The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-05
ExTRAVAGANT CLUBS.

When the well grocmed el.uhman from his favorite corner at the club looks out upon the passingthrong. no one would suppose that he worried over the month ly expense account of his club. Few ot the uninitiated perhaps consider that the expense of a club m"st be itemlzed and that even the wood fires and the electric lights are burning money. The Birming- ham clubs are run on a luxurious plan, but in comparison to the more wealthy clubs of larger cities, the running eX- penses are not large enough to call meeting of the members, as was held recently at the Union club in New York
 7 The Union club, which is said to be the richest in the city in point Of the aggregate wealth of Its members, found itself in the odd position when 1t held its annual meeting of an organization head over heels In debt. Nothing like this ever occurred before in the clubs history.
 In referring to the clubs affairs, the New York Times presents some interest," ing figures:
 It was one of the largest meetings in the history of the organization nearly 400 members being present, There wash any bitterness displayed, but there was what some of the more conservative mem bers termed a mutterng over some al legged extravagant dolngs
 The ostensibe reason for the large meeting was the proposed consideration 1of some amendments to the bylaws con- sidered vital in the future conduct of the club. They provided that hereafter the entrance fee shall be s3OO, the yearly dues s1O0.
 The club found itself. roughly speak ing, about s1, 100000 in debt. It had also run about BPS, GOO behind in it's running expenses
 The debts could quickly be lifted, for there are many men in the Union club who could pay them were it not for club ethics, which forbid 1t. One of the charms of the Union club. is that all members are treated alike. as to atten- tion and service, from the richest to the poorest.
 In line with the talk of extravaganza some of the members are pointing out that there are something like ll6 servants ir the building, when it Is estimated that only about 25OI men are present in the house most of the time This provides half a servant for every man all the time or leaves a servant at the disposal or every man half the time he Is in the club.
 The restaurant during the eight months ended July 3 was run at a loss of s22.- 76S.S4. it's total expenses being $64, 665.S4 The wine account showed a profit of $2 $50 54 the total receipts being $27 ,}S9 S3; the cigar account showed a total of .e0.- 9.SS. including the stock on hand, alf1 was run at a profit of s3, 1S5.37 In the bill Hard rooms there was again a loss of S50S 92.
 But the more fragrant extravaganza lies in other directions. say the economical members A wood fire they say, burns in most of the grates all the time whether the temperature demands it or not EX- pensive rugs are in corners where nobody can possibly step upon them, and cer- tainly nobody needs them The stationery is all from Tiffany's. lights burn contin- uously when nobody needs them. and so on
 All this ,t was explained, would be fine enough if it were not for the fact that the club is deeply in debt. Under such circumstances the members who have grown rich themselves by applying the rules of economy to their daily lives. contend that much of the fnery could have been dispensed with.
 To help bear the expense of the new and more expensive quarters the club one year ago voted to increase it's mem bership from 140O to 1900. Since that time some of the best known men in the country have been put upon the club s roster