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MELBOURNE TOTAL ABSTINENCE
SOCIETY.
The annual meeting of members of
tho Melbonmo Total Abstinence Society
was held last night, in tho upper hall ; the
president, Mr. H. Beauchamp, J.l., being
in tho cliair. After tbo minutes of the pre
ceding annual meeting had been road and
adopted, tbo thirty-second annual report
was read bv the secrotarv. Mr. J. Fonruson.
The report congratulated the mombers upon
the increasing usefulness and prosperity of
tbo society, too year having boon tho most
successful sinco its establishment. Total
abstinence principles were making steady
progress throughout the city and tho
colony. Soveral now societies had beon
started. Public meetings had been held
every Tuesday, with gratifying results, and
.862 pledges had been taken during the year.
The number of subscribing members bad
slightly increased. It was intondod to com
mence a library and reading-room in one of
tho shops. An extension of the buildings on
ground at the rear, at a cost of £2000,
was considered desirable, and an expression
of opinion wab requested from tho meeting,
The Band of Hope had been successfully
carried on, and the attendance and conduct
of tbo children bad been very good. Lec
tures had beon dolivored by the Bev. W.
Kelly, T. F. Bird, J. G. Stobbs and S. C.
Kent, Messrs. Sydney Gibbons and J. Trevor
Jones, aud Mies Turner. The Saturday
evening people's concerts had beon a
marked success, and the attendance had
averaged 1000 per night, and in winter
tho hall was too small. A net baianco of
£478 10s. 2d. hnd beon tho result financially,
and tbo committee heartily thanked Mr.
Empson, the conductor, ana the ladies and
gentlemen who bad assisted. Mention was
also mado of the concerts given'in the Town
Hall in aid of various charities, and it was
stated that tho next would be on behalf of
the City Mission. In strict accordance with
tho rules of the society tho banking account
had been divided into two accounts,
ono managed by the standing committoe,
and the other by the acting committee,
The financial statement showed that tho
receipts of tho building fund for the year
had been : — Baianco in band, £77 ISs. Gd. ;
rents, £663 4s.; sittings, £271 15s.;
sundries, £51 0s. Gd. ; grant from
No. 2 account, £100 ; promissory
notes discounted, £650 ; total, £1S13
15s. Expenditure: Interest on mortgage,
£315 0s. 5d.; promissory notos retired,
£1000; rent of rooms, &c., £3 5s.;
secretary, salary, Ac., £124 7s. 3d.;
gas, £134 Ss. 7d.; rates and sundries, £196
15s. 4d.; total, £1773 16s. 7d.; leaving a
baianco in band of £40 Is. 5d. The No. 2
or acting committee's account showed re
ceipts from concerts, lectures, Ac., were
£1224 10s. 10d.; and the expenditure, in
cluding expenses of concerts, Ao., and tho
grant of £100 to the building fund,
was £1103 7s. 9d., leaving a baianco
in hand of £121 3s. Id. The assets
amounted to £10,040 6s., and the liabilities
to £5000, of which £5000 was a mortgago
on tho buildings. Tho report and financial
statement were adopted, and ordered to bo
printed. Tbo officers for tho enBuicg year
were then elected as follows - President,
Mr. William Robertson; vice-presidents,
Messrs. B. B. West and J. Roadford ;
treasurer, Mr. J. M'Cutchqon ; secretary,
Mr. J. Ferguson ; committee, Messrs,
Calvert, Lambert, M'Guire, Hartney, For-
guson, Adams, Down, Wheeler, Bannor-
man, Carney, Millman, and Scott ; auditors,
Messrs. E. C. Shakespeare, and Mr. A.
Stewart.
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