A NEW CLUB.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7589, 24 December 1902, Page 2

A NEW CLUB.

The promoters of the "Imperial Colonies Club," which. numbers among its- "honorary vice-presidents" Sir JBdmund Barton, Lord Brassey and many other' more or less eminent men with colonial reputations or associations, seem to be getting a yery considerable" measure of support both" in London and from beyond'tbe seas. The objects of the club, as set forth jn the prospectus, are to establish, on sbcial and nonpolitical linesi a central and comfortable club-house in London for colonials, Anglo 1 Indians and -residents in the Urnted kingdom. The founders proposed at first to limit the number of original members iq 500, but so many applications for membership have been received that it has been decided to extend) the number to 1000. The annual subscription ha-s been fixed at £4 s for town members, £2 2b for country members, and £1 Is for members residing abroad. The list will be closed pn Dec. 31, and members joining after that date will be liable to an entrance fee of ten guineas — a pretty stiff fee for a club that has -still, to prove itself. It is said that special attention is to be paid; to the business requirements of members' of the club, and in connection with this point a tale is tpld to persuade Antipodeans of the fact- that though they can usually he '• put up " tem : , pqrarily at West End clubs by thejr Lpii' don friends, they must refrain from attempting to use such institutions for the purpose of effecting "business deals." We are told that " a well-known* Australian, who visited London at the tinae of the Coronation, became a member of one of the West End clubs. Shortly after hi? election the gentleman who proposed ihim received a letter from the committee of |he club, complaining of the conduct of hi,s nominee. It appears that the latter had committed £ho heinous offence of discussing business matters dn the club's premises, and he was" indignantly requested to remember that the club was 'not a commercial saleroom.' " The story is possibly true, but if so the Australian in question must haye conducted his business in a particularly blatant fashion to bring forth §uch a sarcastic rebuke. There dre "bouncers" among the Australian mercantile community just as there are among the diides of clubland, and we know of one case where a specimen of the latter claims who was discussing a certain social problem in the smoking-room of a first-cjass club was reminded that he was not " haranguing a meeting of the unemployed in the Park."