BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4419, 26 May 1922, Page 2 (Supplement)

BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY.

ANNUAL REPORT. The following Is a copy of the report to be submitted to the annual meeting of the Paeroa Beautifying and Improvement Society: * In presenting this the first annual report of. this Society your Committee feels that it has something satisfactory fo report and something to justify its existence. Your Committee has met monthly, and the attendance of committee men and women is as follows : Hanna 13, Enticott 13, Marshall 12, Gillman 12, Holes 11, Nixon , 10, G. H, Taylor .10, Silcock 8, Miss Shaw 7, Mrs Hanna 6, Bain 1. ' At the first committee meeting Miss Dutton was appointed assistant secretary at a remuneration of; £1 per annum, which amount has been returned to 'the Society as a subscription. The Committee have ample cause to congratulate themselves on the appointment made. Mr Nixon was appointed working overseer for the Society, but, unfortunately, there has not been so far very great scope for his services. It is with great regret that the committee hears that Mr Nixon is leaving the district, and it is sincerely hoped ’ that he will be able to contradict the , & \ report. Steps were taken at the first committee meeting to acquire the railway section for beautifying purposes, and after long and protracted bargaining a lease was executed in January of this year giving the Society the right to beautify this section,; but reserv- ' ing to the Railway Department the right to c.ancel the lease on three months’ notice. It is not anticipated that such a course will, be taken by the Railway Department for some time ’o come, and the clause is inserted in all railway leases in case of any contingency arising necessitating cancellation. ; . The Executive Committee, consisting of the president, vice-presidents, and Messrs Gillman and Nixon, was elected by your committee to deal with matters of urgency, but. owing to the regular monthly meetings their services were not required on more than two occasions. ' x The question of maintenance seriously exercised the minds of your committee, and a deputation waited / on the Borough Council, requesting them to undertake the maintenance of. all work completed by the Society. The Council was unable to, accede to pur request, but undertook to make a< grant annually according to the state of their finance towards maintenance work. During the year Mr J. M. Cochrane resigned his office as vice-president owing to his leaving the district. Mr Cochrane’s action in paying up his two years’ guarantee, notwithstanding his departure from the district, is much appreciated, and the thanks of the Society are due to him. Mr J. W. SHcock was appointed vice-presi-dent In his place. A propaganda sub-comniittee was' set up with a view to bringing before the public the aims, objects, and advantages of; the Society, but, though a good commencement was made, it is felt that a little more keenness by this sub-committee will be a benefit. " The Entertainment Committee, which was another, subcommittee set up,' perhaps deserves ' the foregoing remarks a little more, and though tns third sub-committee (the Maintenance Committee) has not had a great deal of scope for its energies so far, % it is felt that they will have a large portion of the work during the conning year. This committee recommends that a considerably larger amount should be expended in the eorning year on maintenance than has been done in the past, and would like a no uncertain mandate from the general meeting thereon. Your Committee at some length considered the matter of establishing a Junior Society, and through the instrumentality of Mr G. H. Taylor some 74 members have beem enrolled. The formation of this branch society . has, your committee feels sure, been no small factor in encouraging the young idea in beautifying, as can be evidenced by the activities on the school grounds. Further, the Junior Society has encouraged the idea pf protecting the beautified sections, and not one complaint has been made of children interfering with any of the works of the Society, notwithstanding the natural temptation th children to pick .flowers.. Attention should also he drawn to the fact that very few members outside the original guarantors have

been enrolled. Membership was fixed at £1 per member, with a view co allowing a large number of people to join up who could not afford the £5 guarantee, and your committee feels that an active campaign to enrol members should be commenped. If each member will endeavour, to get at least one other member the funds would' be increased annually by approximately £IOO. Dealing now with, the works carried out and in progress as nearly as possible in their order, the following are deserving pf. mention;

Plans. —Your Committee rpquestel Mr T. E. Pearson, superintendent of the 'Auckland parks, to visit P.aeroa and prepare plans and specifications of suggested works. These were obtained at a cost to the Society of £22, and were exhibited for some time in Messis Holes Bros’, shop window. New Post Office.^ —Representations were made to the Postmaster-General asking that when the new post office Was commenced the building should be set back six feet 'fjrom the road line and that the Society be authorised to plant the reserved area. The Postmaster-General replied stating that ihe request was favourably considered by his Department and that instructions had been given to take this matter into consideration in the drawing of the plans. Ghurch Corner.*—Mr Pearson’s plans and estimate for this wor.t showed an ’estimated »cost of. £l2O. The Society, feeling that it had not an actual tenancy of this property, decided to undertake the work by means of working bee, and this resulted in the splendid effect visible to members being obtained at a total experditur,e of £3O 5s 9d. This, however, does not include the bubble fountain, which was purchased and erected at a cost of; £9 15s. There is ample evidence of the appreciative use io which this latter fixture has been put. While discussing this section of tire work mention must be made of the generous gift by Mr S. 3. Laughlin' of two handsome and substantial seats, and the thanks of the Society arp due ’to him for his generosity. These have bpen used very largely by the public, and a number more should, in your committee’s opinion, be provided. His Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral’s Visit.—lp. April of J 921 His Excellency the Governor-General visited Paerpa and a public meeting requested the Beautifying Society to undertake the decoration of the town for . .that occasion. The Society also took advantage of Their. Excellencies’ visit to request them to plant the first two trees in the Mackay Street avenue, Their Excellencies took particular interest in the operations of this Society, apd expressed themselves particularly gratified with the public spirit shown by members. The avence was completed a few months later, and with the exception o£ one tree are all thriving. At the proper season for so doing the tree that died will he replaced with another of equal proportions. Railway Section. —Work 'has now been commenced on this section, and will be carried out generally on the lines suggested by Mr Pearson. The' Borough Council, at the request of this undertook the piping of the drain extending along the frontage of this section, and a portion off this work has now been completed, and it is hoped that, a further portion will be completed at an early date. A number of preliminary arrange-< ments have been made, and it is, anticipated that work will be in full swing and sufficiently advanced to enable planting to take place during the coming season. Amping the preliminary arrangements are-: (1) A deputation to ‘.the Bprougn Council requesting that the {whole o( the drain be completed, and it is anticipated that a reply wil \ be to hand in time for the annual jmeeting. g (2) Arrangements have beejn made witJfi Mr Alp, the proprietor of the railway tea rooms, for, the Society to use a portion of; the land ?.d hi s leas; pendi?rg his requiring same ffor extensions to his buildings, and .he has also agreed to assist in the ei - ection of a rustic screen to hide the present base of his building. The thaiß ks of the Society are due to him. (3 ) Arrangements have been made wit; h the Power Board for the removal to a position more suitable to this So ciety of the strainer stubs now in the. middle of the section. (4) Mr RIM, APken, who has acquired the TaKsinan plant, has agreed to donate sufficient l%m piping for the top rail ofj The fences to be erected along the ra Uway platform and lines, and tl m thanks of the Society are due 1 to hiu >•

Library Section. —Arrangements were made with Messrs Nixon and Holes to plant and establish two beds on this frontage. Mr Nixon’s dahlias ■made a fine show, and notwithstanding that circumstances over which he had no control prevented Mr Holes from completing his, he has made arrangements with the committee for the completion of same during the planting season.

Public Rotunda—Your _ Committee purchased from the Ohinemuri County Council the rotunda then erected at Karangahake for the sum ’of £5O, and arrangements were made with Mr Roberts to move this to Paeroa and re-erect same in its present position. Mr Roberts did the work efficiently and at very little more than cost, to him, with the result that the completed rotunda has cost the society £163. The Borough Council installed the light in the rotunda, and is paying for the maintenance of the light. It is felt that this rotunda will serve many useful purposes, particularly on public occasions. Waste Baskets. —The Society has provided two waste baskets in toe main street, and at their instigation the Borpugh Council has supplied one other and arranged for weekly clearances of same.

Balance-Sheet—An analysis o£ the balance-sheet discloses a satisfactory state as far as expenditure is concerned, but' your committee has been considerably exercised in mind regarding the income, particularly with regard to outstanding subscriptions, a list of which is presented to night. Your committee would ask ifor a very definite mandate from the annual meeting regarding this matter. The work for the coming year will be. firstly, the railway section, as referred to above, and after the completion cf that to the extent possible a start will be made on .the main traffic bridge section and the street fronting the school,grounds. Your committee f,eels that the attitude of the School Committee and the school children in beautifying their grounds warrants some active step's on the part of this Society by way of further encouragement. It is also felt that the inculcation of the love of. the beautiful and I a proper civic spirit in the minds of . the children should be.one of the first objects of the Society. Nominations for officers and committee show the absence of four members of the outgoing committee, namely: Miss Shaw, Mr Nixon, Mr Holes, and Mr Bain, and these have ’ been filled by the nomination of Mrs Evans, Messrs Edwin Edwards, R. W. Evans and P. C.''Furley. The thanks of the Society are due to the ’outgoing members of the committee, and youi committee feels that the Society is to be congratulated on the nominations received to fill their places, but regrets that more- nominations were not received. The only election will be in rdspect of the offices of vicepresidents, two of whom are required. Your committee appreciates the work of all three nominees to such an extent that it has no recommendation io make.