LOCAL INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2025, 20 August 1880, Page 4

LOCAL INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION.

The annual general meeting of the members of the Association for the Postering and Encouragement of Native Industries and Productions was held last evening at the Corn Exchange. , There was a largo attendance of members, and the president of the association, Mr E. Allan, occupied the chair. The Chairman said the business that evening was to receive the report of the committee/elect officers, and formal business. As, however, it was necessary that the rules with regard to the order of business should be altered so as to allow of the report of the committee being taken first, ha would ask some member to move a resolution to that effect. Mr W. S. King moved —“ That the order of business bo the reception of the report of the committee, discussion thereon, and alteration of rules if necessary.” Mr England seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The President then read the report of the committee, as follows : The report for the half-year ending February 12th, 1830, having Been issued to the members and the public in pamphlet form, your committee think it unnecessary to further reference to the transactions therein mentioned. . , ... In the course of the half-year just completed, » suggestion to hold an Industrial Exhibition, illustrating the present powers of the district in the production of the necessaries and luxuries of life, has been acted upon by yonr committee, and the Christchurch Industrial Exhibition of July 15th to 21st, held under the auspices of your Association, has signally shewn tha advance which has been quietly made in the last _few years in this direction. The prominence given to various local industries, and the scope shewn to exist, for their further development, have, the committee are pleased to observe, already borne fruit, in a noticeably increased demand for local productions, and in other ways, frrhree hundred pounds (£300), being part of the nett proceeds of the recent Exhibition, has been invested, as suggested by the Exhibition committee, on deposit for one year with the Christchurch, Sydenham and Suburban Building Society, at 8 per cent, interest. The balanca aheetaunexed, duly audited, shows receipts, .£536 la 4d ; disbursements, .£337 16s aa.

The committee will be glad to receive any subscriptions still dna, and trnst that the members will endeavor to add to the numbers on the roll. The committee propose to hold more frequent meetings of the members, at which pipers on the various branches of industry will be read, and discussion as to the best modes of encouraging such industries invited. Instructions have been given for the careful compilation of a register of all the existing trades in the province, and the number of hands now employed by each, so that in future the progress of each industry can be reliably ascertained. The committee recommend that the name of the association be altered to “ The Industrial Association of Canterbury.” Tour committee suggest that the secretary be a paid officer, instead of an honorary one, as at present, and that the treasurer and secretary be distinct officers, the treasurer to be honorary, and that suitable offices be rented for the purposes of the association. In conclusion, your committee are highly gratified at the success which has attended their labors, assisted by the members, in the past, and have the greatest faith in the usefulness of the institution in the future, and the benefits which must accrue to its members and the general public by the energetic prosecution of the objects of the association. The balance sheet, which was audited by Messrs J. A. Bird and W. Jameson, was then read. It showed that the receipts for the year, including £4BO Is 4d, nett proceeds of the Exhibition, had been £536 Is 43. Of this, £56 was for members’ subscriptions, viz., 203 at 5s and one at £5 ss. The disbursements, including £3OO invested in the Sydenham Building Society at 8 per cent., amounted to £387 16s Id, leaving a balance to credit of £l4B 5s 3d, against which were outstanding accounts amounting to £lO 8s 33.

In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, ns read, the Chairman said that he desired to offer a few remarks explanatory of the report. In No. 1 paragraph, reasons were given why a fuller account was not given. This was because in April last a full account of the proceedings had been made and printed. In this report, the action of the committee as regarded the tariff was stated at length. He might say that many of the recommendations of the association on the tariff had been agreed to, and he thought the present tariff would give a healthy stimulus to local industries if allowed to remain in force. Their local manufactures were increasing, and only during the last three weeks two firms had gone into the clothing bneiness. As in Dunedin nearly 1000 hands were employed, he did not see why they should not have the same in Christchurch. He hoped they would join with him in wishing these firms every success. [Cheers.] He might say that they had laid their views on local industries before the Boyal Commission, and when the report came before them it would be for the Association to help so far as they could in carrying into effect the recommendations of the commission. They would notice that the committee recommended that the name of the Association should be ohanged, and he must say he was in favor of it. They were not, as seemed to be thought outside, simply on association to watch over the political aspect of the question, but by the diffusion of statistical information as to the local industries, and by the watching over and fostering of local industries not already firmly established here, to push forward the interests of local manufactures here. [Cheers.] They had not, it was true, held so many general meetings as they might have done, but in future they intended to have meetings at which papers might be read on subjects of interest to the association, The report suggested that they should have a paid secretary in future, and it would be for the meeting to decide, as the adoption of the report necessitated a change in the rules. If they agreed with the change then it would be the duty of the committee, ha took it, to elect a secretary. There was also a suggestion that they should have a meeting-place of their own, with which he thought they would agree, [Hear, hear.] He did not think that ha need say more, but simply move the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. Mr Howland seconded the motion.

Mr Sheath quoted a telegram, and wished to know when the delegate was appointed to wait on the Colonial Secretary which recommended the reduction of the beer tax, and also other matters. Ho was not aware of the appointment of the delegate, and would ask for information.

The President said, as a matter of fact, no delegate was appointed, but the matter of the beer tax was discussed by the committee, and a res rlution passed to the effect that the tax •was exceedingly heavy. With regard to the property tax, the committee made certain proposals to the G-overnment as to the reduction on various items, such as machinery, plant, &c., used for local industries. The association, as an association, had not made the proposals as stated by the telegram read b Mr Sheath. “Mr Sheath said he desired to ask the resident to read the minutes of the meeting which the delegate was appointed. The President read the minutes referred to. Mr Holmes said that he was surprised to find that any person should, unauthorised, have taken upon himself to have represented the association on so important a question as the taxation proposals of the Government. He would move—“ That it is undesirable that any person, unauthorised by the association at a special meeting for the purpose, should represent the association either to the Government or in any other way.” Mr'John Barrett seconded the motion. Mr Boss thought the motion was somewhat too sweeping, and suggested that authorisation should be given to the committee to empower anyone to represent the association. Mr Holmes agreed to this alteration, and amended his resolution to that effect. Mr Banks said it was distinctly understood et the meeting of the committee that the association should not be represented in any way at Wellington by deputation. Mr Howland corroborated what had been said by Mr Banks. | Mr Bergh thought it would be as well if the president stated who had, unauthorised, gone to Wellington and represented the association. Mr Charters explained that he had gone to Wellington at tho request of Mr Lee, to press upon the Government the necessity of reducing the beer tax. It was true that the committee had declined to send a representative, as they had no funds to meet the expense. Mr Bee had offered to bear the expense of the matter, and ho (Mr Charters) had gone—not, however, as the representative of the association. He might say that, though unauthorised by the committee, bo .had waited on the Government and obtained

the concession of single fares over the rail* ways during the exhibition, which was at first refused.

After some further discussion, Mr Holmes’ motion was put and agreed to, with the amendment giving power to the committee to authorise any person to represent the association.

The report was then put clause by clause. Clauses 1 to 7 were passed without discussion. On clause 8, suggesting the appointment of a paid secretary, and the division of the offices of secretary and treasurer, being put, Mr Oogan questioned the advieableness of incurring the expense rendered necessary by the clause.

Mr Moor moved—“ That the clause be expunged from the report.” Mr Oogan seconded the amendment. Messrs Banks, Howland, Holmes, A. E. Kirk, &c., spoke in favor of the adoption of the clause.

Messrs Draper, J. A. Bird, Charters and others spoke in favor of the amendment. The amendment was then put and lost, and the clause of the report adopted. The last clause of the report was then put and agreed to, and the report as a whole adopted. The next business was the alteration of rule 4, so as to meet the adoption of the change from an honorary to paid secretary. Mr Sandstein moved the addition to rule 4 of the fallowing —" The committee from time to time to employ a secretary, who shall bo a paid officer, but who shall not bo a member of the association ex officio, 1 ’ which was agreed to.

Eules 6 and 12 were amended so as to meet the case. The rule with reference to the name of the association was amended to read *■ The Industrial Association of Canterbury.” The election of officers was then proceeded with. President —Mr Bobert Allan (reelected. Vice-Presidents Messrs G. Q. Stead and J. P. Jameson. Honorary treasurer Mr W. W. Charters. Committee—Messrs Moor, Hulbert, F. Jenkins, England, Howland, Neighbours, Holmes, W. S. King, E. H. Wood, Waller, H. B. Kirk, O. Hull, W. Langdowo, W. S. Smith, E. Toomer, N. K. Oherrill, A. E. Kirk, F. Trent, J. L. Scott, and Professor Bickerton, The President then on behalf of the late committee presented Mr Charters with a very handsome clock and a purse of sovereigns, as a mark of the high appreciation they entertained of his services aa honorary secretary to the Association. Mr Charters had done_ a great deal of work on behalf of the Association, and had been most zealous in the discharge of his duties. He had, therefore, great pleasure in presenting Mr Charters with the testimonial before them, fCheers.]

Mr Charters responded, thanking the committee for their kindly appreciation of the services he he had been enabled to render to the association. He could assure them that he regarded the presentation at far more than its intrinsic worth, great though that was, because it showed his services had been appreciated. Mr Charters then presented the president with a very handsomely-bound volume containing the reports of the exhibition and photographs of it, as a souvenir of the exhibition of 1880. Mr Allan briefly acknowledged the gift, and expressed his high appreciation of the souvenir. Mr J. B. Sheath moved a hearty vote of thanks to the retiring committee for their services during the past year. Mr W. 8. King seconded the motion, which was agreed to amid acclamation, Mr England moved—“ That on the payment of 10s 6d any person can become an honorary member of the association.” Mr Wood seconded the motion pro forma. Some discussion took place, the feeling of the meeting being against the proposal. Mr Draper suggested that life members should be created at say £3 3s each. He would move— 11 That any person desiring to become a life member of the association be enabled to do so on payment of £3 35.” Mr Bergh seconded the amendment. After some further discussion, Mr England withdrew his motion, and Mr Draper’s amendment, which had become the substantive motion, was then put and carried. A vote of thanks to the directors of the Corn Exchange for the loan of their room closed the proceedings.