association of Otago, it is desirable that the present premises* be vacated as soon as a convenient site can be secured in the business area of the city, also that this general meeting of members of the C.T. and W. Association of Otago is of the opinion that the premises of Messrs Bates, Sise, and Co., now under offer to the association, are suitable for the association’s requirements, and that the committee be authorised by this meeting to enter into negotiations with a view to purchasing the property or any other suitable property.” As a result the premises of Bates, Sise, and Co. were purchased by the association. A building committee was immediately set nip and plans and specifications for the necessary alterations and fitting out of the new premises were immediately put in hand. In such a survey of the life of the association as this it is interesting to recall the men who have in the past filled the presidential chair. The list is as follows Part of 1884 and ''BBs, Mr George Bell; 1886, Sir Robert Stout; 1887-1800, Mr Robert Wilson; 1801-1097, Mr James Wilson ; 1898-1902, Mr Alex. Thomson; 1903-1905, Hr Dugald MTherson; 1906, Mr Richard Hudson; 19071909, Mr F. H. Bang; 1910-1911, Mr A. H. Bridg'or; 1912-1913, Mr Dugald MTherson; 1814-1015, Mr F. W. Mitchell; 1916-1921, Mr Dugald MTherson; 1922, Mr F. H. King; 1923, Mr H. P. Nees; 1924, Mr H. W. S. Hellyer; 19251926, Mr James Brown; 1027, Mr J. T. Gillan; 1928-1929, Mr William Thomson. PRO BONO PUBLICO.

Over a period of years the association, with its clubhouse and its manifold avenues of amusement and recreation, has catered exceedingly well for its members, but tho while it went about its own occasions, ministering to its own needs, there' was always some energy and consideration to< spare for the most pressing public causes or for those members of the community whose lot was riot cast in the pleasantest of places. The poor and trie needy have benefited greatly from the activities of the association, and the national war funds during the years 19141918 were greatly assisted by efforts of the association members. In 1915, as a result of the great queen carnival effort, the association was able to hand over to the Patriotic Funds the excellent sum of £9500, and since, the inception of its Big Day effort seven years ago it has collected a sum exceeding £IO,OOO for the poor and needy and for blind soldiers and sailors.

It In not easy to state in facts and figures, the immense amount of work the association has accomplished for the community, and particularly those in distress. The association’s choir is an organisation that does a lot of work in a quiet ' way, carrying cheerfulness and entertainment into orphanages and. hospitals, and raising funds for this and that charity. The widow and, the orphan, and the lame and the halt, and the blind have had practical experience of the association’s charity and largesse, and from the manner in which its efforts in this direction are progressing there is every reason to expect that the future trill bring no diminution in results. THE NEW PREMISES. COSY COMPACT CLUB HOUSE. CENTRAL SITE AND PERFECT ' APPOINTMENTS. The new club rooms, which will he officially opened- this afternoon by the Mayor (Mr R, S. Black), occupy the premises recently held by Messrs Bates, Sise, and Co. in Bond street. Their central situation should prove to be a great convenience to members, and the executive committee is entitled to expect more general and consistent support as a result. The rebuilding and alterations were designed by Mr B. W. Walden, and the contractor was Mr A. E. Silver, both of whom are to be congratulated upon the excellent manner in which the old warehouse has been transformed into a sightly and perfectly appointed clubhouse. The work of alteration was completed only this week, and the furnishers will be busy all this morning getting everything in readiness for the ceremony this afternoon and the function this evening. One feature of the new rooms which should commend itself to members is their compactness. They do not cover nearly as much floor space as did the old rooms in Dowling street, and yet not one of the facilities or appointments that members ‘ have been accustomed to has been» omitted from the new plans. There are three floors, and every care , has been taken in setting out the various rooms and conveniences. An electric auto- ’ matic life will save a lot of stair climb- ■ iug, and those who are seeking merely a timely aperitif will not need to go any I further than the ground floor, access to which can be had from either of two [ entrances—in Bond street or Crawford street. The greater part of the ground , floor is devoted to the bar, which has a long double counter, and is fitted up in the most up-to-date and modern style, [ It occupies the rear portion of the , ground floor. On the left side of the s main entrance is a spacious and wellfurnished committee room, and opposite ; are the president’s room and other exe- ' cutive chambers. Adjoining the bar are all the necessary conveniences.

The second floor is devoted to a beautifully appointed dining room, panelled seven feet high in. stained Oregon, and overlooking Crawford street, a comfortably luxurious smoking and reading room, panelled effectively with figured redwood, and other smaller rooms such as the library, a card room, a private interviewing room, and the large and up-to-date servery and kitchen which adjoins the dining room. The passages are all panelled with polished Oregon. The htird floor provides almost entirely for the recreation side of club life. At the rear is- a large billiards room, accommodating three tables, all of which are lighted with enormous rectangular lamp brackets which mark the latest development in such lighting. Then there arc also three card rooms and a temperance bar, where supper is prepared and dispensed. On every floor the necessary conveniences are supplied, all the floor-

ing being of terrazzo and the appointments the most up to date. The heating of the building is carried out by moans of fnmelesa. gns heaters, and all the hot water required is supplied by a large 200 gallon cistern which is electrically heated. There is also a gas auxiliary plant in connection with the kitchen heating, which is all done by gas. The re-furbishing that has been done both inside and out has transformed the old premises, and the furnishing and appointments when complete will make a cosy, compact club house In which half a dozen members will be able to spend an

the Fairey long-distance monoplane—and this last was a non-stop flight, which is a very different thing. An interesting point, it is remarked, is that the flight was made under conditions not altogether dissimilar from (hose of ordinary air travel. It was magnificent, and it was “la guerre ” —if we may understand by that “according to normal procedure.” The duchess and her crew are to be congratulated. And more especially congratulations are due to “ The Spider.” The aeroplane was renamed after the pertinacious Egeria of Robert Bruce.

Details of the flight are: August 2.—Left Lympne 5 ajn., arrived Sofia in tho evening. August 3. —Left Sofia for Aleppo. August 4.—Reached Bnshire from Aleppo. August s.—Arrived Karachi. Began return flight. Auguct 6.—Arrived Bushirc 6.30 a.m, August 7.—At Aleppo. August B.—All-night flight to Sofia. August o.—Left Sofia. Arrived Croydon. EVERYTHING WENT LIKE CLOCKWORK.

The practical value of the flight is best summed up in the verdict of the Duchess of Bedford herself, that it had been “a pleasant, but uneventful, trip.’’ No hitch or delay of any sort, was experienced. “ I had a most enjoyable time,” she said “It was all quite simple, so simple, in fact, that it was almost boring. I just sat there hour after hour in comfort, although it was rather hot at times.” Captain Barnard, too, was well satisfied with the flight. “ Everything went like clockwork,” he said, “ and I think that we have accomplished all that we set out to do.” Although the flight may be claimed to constitute o record, its true value lies rather in the fact that it has proved that such flights may be made without discomfort to the passengers, or undue strain to the machine. THE MACHINE. “The Spider,” which is a Fokker FVH monoplane with a geared Bristol Jupiter engine, is an aeroplane with a history. It was first named the “ Princess Zeuia,” and in it Captain Macintosh made an attempt to fly the Atlantic, but was forced to turn back. Later Captain Hinckler essayed a non-stop flight to India in it, but had to laud in Poland after 24 hours in the air. Subsequently the Duchess of Bedford used it for her previous attempt to fly to India in four days; but was held