THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY IN A NEW LIGHT.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 787, 29 December 1876, Page 3

THE ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY IN A NEW LIGHT.

lo the Editor of the Glol/e. Sib, —In the words of “ Fritz,” in our new play, “I got madness ” when [ took up my Globe last evening and read, in the report of the council' of the Acclimatisation Society, held on Wednesday, that a resolution had been carried to lend a Building Society £SOO of the people’s money, entrusted to that body—in the words of a member at a late meeting —“ For a specific object.” I shall now start somewhere about the beginning. In the first place, I take it, the society was formed solely with the object of introducing birds, fish, &c, which would, in time, be useful and profitable to the people at large, and considerable sums were voted by the people, through their representatives in the late Provincial Council, and subscriptions paid, to a large amount, by the public, in the belief that the only use to which this money would be devoted, would be to purposes of Acclimatisation pure and simple. Here I shall take a quiet jump for the purpose of showing a manoeuvre or two. By the aid of the funds already mentioned, the present council were placed in the position of being able to sell fish and game, issue licenses, and, as a consequence, accumulate a nice little credit account at the bank ; but, for some reason or other, best known to a few, this satisfactory position has studiously been kept dark, notwithstanding that a resolution was carried that a statement of accounts should be made out and presented ; and to repeated requests in the same direction, excuses were constantly given of the treasurer’s absence, &c, and up to the present time, no such document has been submitted. Here it may not be out of place to mention that the member who moved the resolution alluded to, and had repeatedly requested that the accounts might be published, has lately resigned, and busy rumor answers why. Now for the mameuvre : When some little difficulty was experienced about obtaining the £BOO to be spent in introducing the American salmon ova, a few of the members of the council—and judging by the reports, no one more so than thejj treasurer —were in the habit of constantly pulling long mouths on the low state of the funds, and. the absolute necessity for this money being received to enable them to meet the liability they had incurred with other kindred societies. Well, the money was obtained through the exertions of the president, and the salmon arrived and what do we find then—that after all the society had over £SOO in hand, and a gentleman who is a large shareholder in, and a director of a Building Society, and who from his position knew the actual state of things all the while, now knows “ a building society that would give 7 per cent for the money at one month’s call,” and actually carries a resolution that £SOO of this money, obtained through Government grants for the purpose of stocking our rivers and fields, and for which the people have been taxed through both nose and ears, should be deposited with one of these societies, to do what with ? Why to invest at from 12 to 15 per cent, when in due time 7 will be paid to the Council, and as to the balance ?—well, of course the large shareholder, and the thoughtful director who never for one moment dreamt of such a contingency as this money4>e£ag available will receive his just proportion, and a vote of thanks! No wonder as I thought of all this that I “got madnesV’ and I think it enough to make any ordinary person feel the same. Doubtless due care will be taken that the society receiving this money is substantial in every way, but supposing in the mutability of human affairs that it should prove otherwise will these gentlemen who have eschewed Acclimatisation for lending, put their hands into their own pockets to repay the money they were entrusted with for “a specific object ?” I trow several times not. Perhaps I may be asked to what purpose this surplus money should be put. Surely we have not got all the various birds and animals we desire to acclimatise here —not I take it by one-fiftieth part —but if so I would suggest that as the Acclimatisation Society introduced that noxious weed which has nearly spoiled our river, and causes so much damage, loss, and inconvenience to those living in the lower portion of the district, if they have any money to spare they would be putting it to a much more legitimate use in my opinion by spending it in the endeavor to eradicate this nuisance than by lending it out at interest to a building society. In the Star, Mr Johnstone the seconder of the before-mentioned resolution is reported to have suggested, after some discussion on the young salmon Tegeived from

America, “ that the society should sell as many as possible, in lots of 500 each, in order to recoup the society for the expense incurred hi obtaining them.” Pray what expense has the society incurred? They got £3OO from the Provincial Government for this purpose, of which sum they spent £l5O, and didn’t even pay the railway carriage from Port Chalmers. Let me ask what the object was in obtaining these fish ? From an old paper, I observe that at a special meeting of the Council held on May 4th, 1875, a statement of the proposed application of the £2OOO grant applied for to the Government was read, and the first item ran as follows :—“ The society desires to obtain a variety of Californian fish which it considers would do well in New Zealand rivers.” I confess I don’t see anything there about selling the fish in lots of 500, and the object appears to me to desire to procure them for distribution in ISlew Zealand rivers, and I should fancy also, the money was voted solely with a belief that this would be done. Now it appears that, having obtained one kind of Californian fish, the society do not desire a variety, but prefer instead, selling those on hand and depositing the proceeds at 7 per cent, thus enabling f riendly societies to make a clear profit of five or more. At the same meeting the chairman is reported to have said ‘ * He was not at liberty to state what sum the Government had put upon the estimates, but he would say the Government had clone all they could for the society.” And I think most people will agree with me, that as things have turned out, they did a precious deal too much for them. One other little matter, I see a notice of motion has been given to reduce the number of members of the council from nineteen to nine. All I can say is, that if the little movement I have been writing about can be carried on with nineteen, well, when a nice little coterie of two or three will form a cpiorum, we will have a resolution passed to cut up the society’s grounds into building allotments, to be sold for the benefit of whom they may concern. As to the ability of the council to lend even one penny of this money at interest and other matters, I shall reserve my opinion until I learn what has been done at the next meeting, which I see is to be held to-morrow. I would desire, however, to be distinctly understood when I say that I am aware there are gentlemen on that council who devote their time to this work solely for one object, and that a philanthrophic one, and it is to these members I would appeal to muster in force and rescind a resolution which should never have been permitted on the society’s books. Yours, &c, ONE OF THE PUBLIC. Christchurch, 29th December, 187 G.