INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6495, 21 December 1881, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

COMMUTES MEETING. A meeting of the Committee of the Indus* trial Association was held at tho rooms of tho Association, Hereford street, at 7.30 p.m. yesterday j present—Messrs A. 0. Howland, vice*President (in the chair), A. B, Kirk, Ksponett, King, England, Boss, Toomer, Berg, Bates, Waller, Hale, Banks, and Ford. A letter was road from Mr H. J. Boss, withdrawing bis resignation as a member of the Committee. A letter was read from Mr W. B. Mitchell, agent for Messrs Jouberfc and Twopeny, enclosing a plan of tho New Zealand portico of the Exhibition building, which would bo ono-ilfth of tho whole. 'lno letter stated that the promoters were desirous of having the whole of the space in the bays filled, and to prevent them being taken up by exhibitors and only partly used, they would suggest that Societies suoh as tho Aisooiation should take up the bays, and re-let them to individual exhibitors or firm*, so that the cost of the latter would be trifling and the varioue industries brought together. Thirty-two applications for bays had been received, but in many instances, from the nature of the exhibits, only a small portion of each would be required, so that an amalgamation might be made, and tho cose very much reduced. It was agreed to defer the decision of the Committee os to the letter till after the general meeting of members. The Committee then adjourned. GSNSBAL MEETING.

A general meeting of members was held at the conclusion of the Committee meeting. There was a large attendance, and the chair was occupied by Mr A. Q. Howland, Vice-Pre-sident.

The Chairman said that the business of the meeting was the election of President and Vice-President, A letter was read from Mr J. P. Jameson exploiting regret at bis inability to attend the meeting, and alio stating that whoerer were elected to tbo vacant positions, he trailed the Association might heartily accept the decisions lately arrived at by the majority of the members, and loyally unite in promoting the objects which formed its fundamental basis. Mr H. Allan ashed what bad been done to give effect to the resolution passed at the last Seneral meeting with respect to Messrs onbert and Twopeny’s exhibition. Mr A. G. Sheath thought that the proper course would be to proceed with the election of officers first

Mr Allan said that it would be quite proper tor the Chairman to answer bis question first, as it referred to a matter arising oat of the minutes of last meeting. . The Chairman was of opinion that the first business should be the election of officers.

Mr Hulbert thought that a question affect* ing the carrying out of a resolution of the Association should take precedence of all other business.

Mr W. B. Mitchell thought it would be best to accept the Chairman’s ruling. The Chairman said he hoped the members would elect those who would support the Association. The gentlemen proposed were: —For President, Messrs J. P. Jameson and W. 8. King; for Vice-President, Professor J. Ton Haasb and Mr B. W. England. Ho wished to remind the meeting that members who bad not paid their subscriptions could not vote.

Mr B. W. Allan: Those whose subscrip lions are three months in arrest.

The members then proceeded to ballot for the candidates, with the following result;— Pres’dunt, Mr J. P. Jameson. 27 votes } Mr W. 8. King, 2fi. Vice-President, Mr B. W. England, 28 votes ; Professor Von Baast, 24. The Chairman declared Mr J. P. Jameson and Mr B. W. England duly elected to the offices of President and Vico President. (Applause.) Mr England said that ho wished it to be undersood that ho bad consented to stand for viee-President before the meeting at which Dr Von Haast was proposed. Ho would not have gone to the ballot nad it not been so.

Mr B. W. Allan said that many members hud been milled by the action of the Chairman in taking nomination! at the last meeting; they had supposed that Dr Yon Haast was the only candidate for the office, and now a candidate had appeared, who some of them did not know was standing. The Chairman stated that Mr England’s nomination had been made in accordance with the rules, and had been posted in the Association’s rooms for 18 davi.

Mr W. 8. King said he begged to thank those who had voted for him; at the same time ho was very pleased he had net been elected. [Mr Howland s I daresay some others are pleased as well } Mr Fcderli laid on thetable a number of specimens of silk-worms, and of leaves of the white and blajk mulberry. He stated that the silk-worms had been reared in Christchurch. He regretted that so little attention had been paid to the cultivation of the white mulberry, the very best sort for feeding the worms, while the vastly inferior black mulberry had been grown in abundance.

In answer to a question from Mr Alton, Mr Federli said that the Government had asked him to undertake the distribution of the grain to be imported from Japan. Ho might remark that «» this grain woe procured from the Northern Hemisphere it would not hatch out until next April, at which time no mulberry leaves would be obtainable. It was necessary that everything should be made a# easy as possible for those who were beginning to go In for serieloulture, aud so hi* idea was to take charge of the grain until it was hatched. Ho would ho glad if those interested in the matter would call on him aud see the various processes, as many erroneous ideas prevailed on the subject, One was, that it was necessary to remove the worms from one leaf to another in feeding them. lie explained how, by the use of netting or a piece of perforated paper, it was a very easy matter to change the leaves used in feeding the worms. Very exaggerated notions were also entertained of the trouble required in looking after the coooons. The fact was that ono woman could attend to sufficient worms to produce 2001 b of grain. The climate and soil of New Zealand, unlike those of England, were very favourable to the growth of the silkworm. Italy, the land of too silkworm, had been called the garden qf Europe, and in like manner New Zealand had been called the garden of the Southern Hemisphere, and was fitted, he thought, in every way for lericlculture. {Applause.) He might mention that at Padua, a Government department, specially charged with the duty of fostering the industry, had been trying experiment#

with tli« view of accelerating the hatching of egg* by the application of electricity, and h*d been successful So considerably deoroseing tbe time required by tb* process. •elf. with the bind assistance of Professor Blokerton, bud beta attempting » nomewhel similar experiment, with a certain amount of success. . . . , The Chairman Mid he felt that the thank* of the meeting were due to Mr Federli for the very interesting Information ho baa gitm. ££ Allan aeked what elope had been taken to carry out the resolution re Joubert and Twopsny's exhibition. The Chairman replied that there had not been much done ae yet. The Committee had waited on Mr Mitchell to aek for information on the subject, and had received a letter from him with a plan of the Hew Zealand court. The letter, which had been laid before the Committee meeting, wee hero rood. Mr Mitchell laid on the tab'o a complete plan of the exhibition building. The Chairman aeked Mr Mitchell to read the liet of applicant® for (pace. Mr Mitcheu did not object. Mr Halbert did not think it woe a part of the Committee'* business to hear tho liet of name#. Did tho Committee with to inquire into tho character* of the applicant® ? Mr Sheath would aek that the same# might bo read, ae the Committee required the fnlleet information on the subject that could be hod, Mr J. Morgan thought that no member of the Association should he ashamed of his name being on the list of applicant®. Be would like the names read out.

Mr Halbert said that *o far from being ashamed that bis name woa the first on the list, he was proud of it. He was not objecting for himself, hut on behalf of those who were not present, and who might not wish their business made public. Mr King thought the Association should hare tho fullest information possible. It was desirable that the names should be read.

Mr Bom believed that it was to the interest of the Association to hare any information that could be given. It seemed that a great part of the space available had already been taken op, as a Oommitteeof citizens had been working, and perhaps hr their mease 82 of the 40 hays in the New Zealand section bad been applied for. Mr Mitchell explained that there were 50 bays in the section. Mr Boss said that in that case of course the available space woe increased. It seemed also that tho whole space of these bays would not be required, ae there were some exhibits, such as window blinds, which would only occupy the walls. It seemed necessary, therefore, that the nature of the proposed exhibits should be known in order to carry out the proposals made in Mr Mitchell» letter to the Committee. Mr Scott suggested that tbe Association should ask exhibitors to state the space they would require. Ur Mosely asked if the Association woe to take op the remainder of the space ? The Chairman: No. Mr Mitchell said that he had received a letter from Meters Joubert and Twopcny, relative to what bad passed at one of the Association’* meetings. It woe too long to read, but he would read one extract. He then read the following “Apart from matters of argument, there were several misconceptions as to facts which we may be allowed to remove. The first are those of Mr Mosely, who states that we are 1 only travellers representing large bouses at Home, and bringing our commodities here to do ae much business as we can.' Now, ae neither of os are or ever have been travellers (in a commercial sense), as wo neither represent houses, large nor small, at Home or elsewhere, and are not even engaged, nor ever have been engaged, in commerce of any description, Mr Mowly’s informant must have Enetised a wilful deception on him. We ave no commodities to bring here, and nothing to buy or sell. We exhibit nothing, are agents for nobody, and have no other connection with the exhibits than that which obtained between the official Commissions at Sydney.or Melbourne and the exhibitors at those Exhibitions. Whether exhibitors sell, take orders, obtain prizes, or the reverse, does not affect us in the least. Our office is to build the Exhibition and to manage it; and New Zealand exhibitors may rely that they ehall receive exactly tbe same treatment in all respects as those from foreign countries or Colonies, and as exhibitors at official International Exhibitions have received. Again, we find Mr Mosely stating that ‘in Adelaide watches were sold to such on extent at the Exhibition as to prevent tbe local tradesmen from doing any basinets whatever in that article for months.' Mr Mosely is peculiarly unfortunate in one instance ho has chosen. There was only one exhibit of watches in the whole of the Adelaide Exhibition. That case did not contain above throe doxen watches at the utmost, and we happen to know from the exhibitor himself (Mr J. 8. Barker) that the greater portion of these were returned to America unsold, being too expensive for the local market. On tbe contrary, all the local jewellers will bear witness—Messrs Steiner and Wendt, our two leading jewellers, have themselves thanked us for it—that owing to tbe influx of country visitors their sales of watches and jewellery, during the exhibition season, was unprecedented. Of all people who should welcome the Exhibition, the shopkeepers of Christ church should be the first, with the exception of the hotelkeepers, who arc bound to reap a small fortune.” Mr Mosely said that bis remarks did not refer to the Adelaide Exhibition, but to that at Melbourne.

Mr Mitchell would point out that Messrs Joubcrt and Twopcny bad nothing to do with the Melbourne Exhibition, It was a Government undertaking. Mr England said he bad noticed that a number of those applying for space were members of the Association. Now, the diflloulty was, what were these gentlemen to do ? Was there to be confusion or not ? It might so happen that while one Committee were putting goods into one part of the Exhibition, the other Committee would be putting in the same kind of articles in another pari. It seemed to him that the cltisens’ Committee and the Committee of the Association would be sure to clash.

Mr Hulbert would consider it a piece o' imparttner.ee for any Committee of the Association to interfere with his arrangements tie to epaee, or with thoee of anyone else. The work of the Association was simply to devote themeelvee to the getting up of ex* Mbits. Mr AUan said that Hr Mitchell, as Meet?* Joubert ami IVopcny ’# agent, wished the Association to assist exhibitors to amalgamate for the purpose of securing •pace, hut not to interfere in the arrangement# of the exhibitor*. He did not see why both Caron? ittees should not work together. The citizens’ Committee had deferred taking action, and hod adjourned two or three meeting# in order to #te if the Committee of the Annotation would do anything, but that Committee had done nothing a* yet, and the citizen* had been obliged to do some thing for themselves. The Chairman #»id that it appeared to him that the two Committee* would have to travel over the same ground, and that amalgamation wa« therefore necessary, Mr Kos* would ask how the Committee of the Association were to carry out the resolution of the general meeting when another Committee largely composed of member* of the Association was acting without them. These gentlemen, Mr Mitchell and ©there, wished for a good display of local goods, but »* the work was being done without them, it almost seemed that the Committee could only lay down their tools and sayi "Do the work yourselves."

The Chairman pointed out that the same gentleman was both President of the Association and Chairman of the citizen** Committee.

Mr J. Morgan remarked that « house divided against itself could not stood. It seamed to him that both Committee* travelled over the same ground. Mr dootfc said that the citlaen*’ Oammittae did not interfere with what exhibitor* were doing personally. All they did woe to persuade local manufacturer, to exhibit and the Association could do the same, **«„ j»

they both waited on one mao it would do good. Mr Mitchell did not ««e why the Commil tec* should not amalgamate. Mr Allan thought the case might be met if the Committee of the Association were to appoint a subcommittee to represent the Association on the Exhibition Committee, Be might mention that this w«* the opinion of Mr Jameson, who, ho was sorry not present to urge it more powerfully than another could do. Mr Ross said that if alt that was to be don* was simply to induce people to exhibit, a Hat of the Industries represented, the tpsoM required, Ac., was needed. The Chairman said that he wot sure the Chairman of the Exhibition Committee would be glad to giro any information that era* required. Mr Allan replied that Mr Jameson would, of course, he most happy to do so. Ho regular decision woe arrived at, but ft woe understood that the Committee of the Association would further consider the matter. A vote -of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.