WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 203, 21 May 1908, Page 2

WELLINGTON ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

ANNUAL' MEETING. Tho annual meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society was held last-night, Mr. L. 0. I-I. Tripp prsiding. ■ About thirty members wero present. DISCUSSION ON, THE ANNUAL' REPORT. The Chairman, in moving tho adoption of tho annual report and. balance-sheet (which have already appeared in The 'Dominion), said tho fact that tbero. was a debit balance of £425 this year need occasion.'no 'alarm. There had been extraordinary expenditure in. connection..with the game farm and deer park. Too much money had also been spent at Masterton. ■' However," it was- expectedthat the receipts during, the snsuing year would exceed.- tho expenditure. The: Society now bought its ova from tho Government, and, in consequence, tho expense of stripping,, was savod and a. spleiidid addition' to tho streams was obtained in. tlio .way of sea-run trout. They had dono. away with tho rearing of rainbow trout altogether; Too' much money had, in his/opinion, been expended in. tho attempt 'to jritroduco '' that" .variety.- 1 It would, he thought, ( be. better to spend additional sums in increasing V tho numbers 'of browii trout.- During the year 1 just ended 733,500 brown trout fry had been turned out, and good results had accrued., That , was partly due to the fact that there had boon no floods, but-, on tho other hand, tho drought had been responsible for the loss of a ldrgo number .of lish owing ■to seyeral streams drying-up. /The policy of 'tho new Council would, lie thought, be'to turn out as many yearlings as possible. It'vyould, howover, bo necossary to. increase the number of ponds, and he hoped that ere long they would have ponds all over the district. > The special sub-comhiittce which had : been' ■ appointed to recommend suitable places for t-he-establishment of hatcheries favoured -Akatarawa and. Belmont. Ho might point.out that the_ lease in-.connection with at Masterton. had five years to run, ; Excellent results had also attended their efforts at tho gamo farm at Parapafaumu. ' Duriiig the year 427 pheasants had been reared, and, had it not been for bush fires, the. number-would im VO ,:1 . increased by. at.least 100 birds. Then, again,■ 151 .'ducks..had been, successfully reared. . It. was hoped that the Society jvould, soon bo able to supply all. the other societies, m New Zealand with birds and eggs. TSvo stags and four hinds had arrived • by' the Athenic from Mr. Lucas's herd at Waraham Park,. England. , The new blood, which was as, good as could be. obtained, would be a valuablo asset. '' It was'the intention, of tho Society .to ask. tho .Government to fence in. more land ait-' Paraparauinu.' Tlio Society would soon lie able fo ;supply other societies with deer of new . stock. l ' There had been somo talk of the Mast-erton people seceding, but they were,, he thought,, now perfectly' satisfied that the Society , was doing its best for all parts of the 'district. ■ In conclusion, Mr. Tripp ' returned the thanks Of tho Society to all who had assisted to prevent the unlawful destruction ofgaine,. also poaching. There had, he said,'not been so many convictions this year. The Animals Protection Act would, in his' opinion, proye a beneficial measure. • \ ; ..

Mr. R. C. Bruce, of ■ Rangitikei, who seconded the motion, advocated the issuo of > gun licenses;; the fixing of a limit'to bags, , and the establishment of a more efficient system of rangorship. It was his'opinion that i the "game-hog" should be put down.' In this i connection, ho quoted from recent remarks made by Mr. Grover pleveland, ..ex-presi-dent-of United States,' as follows:-^- , I 'The ; man who kills for the sake of; killing and so that ho can boast, of a record bag heedless of the utilisation of his game, and caring nothing for its waste, in my view is guilty pot only of; shooting unseasonably but disgra'ce- ■ fully." -' ' ' ;. "■ {.■ .i¥ r HuHey, of Palmersto'n North, in. the course 1 of a '.'few remarks ; 'said that, thero; would - bo 1 no niore: talk'of Masterton secoding if the; district ■: wore' in. the' future treated' as' 'well 'Ss -it had - ■ during' '.the past three months'.'; Mr. D. M'Grcgor, of Wairarapa, hoped that tho Society would liberate a-large number of deer, in his district,;which wasiespect' ally suitable for. the purpose. ; "If that were done,"- lie pbserved,, "thereV would .bo no. need foi- a' sanctuary. '/, A 1 nian- would- dix', serve every deer he shot there.";"' 'Mr. J. J. 'Devino likened the man who socured'large bags of fisli by "worming'' to. tho man who killed game with the object of carping a reputation.; Seeing that a'largo majority of the .holders of fishing licenses' resided in arid about the city he trusted that tho'rivers inearat hand would bo kept well" stocked;'. " , •.; ; ' Messrs; J. E. Smith, R; B. Cole (Hunterville), W. Wakeham. (Pahiatua), L. B. Wilson, and L. ,Gr. Reid (lion. treasurer),. also made a few, remarks. -.-. ' The report and (balance-sheet wero' then adopted unanimously. • " ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS. The annual electioi} resulted as follows, President, ■ ':His Excellency ■■ the >' Governor; vice-presidents, Messrs. Geoi Denton, WJ H. Beetham, and A. J. Rutherford'; council,. Messrs. F. Roe, (Levin), W. Barton (Wairarapa), W. J. Birch and-R, C. Bruce (Rangitt ■kci), .T. Gi Stonkwell : (Palmerston North),' D.' M'Gregor.((Wairarapa North), • J. . Thomas (Pahiatua),' F./ C. Turner (Eketahuna); Dr.',' Ross, C. Trirnnell, J. J. . Devine, J. IS.' ■ Smith, Major Hume, L; 0. ,H. Tripp; F. Whitley, A. F.,Lowe, and L. ,G. Beid..• , VOTES OF THANKS. Votes of thanks were passed, to' Mr. Lucas: of. Warnham' Park, ".England, who:. had'' suj>. pli'ed' deer oh generous/term? to-Mr."John': Martin, of, Martinborpugh,' who. had' renders*! invaluable assistance in connection, with; the' capturo of young deer fronvtime to' tinie;, to'■ tho visiting delegates, and to tlid. 'chairman' and tho executive.