BANKS PENINSULA FARMERS' CLUB.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 601, 18 April 1882, Page 2

BANKS PENINSULA FARMERS' CLUB.

A meeting of this Club was held on Saturday at the Head of the Bay. There was a fair attendance. MINUTES.

The minutea were read and consrmed. THE AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SHOW YARDS SITE. The Vice-President said that as he was the offerer of a site for the show yards, he should like to retire from the chair while the matter was considered. Mr Chappell therefore temporarily occupied the chair, and the following letter from Mr Piper was read :—

•• Duvauchelle's Bay, April 7,1882. "Dear Sir,—The site which you and Mr Checkley considered a good one, contains, I should think, about 2£ acres. The rental I require for it is £8 per annum if I it or, £10 if the Club require the exclusive right of it. I give the Club power to terminate the lease at any time by giving three month's notice, also power to remove all erections such as buildings, pens, etc., excepting the boundary fence. I shall require my road fenced across and gates hung to correspond with the entrance, I do this in view of the place being used as a sale yard, to prevent cattle from breaking away when being brought to market and also my stock from being disturbed. In allowing the Ulub to terminate the lease at will, I think it probable e'r© 10 years they may have an opportunity of purchasing a site, and if so this one would be a clog upon them. Yours, etc.,

"Henry Piper. Mr Checkley said that Mr McDonald and himself had visited tho proposed site in company with Mr Piper, and had induced him to offer it to the Club as they thought it very suitable. It was next Mr Piper's road in a most convenient position. a little'further discussion, in which those present, all stated that they considered Mr Piper's offer extremely liberal,

Mr Stephen Hunt moved: "That Mr Piper's offer to let the Club have the entire use of 2£ acres of land more or less, as stated in terms of his letter of the 7th April, 1882, for £10 per annum, be accepted."

Seconded by Mr Joseph Libeau and carried.

Mr Piper then again took the chair.

EXHIBITION. Mr Chappell made the following report :—

"April: 5,1882 v Gentlemen,—l have to reoort that the bay taken by the Club in the International Exhibition is completed, and the cheese, grass seed, etc., is now on view. I found that it needed protection, so I purchased some wire netting and placed round the bay, completely covering the two lower rows of shelving ; the upper one I thought did not require it, hs they are almost too high for the public to interfere with, and I think that the danger of any of the exhibits being interfered with is reduced to a minimum. The promoters having evidently studied Iho interests of the exhibitors, «lie exhibition Ss continually under the supervision of themselves and their employes, who are hacked up by an efficient police force. I may state that the whole of the exhibits are insured in the New Zealand Insurance Office for the sum of £100, atid that I have engaged ft man to ti.rn and dust the cheese onco during every week that the Exhibition is running, for the sum of 5s per week. I cou'd see no use in employing Messrs Manders and Co.. Nt a cost of £5 ss, merely to watch the distribution of prizes, which I thought might well be left in the hands of the promoters, as it appears to me that they are determined to act in a most straight-forward manner throughout the whole of the exhibition. The amount of accounts as paid by me are £18 la Id. Hoping the above report will meet with your approval, I beg to remain Yours, etc., "E. Cjiappell, •'Clerk to tho Exhibition Committee." A sum of £12 had before been voted to Mr Chappell for expenses. Mr Boothroyd moved : " That the balance of £6 13 Id be refunded to Mr Chappell." *

Seconded by Mr Jacobson, and carried

THE SnOW YARDS,

Mr Boothroyd asked if anything had been done regarding the ascertaining the probable coat of the yards, and how the necessary funds were to be raised.

Mr Piper said that he did not think anything had been ascertained. Jt had been proposed that an extra 10s per annum should be payable for making a member of the Club also a member of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. This would give certain privileges in the matter of entering stock for the show. Mr Boothroyd said a code of rules would have to be prepared, and the influential people of the district who were not already members, sbouid be asked to give their assistance in framing them. The question of procuring tlie necessary funds for erecting the yards, and the best way of conducting the show, were matters that should be immediately put in hand. Mr Jacobson then moved : " That tho President, Vice-president, and Messrs McGregor, Chappell,Checkley, Bo ley n, and the mover, be appointed a committee to ascertain the best method of procuring the money required for the erection of the show yards, to report to a meeting to be held at the Head of the Bay on April 29." Seconded by Mr Morgan and carried unanimously.

CHEESE SHIPPING. Mr Sager asked what information had been sent to tiie Club re shipping cheese to England, had any information of any importance been sent. He had heard from Mr Hargreaves that there was as yet no news from the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company on the matter, but he had also heard that Mr Duxbury had had a letter on this matter from the New Zealand Shipping Company. He was sorry Mr Duxbury was not present or had not sent the letter, which no doubt was forwarded to him because he had been the Secretary of the Club. He made these remarks so that the Secretary might get the letter and any other information on the subject before the next meeting of the Club.

The Secretary said that Mr Duxbury would doubtlessly have been present only

, he thought there would be no meeting that day. Mr Chappell said that Mr Mcßeth of Messra Hawkins and Co., had informed him that their firm had had great ex- ' perience in sending cheese away to the Australian Colonies and elsewhere, and had come to the conclusion it was as well to send it as general cargo. ". Mr Boothroyd said, Messrs Hawkins and Co. had held different opinions formerly. In conjunction with them he had sent homo a lot of cheese. His cheese was 6 or 7 months old, and in good condition, and he had packed it in cocksfoot heads very carefully. They had refused bis cheese at first because it was packed in this way, saying it was better put in without any covering, or at any rate only a piece of sacking. However, they had afterwards sent it with their own, which was pocked in the manner they thought best. Their y. cases were marked H H and his B B, and they had just received word that all the cheese had reached Home in bad L condition, but that his had brought 20s ■jgjj£>o4r cwt, and the other only 10s per cwt. Chappell said his experience gained „. from the cheese sent to the Exhibition wuh, that it turned out best when packed with just a piece of sacking. Straw or even paper was liable to cause heat and stick to the cheese, and cocksfoot was very » bad. Mr Boolhroyd said, that at any rate his <:hee«e packed in cocksfoot heads had fetched twice as much as Hawkins and Cos. only packed in sacking. Mr Chappell said it no doubt made & great difference when the cocksfoot was perfectly free from moisture. *■* ' CHEQUES. It was resolved all cheques should be signed by the Vice-president and countersigned by the Secretary. * MR SHADBOLT'S DEATH. Mr A. I. McGregor said he was sure they would all agree with him that it would be hardly decent to separate without some reference to the great loss they had so recently sustained by the decease of a x leading member of the Club, who had suddenly been called tc his rest. He was sure all present were anxious to indicate their sympathy with those left in grief. Mr *-* Shadbolt had not only been a prominent member of that Club, but had for years been heart and soul in all Peninsula matters. It was their duty to testify their sorrow at losing one, of whom ho might aay, they would rarely look upon his like again. For the ten years he had known him, Mr Shadbolt had always strivento secure the best interests of the district, and he had left a lasting monument of his energy and industry in the smiling landscape" around them. This was the first public body that had had the privilege of an opportunity of recording their opinion ** of Mr Shndbolt's many services, and he was sorry that it liad not been left to some older member to testify to his merits. He was sure Ihey would all sympathise with w his sorrowing family ; but, in the words of the poet— v The wind that beats the mountain blows More softly round the open wold, And gently comes the wind to those Who are cast in a gentle mould." He begged to, wove—"That this Club henr with the greatest regret of the death of. ■m Mr Benjamin Shadbolt, a leading member of their body, who has always taken the .greatest interest in all mutters in connection with the Club and the Peninsula, and jj_ that this resolution be forwarded as an extract of the minutes of the meeting, and be sent to his widow, expressing their great 'egret at the 'oss they have sustained, and their sympathy with her in her great affliction." w.ie«.i: The resolution was seconded by Mr S. Hunt. The Vbe-president Raid he was sure all present would endorse what had fallen ** from Mr McGregor. Had not that' gentleman come forward and treated the hubject in such an able manner, he should have moved in the matter. • " The resolution having been carried unanimously, the meeting adjourned.