A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 33, 3 February 1912, Page 6

A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL (MEETING. The annual meeting of the Stratford A. and P. Association was held in the Borough Council Chambers at 1.30 this afternoon. The President, Mr. R. Dingle, was in the chair, and there was an attendance of some forty members rtf the Association.

The balance-sheet and report, which have been already published, were taken as read. s

!u amoving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the Chairman said he did so with the greatest of pleasure. He thought they could congratulate themselves on having had a good Show. (Hoar, hear.) The Show, however, had cost them, as befitted a good Show, much money. He. went into the figures to show where the money had gone to, and pointed out that two items alone had cost them more than the members’ subscriptions had brought in. The levelling and fencing of the oval, though they had done much of the work themselves, bad especially proved expensive. Voluntary donations ’had amounted to £3ooj and the executive had decided to give donors of one guinea a lunch ticket, which accounted for' an item of £BO appearing as catering expenses. The judges’ expenses were put down as £6. These gentlemen understood that the Association was a young one, and had treated them most considerately indeed. The profit balance (£527 9s sd) looked very good, but it should be, remembered that it was made up of a sum of £390 2s 5d brought down from last year. The membership was 875, and there was £2OO owing and outstanding in subscriptions. A greater part of that, however, and donations, would bo collected. Their land, from a farming point of view alone, was a valuable asset, but it should not be looked upon from that aspect. It was a Show ground, and its value should be estimated from that point of view, as lie hoped it was always going to remain .a Show ground. He referred to the pleasant time ho had as president of, the association, and thanked the executive and members of the general committee for their loyalty to him, and the hard work they had done. They had all worked like men for the good of the Association. He Imped that the meeting would decide on a change of president,' ns he thought new blood would be advisable. They could put him on the executive if they wished, or give him an honorary position as gatekeeper. (Laughter.) lie referred to the .energetic services of Mr. Jackson, as secretary, his untiring zeal and Ids unbounded popularity. He was most sorry that the office of secretary was being vacated by Mr. Jackson, and Imped that they would be equally fortunate in their choice of bis successor. Mr. A. Coleman seconded the motion, and said he thought the prestige attained, and the progress made, iu

so short a period, was unprecedented in Taranaki, and was the envy of the district. Ho suggested that the executive should pay special attention to the question of depreciation of the buildings. In conclusion, he paid a tribute to the work of the executive officers, for producing such a happy result.

Mr. J. B. Richards, in speaking to the motion, referred at length to the profits of the two years’ shows being lumped together. The sentence in the annual report reading, “The actual profit made from the Show is £527 9s 5d,” was a source cf danger, and he thought it had perhaps crept in inadvertently. He went into details of the expenditure, and expressed himself as otherwise perfectly satisfied with the report and balance-sheet. Mr. W. H. Young wished to compliment the President, the Executive, and the General. Committee on the work they had done. They .had worked “every week and tivice a week. Referring to the complimentary luncheon tickets, he thought they had DOtui just a little liberal. The actual profit made, he considered, was not representative of the splendid number of exhibits and the large attendance; x greater profit should have been made. . Mr. Osmond pointed out that tlie comparison between the profits of both years was not a fair one, since £l6l, 'interfest, was an item which did net appear in the debit account of the T.’.fc year. In continuing he expressed :he conviction that Stratford would have the leading Show in Taranaki, if not in-the North Island.