Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-12

MECHANICS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS MEET
| ING.-The annual meeting of the worcester
county mechanics association was held last
evening, the president, Hon. Phinchas Ball, in
the chair. The annual report of the trustees
was made by Mr.. Ball, giving general state
ment of the condition and prospects of the as
socation. The present number of members
is 977, gain of 26 since last year. OF these
$50 are active members, 147 life, and 90 honor
ary, The committee on relief and charities had
considered single case, by the payment of
$50 to the family of worthy deceased
member of the association. Appropriate
reference was made to the eleven deceased dur
ing the past year, as follows: VIM. D. Fenno,
Josiah W. Allen, VIM. A. Green, Harvey S.
fainter, James B. Blake, Ethan Allen, Charles
H. MCDOWELL, John S. Conkey, Jonathan Day,
Austin W. Bixby, and Lewis Thayer. Euogis-
tic notice was made of the late Mayor Blake,
and approving mention made of the PROPOSE
ton that his picture, for which subscriptions
have been raised among our citizens, be placed
in Mechanics hail. by the side of Deacon
Washburn, and other honorcd patrons OF the
association.
The report of the treasurer, Capt. Z. A. Wood,
represented the total income the past year from
all sources as 81, 442, of which s6,SSO was from
Mechanics hall, 81 ,668 from Washburn hall,
$4,000 from the stores, and S515 from the use of
the organ. The total expenditures were S15,7O9,
of which 50 PA was for insurance, So, ia for
interest, $537 for the library, S29S for the
draughtng school, 50 ,14O for gas, 1857 for coal,
81 ,754 for lectures, and S46j for repairs.
The report of the finance committee, by Mai.
L. p. Halsted stated that the debt of the asSo-
citation had been reduced $4,000 during the
last year, and is now 600, During the year
previous to the last the debt was reduced $1,000,
and $4,000 during the year previous to that At
the rate of reduction during the last three years,
the whole debt would be liquldated in five
years. The amount Of property allowed by law
for the association to hold was S125 900, and
as the real estate it owns now greatly
exceeds that sum, and is rapidly increasing, the
committee recommend an application to the leg
islature for increase of its capital also for au-
thority for the payment of certain old claims
surrendered or compounded by the holders for
the benefit and TO secure the perpetuity of the
association, there being no other way of reach
ing so desirable a result. The surrender of
these debts was 10 some members great loss
and hardship, and it would be Il great relief to
such now, if paid, say the committee, and in
luclI OplllOH IL NOulu DC Il lllOSU HOuOGaDlc ana
Just action for the association TO take in its pres
ent more prosperous condition.
The report of the committee on the library
and reading room, made by S. i. Hildreth, stated
that the whole number of volumes now in the
library is 344S, 1913 having been added during
the past year; and $50 persons had taken out
$500 books. OF the S756.51 expenses in this de-
partment, S469.63 was for new books, and
S21S.9S for newspapers and periodicals. In re-
Spouse to the growing demand for books of
miscellaneous character, they recommend an
amendment of the bylaws, section /, article A.
by which they are restricted to the purchase of
books exclusively of a scientific and mechanical
character, so that about one-third of the
sum appropriated for books may be for
those of miscellaneous nature.
The report of the hall committee was made by
Samuel Winslow, and of the draughting school
by Charles II. Morgan, the substance of both of
which has already been made public.
Officers of the association for the year ensuing
were chosen by ballot, as follows:
For President, Dorrance S. Goddard, who re-
ceived IS votes to so for Major E. P. Halsted
For Vice President, Charles II. Fitch, who had
ia of the 100 votes cast.
For Clerk and Treasurer, VIM. A. Smith, who
received 104 of the 113 votes cast.
Four of the five directors for three years, to be
chosen, were elected, as follows: l.. j. Knowles,
Joseph A. Rowland, Daniel S. Burgess, and L.
I. Marble, who received respectively so, GO, so,
and Sc votes of the 100 ballots cast, IS being
necessary to a choice. Other candidates were
voted for as follows: DIR. II. F. Bishop, SO; L.
H. Bigelow, So; L. r. Fiske, As; II. A. Richard
son, %, and D. NJ. Woodward, AZ.
Thirty-four new members were voted in, in
regular form, making the number now belong
ing in all 1011.
Without concluding its business the meeting
adjourned for one week.