SHOW FINANCES BUOYANT

Shannon News, 22 February 1929, Page 3

SHOW FINANCES BUOYANT

1929 FIXTURE YIELDS HANDSOME PROFIT.

RESULT OF FINE TEAM WORK.

SUBSTANTIAL CREDIT FROM CATERING AND GATES.

A very cheerful spirit pervaded the first committee meeting of the Horowhenua A. and P. Association since the annual show held last month. This took place last night, when it was disclosed that the effort yielded a net profit of £3lO. As a result the heavy handicap of a £3OO over- ' draft, ujnjder Which the Associar tion laboured at the beginning i of the year, has been liquidated, and the period will end with a small credit balance. Perhaps what is even more valuable, the show was responsible for a fine display of co-operation and voluntary work which has generated justifiable optimism as to its fu- . ture. As was remarked last night, one more such show will put the Association firmly on its feet.

• -The President, Mr H. J. Richards, whose inspiring example and untiring labours were 'acknowledged.‘ by* the members, last night, occupied the chair and there Avas a good attendance of committeemen. The Presi dent presented the following balance sheet, compiled by the secretary, Mr F. Nicholson, ‘which he said was not final in one or two details, brft would not be materially altered. (The figures for 1928 are shown in parenthesis) :

RECEIPTS: 1928. 1929.

EXPENDITURE.

Commenting on the items the President said 'there had, been an increase in entry fees of £24 17s, which was largely accounted for by the steer-riding competition. Ground space fees were less by £7 18s 6d as a result of not being able to let stalls- for the sale of soft drinks. The gate receipts showed an increase of £67 17s (applause). Weight-guessing was £l6 Is Gd behind, but was counter-bal-anced* by a gain of £l6 15s for the sale of gift* stock. The fat bullock brought £2l as against £l2 last year. The ball showed a return of £l7 and

the Shop Day of £l7 2s. Donations, apart from those given to the ’luncheon, were a little better. They had collected £25 17s more m subscriptions to date than at the same time last year, and there was still £sl) outstanding—some collectable and some not. The catering showed a profit of £177 13s 7d, of which the ladies got £44 8s sd. and the Association £133 5s 2d. (Applause). _ . , Coming to the debit side, the President said the increase of nearly £2O in prize-money was largely due to the steer-riding competition which took £l6. Printing, advertising and stationery showed a considerable net decrease. Straw and green feed was £lO 9s 6d to the good, and there was less for luncheons and breakfasts. Wa"es of gatemen were only £6 as against £39 18s last year, and £lO additional for the supervisor. This year this work had been largely done by the voluntary labour of the committeemen. The net result, was a- profit of £3lO for the year’s work. (Applause). They could nay the year’s rent £75 and the secretary’s salary for the year and have a small credit balance instead of the £323 overdraft they had on May 31st. A suggestion was made that better management was needed of the guessing competitions and Mr R. V. Brown said they would have to appoint someone not connected with other branches of the show to take an interest in this department. THANKS WHERE DUE.

Mr S. A. Broadbelt said it was very gratifying to receive such fa financial statement showing that the Associa-

tion was practically £3OO to the good. It spoke well for the energy that members put into the work during the last year. He felt that the Association should convey to the ladies of the Rest Room Committee, who undertook the catering, their very heartiest thanks for the work they had done. (Hear, hear). He had not the slightest doubt that, but for the interest aroused by the ladies, the Show avoul-1 not have been the success it Avas. The effort the ladies made had so interested others in the town and district that the Avhole community Avorked together splendidly. The catering and gates yielded the biggest part of the profit; othenvise the shoAV Avas on the same level as in previous years. He had never felt more pleasure at any committee meeting than he had done that night in knoAA'ing that practically the Association A\ r as out of debt. He moved that the Association convey to the ladies their heartiest thanks and hopes that they would be able to cooperate Avith the Committee at next

show. • Mr R. V. Brown seconded the motion, and added that no one fully realised the enthusiasm and hard work their President had put in to the effort. Before the show he worked for weeks and weeks, making sheep hurdles, and after the show was finished, when interest had. waned, Mr Richards

went back and helped the men clean up the grounds. With Mr Broadbelt, he agreed that they had to thank the ladies for the position they were in. Without singling out anyone, he thought Messrs Goldsmith and Crisp were worthy of their heartiest thanks for their • work at the gates. (Applause). It was uninteresting and very trying standing there in the heat and he thought they should ,be mentioned.

(Mr G. Tully endorsed Mr Brown’s remarks. He had relieved at the gates during luncheon one day and was satisfied it was easy to lose money there. It- was very difficult to catch people going through.

Mr W. Falloon thought the workers responsible for running the steer-rid-ing deserved mention. This event was very amusing to the people sitting up in the stand, but the men who were down among the steers with the hurdles in the heat were having a very rough time of it. The Mayor (Mr T. Hobson) said it was Mr Bould who brought back the ideas of the ladies taking on the luncheon and the holding of a steer-rid-ing competition from the Stratford Show and deserved a certain amount of credit because he had practically forced it on to the committee. The luncheon had been undertaken with a certain amount of fear and trepidation, but they had come out of it very well. The President was certainly the rig-lit man in the right place.

Mr *H. Denton considered the ladies had set the Association a very good example in co-operation and without auv doubt the whole thing went off without a hitch, though it was quite within the bounds of possibility that it might have occurred. Their organisation worked like a machine.

The President said that, in reference to what members said about himself, he recognised that they were out this time to pull the Association out of the difficulty it had got into financially. They took up two new ideas. He had nothing whatever to do with the steer-riding because he was fully occupied elsewhere. In regard to the catering/he felt that a good deal was at stake, and they wished it to be a success. If people went away satisfied with the luncheon,, it would ate a feeling that the Show was a success, and with that in mind he went out to do all he possible could to make it successful. What-’ ever else he ha<f done was simply a matter, of saving expense, as for instance, many times when a car could have been sent, he had gone himself for. what was required with the view of eeouomy, and this was one direction from which portion of their profits came. As far as other things were concerned, he had only done what he used to do for the sheep committee. It was very satisfactory to know that they had come out on the right'side. Mr Denton said many people gave donations. He had collected quite a lot with very little trouble. Mr E S. Easton’s bullock was their biggest donation, and people were very generous generally. Mr Broadbelt commented upon the liberality and fine service of the lun-

cheon, upon which there had been many compliments. ' Mr P. W. Goldsmith thought this motion should be confined to the ladies who had done their job splendidly. He and these at the gates had done their part without, thought or need of than,ks. The Mayor: When the ladies get their cheque, that will be their thanks. The motion thanking the ladies, the gate-keepers and fhe President was carried with applause. Mr Denton then moved a hearty vote of thanks to the donors to the luncheon and to Mr Easton for his gift of a bullock which had so handsomely augmented the funds. Mr R. W. B. Evans seconded the motion which was carried. Mr J. Kilsby moved a vote of thanks to Mr Simcox, of Otaki, for the gift of a sheep' race, which had been an acquisition to the grounds. Mr Broadbelt seconded the motion, which was carried. , THE LADIES’ SHARE.

On a suggestion to make the cheque for the Rest Room Committee round figures, the President said he understood their overdraft was £146 and it would please the ladies if the amount was increased to £46. ■ On the motion ef .Messrs Brown and Broadbelt this was agreed to. DEHORNING YARD.

The Ground Committee was authorised to arrange for the use of the steer-riding pen at the Showgrounds as a dehorning yard at a small charge. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting.

£ s. d. Entry Foes .. (£257 12s) 282 9 0 Ground space .. (£17 Is) 39 17 6 Gates (£130 17/0) 197 2 0 Weight guessing (£28 17s) 12 15 0 Booth privileges .. (£25) 10 0 0 Gift stock .... (£14 9/6) 31 4 0 Sale hot water 1 15 0 Net proceeds ball 17 0 0 Net proceeds shop day .. 17 2 0 Donations .... (£88 18/0) 91 6 0 Subscript’s paid (£216 3/0) 242 0 6 Nett profits lunch and stalls — A. land P. £177 13 7 {Ladies .... 44 8 8 133 5 2 Total £1075 £7 8

£ s. d’. Prize Money (£373 13s) 393 12 4 Advertising, Printing and Stationery— (1928—£90 2/2) 1929—£103 16/6, less advts. in catalogue and sales £38 .... 65 16 ri Straw 1 (£15 14/6) 5 5 0 Complimentary luncheon and breakfast tickets \ (£41 17s) 35 14 0 Bind (£7 10s) 7 10 0 Cartages (£11 8s) 8 10 6 Rem grounds (£75) 75 r 0 0 Public risk insiuv, (£10) io\ 0, 0 Secretary’s salary (£100) 100 0 0 Clerical assistance (£8 8s) 8 8 0 Judges’ expenses (£10) 8 0 0 Wages gatemen (£39 18/-) 6 0 0 Preparation of grounds 11 9 6 Expenses Stratford (Mr Bould) 4 3 6 ICennel Club and Conference 5 4 0 Cost surcingles 2 10 ,0 Timber 10 12 2 Posters 3' 0 0 Sundry accounts a 0 0 Total of above items in 1928, £81 15s 0d). — £765 15 6 Profit (£33 7s 100) 310 2 2 'Total £1075 17 8