TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 65, 1 April 1901, Page 2

TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Taranaki igricultural Society was held on Saturday last but the attendance was I far short of what it should have been, [ Mr S. Okey presided. The balaacu sheet jVre'stfntod showed receipts for end of year were £SiS 12s 9.i, exclusive of the balance of £'27 ICis 5d brought forward, while the expenditure amounted to £306 12s 3d a balance of £6O 16s 8d being carried forward. The Chairman formally moved its adoption. Mr Harknees drew attention to the small amount received from the St. Garman's square property, formerly used as a show ground. He suggested that if tliia property which was valued at £IOOO was sold and the proceeds invested on some othsr plan adopted for securing an adequate return en its value the Society would benefit considerably. I'he Chairman pointed out that it] cou d ret be sold, but might be exchanged, unless an eaabliog A.ct were pseged. He added that negotiations had been opened with the Borough CaunciHor an exchanae.

Mr. Harknesa considered that if an Act of Parliament were necessary for eoabling a sale it should be obtained, as the Society was only receiving £7 10< a year instead of at lfast £SO. Mr. Foreman suggested cutting the' proporfcy up into building allotments,

there being 1£ acres in a position which mads such plots very valuable. After some further discission it was decided that the incoming committee be requested to deal with the matter, so as to ensure a larger income to the Society, The balance-sheet was adopted. Mr. Newton King was elected president ; Messrs. H. Oakey, A. Southey Baker, J. 0. George, #nd W. Ambury were elected vice-presidents. On the question of electing the committae. Mr. Harkuess urged that with a view of creating a widespread interest in the Society district sub-committees should ba appointed in other centres such as Stratford, Hawera, TJrenui, and other places in the district. A similar course was adepted at Palmerston North with very successful results. Another suggestion he made was that

as the Show was a Metropolitan Show it should be held occasionally at say, Stratford, Joglewood. and possibly Waitira. By that means greater interest would be taken and the scope of the Society enlarged. He felt sure thfit these towns would not object to guarantee f ome of the expenses. By having active agents werkirjg for the Soeioty in each of these towns its work would be greatly strengthened. Several members heartily coacurrad in the suggestion. The following members were elected to the committee :—Mes3rs. A Davidson, (Jrockett, Perham, Adlam, Monro, Marfell, J. Hooker, Foreman, Harkiißss, H. King, S. Smith, 0. T. Mills, Stanley, 0. W. Sole, Gus Sole, Morris, Govett, W. J. Hoaeyfield, Wfstmacott, 0. Wills, F. Watso»,nith powor to add to their number, fer the purpose of forming district sub-com-mittees and extending the influence of the Sucifity. It being understood that the Ohiirraan and Secretary, whenever possible, would attend the district committees' meetings. Messrs. R. Cock and Saxton were elected auditors. A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the proceedings.

At the close of the above meeting, the committee gat to deal with various matters, amongst which was a letter from Mr. Robert Ross, of Brunswick, Wanganui, in which he referred to the inadequate interest taken by the farmers in the" last Show, and he proposed the following method for awakening them to a sense of their of their legarthy :—" Give £IOO in three prizes of £SO, X 35 and ills respectively for the best, milch cows of any breed to be won by the owner, not necessarily by the earne eow, for two consecutive year»—the entrance to be 20s for non-members and 10s for members for each cow. All cows entered to be in charge of the Society's officials at least seven days before the Show dny, to be milked twice a day and the milk tested by latest methods, kept separate and tested on Show day by a Committee of the Society." He was quite sure that the scheme would infnsa new life into the Society and that j the Show of dairy cows would be the most Buceesaful in the district. In the event of the prize not being won in the cecond year he suggested the money should be devoted to purchasing a first class bull. Tlw Committee intend to further consider the matter-