BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4562, 11 May 1923, Page 2

BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. The second annual meeting of the above incorporated body was held in the Corotnation Chambers on Tuesday night. The president, Mr J. L. Haniiu, presided, and the following members were present: Mesdames Hanna, DftL Evans, Miss Dutton, Rev. E'.iticott (secretary.), and Messrs W. Marshall, E. Edwards, J. W. Silcock. G. H. Taylor, W. D. Nicholas, P. E. Brenan, R. Waddingham, E. W. Porrict, B. Stansfield, and G. P. de Castro. THE ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report was read as under In presenting its second annual report of this committee feels that it lias something tangible to show. Your committee has met .on nine occasions, and the attendances have been very satisfactory. Finance. —The financial position of the Society is sound, but, unfortunately, a considerable amount was outstanding at the end of the year. The guarantees were only given for two years, and in face of the stringency of finance throughout the countiy your committee not consider it desirable that a campaign foe further guarantees of such a .large amount should be' undertaken. It is therefore proposed to canvass only for subscriptions of £1 this year, anJ to aim at getting not. less than .150 members. Your committee strongly urges on all members the desirability of obtaining not, less than two other persons as members at £1 a year,. This is now a vital stage, in the Society’s existence,, and a time when loyalty and co-operation oi members is particularly needed. Maintenance. —Your committee has been carrying out maintenance by casual labour, whereby the works laid, out are now kept in order at, a cost averaging £4 to £5 a tnonth, and up to the present, this is considered the most satisfactory arrangement that can be made. Corner.—This section" i'’ bejng maintained, with the exception of' the g.nass-cut,ting, by voluntary workers. The thanks of the Society are due to the Misses Browbill and Dutton for undertaking the maintenance of the flower borders. Public Rotunda. —This • has been paid for, and now stands as an, asset in the balance-sheet. Your committee considers it is a matter for regret, that more use is not, made of the rotunda. Railway Section. —This section has been completed, and speaks for itself. The cost tp the Society has been £217 15s Ififl, and considering that the estimate by Mr Pearson was £395 your committee feels justified in claiming to have conserved the funds of the Society satisfactorily. The special thanks of the Society are.due to 'Mesdames P. E. Bronan, Hanna, E. Edwards, Bishop, ,C. E. .Andrews, E. H Andrews, D. J. Evans, Peacock, L. Mitchell, Misses Shaw. Sutton, Dawber. M. Gunn, V. Raffills, F. Williams, Brownbill, Dut.ton, Messrs Rowe, Underwood, and Hargreaves, who have undertaken the maintenance of the flower beds in this section, thereby relieving the Society of a very considerable amount in maintenance. In this connection the Misses Brownbill and Dutton are again entitled to the special thanks of for undertaking a very large proportion of the work and carrying it out with excellent results. It is not anticipated that there will be further expenditure required hero save and except grass-cutting. The palms in the centre of each bed are thriving, and with the extra cultivation as the result of attention to tlie flower beds should in a very few years show admirable results. Two seats have been purchased by the Society and placed in this section, and it is hoped, as funds permit, that more will be acquired. The Society could not have achieved the results on this section at the figure •named had it not been for the kindness of Messrs R. M. Aitken and Son and Messrs Ratliff and Son, of Karangahake. who respectively gave free of charge the piping for the fence railing and gravel for tfie paths. library section. —A start has been made on this section., the grass being planted, and it is anticipated that flower beds will be completed during the coming season. New z Work.—lt is your committee’s intention as soon as funds will permit tp make a start on the triangles between the Criterion Hotel and the Public Works Department, and though funds are limited your committee considers that good results can "be obtained with the amount of assets at its. disposal..

Photographs have been taken of the railway section, and arrangements are being made for the publication of same. The thanks of the Society are due to Mr Lindsay Mitchell for taking and providing the photographs. Nominations of officers and committee show the -absence of Mrs D. J. Evans and Messrs Marshall, R. W. Evans, and Rev. W. J. Enticott, and the thanks of the Society ape due to them for their services during the year. The Rev. Enticott is absent from the list of nominations for secretary, and this is a matter for considerable regret by the Society. Mr Enticott has held the office of secretary since the Society’s inception, and your committee feel that it is needless for them to say that he has at all times been an efficient secretary and a conscientious hard worker for the good of the Society. Your committee feels, however, that the Society is to be congratulated on the nominations for the vacancies on the committee. THE BALANCE-SHEET. The balance-sheet showed the receipts to be: Guarantees received £224 17s 6d, subscriptions received £4, 1924 subscriptions received £l, cash at bank, March 31, 1922, £lll 12s 6d, less out accounts £5 16s 2d, £lO5 16s 4d: donation, proceeds community singing, £2l 3s 2d ; sales £B, advanced by tjeasiircr £l7 4s 9d, making a total of £382 is 9d. The expenditure was: Railway section £217 15s lOd, church section £l7 Ils 3d, library section Is 9d, rotunda section £ll3 2s 6d, triangle section 12s, Mackay Street 5s 3d. Working

expenses : Gear and stools £5,16s 2d, advertising £2 ,17s, xsundries 9s 3d, stationery 3s 6d? stamps, etc., £3 2s 3d, insurance 16s, bank charges 10s secretaries’ honoraria £11 —£2r 14s lOd ; cash at bank £l2 12s, less out. accounts £4 13s 8d —£7 18s 4d. The debit balance for the year was £9 6s sd. The assets consisted of cash at bank £l2 12s. guarantees outstanding £230. Borough Council, oq account (1022), £2 12s 6d, rotunda £163 10s 6d, tools and gear at valuation £6 2s 6d, four garden seats £2O, making a t.otal of £434 17s 6d. The liabilities comprised: Amount owing to treasurer £l7 4ls 9d, sundry creditors (wages) £4 13s Bd, subscriptions for 1924 £l, making a total of £22 18s sd. Ln replying to a question Mr Hanna said that the rotunda was an asset of the Society’s, and an arrangement had been made with the Borough Council by which the socielty coul.l remove the rotunda if necessary. Mr Waddingham asked what steps were the society going to take <*> make everybody pay. Mr Hanna said that every endeavour was being made, and he was hopeful that the whole of the subserptions would be paid. Since the signing of the guarantee some members had struck financial misfortune and had requested time in which to find the money. He did not, thiiw (hot, more than two or three at the most would dsipute their guarantee, and in these cases he thought the society quite justified in taking action. What, was aimed however, was the voluntary will of the people. In reply to a question as to. how the works were going to be maintained, Mr Hanna said that that was a matter for tile committee. Help, he felt sure, would always be forthcoming from loyal citizens. Mr W. Marshall moved that, the balance-sheet and report be adopted, and that as the activities of the society had been hindered by a numbes of guarantors not paying it be a recommendation to the incoming committee to leave no stone unturned to collect'the amounts. Tn seconding the resolution Mr Silcock said that the remarks of the mover were warranted after hearing the balance-sheet read,, but he was of the opinion that a good inany who had not paid were not in such a good position as they were formerly. The resoluton was carried. MEMBERSHIP. Mr Marshall moved that a circular ba forwarded to. each guarantor notifying that the membership of £1 a year continued unless a resignation was received by the end of the month- - Mr de Castro seconded the motion, and thought that it should be made quite clea.r that the membership fee was £1 a year. Mr Waddingham said that, according to. the circular sent put it did.net appear as if guarantors were liable formembership. The resolution was Put and carried. ATTENDANCE. The chairman said he was disappointed at the attendance. Out of a membership of 80 only 15 were present. ■' Mr de Castro said that the reason for the poor attendance was that all were satisfied with the work the committee had done. THANKS. Mr Hanna said that the whole town, and Society in particular, were indebted to Miss. Dutton for the loyal and public-spirited way she, and also M’ss Brownbill, had worked. The. improvements made by them ar, the railway beds were a monument to their labour. A hearty vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. In proposing a -vote of thanks to Mr Hanna, Mr E. Edwards said that he had devoted endless time and energy, and the Beautifying Society was indeed a monument to him. The society was-in the same position as ship: it wanted a good, skipper, and this had been found in Mr Hanna. The work that had been accomplished was indeed gratifying to everybody and was a distinct, improvement to the town. The vote was carried by acclamation. > . - '• In returning thanks Mr Hanna said he appreciated the remarks and the cordial manner in which the vote was carried. The society, however, .had been a hobby with Mns Hanna, and that was how he came into it. . He liked the work, and he thought that the praise that had been given for the work done had more t.han compensated for the labour expended. He had no axe t.o grind, and what he had done was done willngly for Paeroa,. and Paeroa everytime. (Applause.) A hearty vote of thanks was accorded by acclamation to the Rev. W. J. Enticott on the motion of Mr Hanna, who said that as secretary from the inception of t,he society Mr Enticott had done splendid work. In returning thanks Mr Enticott 'said that what he had done was a work of pleasure to him. The treasurer’s duties could be lightened if members would pay up promptly. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officer's were elected : Patrons. Messrs W. Marshall and HPoland ; president, Mr J. L. Hanna ; vice-presidents, Messrs j. w. Silcock and E. E. Gillman ; committee, Messrs W. D. Nicholas, G. H. Taylor, G. P. de Castro, E. Edwards, Mrs J. L. Hanna, Misses Brownhill and E'. Walmsley; secretary, Miss Dutton ; treasurer, Mr G. P. de Castro ; auditor, Mr W. H. Blake way. SUGGESTIONS. .The president then invited suggestions. Mn E. W. Porritt said that some years • ago subscriptions had been raised to purchase a drinking fountain, and it was, placed on top oi Primrose Hill. The wind, however, was so strong, and the basin not large enough, that it was almost useless. He suggested that it be removed into the triangle in front of the Bank of New Zealand when that part of the town was being beautified. On his proposal, seconded by Mr G. H. Taylor, this work was recommended to the committee. Mr Porritt also moved that it be a

recommendation that the stone garden be continued along the front of the Drill Shed. 'Mr Taylor seconded the recommendation, and said that if this was done the school would undertake to keep the garden in order if planted. Mr Enticott suggested that the society should ‘approach , the Domain Board to get a gate at the corner of King and Arney streets and also have some steps cut in the hill opposite King” Street. The latter was used a great dear by ; children going to school. ; , 'The suggestions were accepted as recommendations to the new committee for consideration.