TARANAKI ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 138, 10 July 1909, Page 2

TARANAKI ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

ANNUAL JIJSii,I,NU. The Himual meeting of the Taranaki icclimutisuUon Society wa» iiciu ia»* lighten the ilurough council I'liere wua uu uiieudauce ul uuiui » iossen members, ill'. J. K tviiooj, U.c |,ivsident, occupying the ciiuir. AX-NO At, KBltllU'. The annual report stated that tiiJ uvenuc lor the year wua JC!»4 las b., cjiitii, added to last years balance, o ive £IU2 2a lid. Expenditure Wuj _ li-i 10= id, leaving a balance oi .cl, i-s ltd to commence the year witn. jyjiiiiy the year the council bought noun: ,>u,oou fry, which were placed in tue society's poudi) under the care of Mr, iV. W. Smith, and to this gentleman tliu thanks of the Society were due for n.s - tare of the fish. Messrs, & Wuiltl' and Birch were also deserving of thanm tor assistance in liberating the you:;} iish. During the hot weather in Mali" u nutiiber of young fish were netted and placed in a pool into which tut: water falls, and there was such a num.vd difference in the growth tu>d vigor of the fish as to suggest that two ik.< ponds should be provided with a good 1..11 of water. The English pheasants imported four years ago had unproved thj uirds in the southern part of toe Society's district, and as the year lulu would be a close season for native and imported game, it remained with thj meeting to decide if more fresh blood should be brought into the Jis-.irc.. Pheasants, quail, and duck were more plentiful tlian a good many people thought, and if proper assistance could be obtained from tne right quarter to put down poaching me buciety would soon have a good head of game. Opossums were increasing. The report noneluded by urging members to assist in putting down poaching. Mr. Whittle, in commenting <m the report, said that the flail in the ponds this year were soft Mid Haoby, uui the action of Mr. Smith in putting t'nem near the falls had improved their tone. He thought the sluggish nature of the water in the ponds had a most detrimental effect on the fish. He also unfavorably commented on the fact that the names of persons licensed'to shoot were not advertised. The mere publication of these names would act as a deterrent to poachers. Mr. McAllum stated that be had overlooked this matter at the time. He ■ combatted the statement that the fish were not in satisfactory condition, and said his experience in liberating them had proved quite the contrary. Mr! W. W. Smith, curator of the B«creation Grounds, considered that uniy three or four dozen fish had died in tlie ponds. Mr. McAllum stated also tnat the fish from Hawera bad arrived in bad condition. He considered only 12,000 fish had been liberated, and about 1000 remained in the ponds. This fry uist about **s, distributed. In answer to Mr. Tipping, Mr. I. Young stated that last year, he understood, the Stratford Society had purchased 00,000 ova, from which they got 50,000 fry, at a cost of about £6O. tit also understood that the ponds and liatcheries at Stratford had cost £lB, but the curator there had said he oould construct them for considerably lew money. The hatcheries there were not elaborate, but they answered the purpose. He considered that this Society should have hatcheries of its own, capable of hatching out at least 100,000 trout each year for liberation in it* streams, which could easily absorb that i number. I Mr. Whittle.- The Waiwakaiho could take the lot. Mr. Young, continuing, said he didn't I wish to be antagonistic, but ha thought the leading members and officers of the Society were not putting | much push into Hie Society's affairs. He had endeavored to have the streams in the Tariki district stocked with fish, ! and had written to both president and secretary without getting a reply, The Society seemed to bo run on unbusinesslike lines. TJio president explained that the letter from Mr. Young he had treated as a private one, not an official one. Nevertheless, he had had the request for fish attended to. Mr. Whittle, as a committeeman, admitted his share of the blame (or unbusinesslike methods, How could the committee be anything but unbusinesslike when they held only one meeting a year? Mr. Young, speaking further, said he thought that this. Society by havhg hatcheries and putting out, say, 100,000 trout every year, would secure such revenue as would enable them to purchase game that would provide decent shooting.

Mr. Bennett asked the president if he had let' off with a. warning a lad who had shot cock and hen pheasants before the opening of the season. Mr. Wilson said he had warned a boy, but be believed he shot only one pheasant, and either on or near his father's place. The boy got a severe frfgot, and was not likely to offend again. The reason why prosecution did not follow was that the boy's father would have had to pay the fine, . 3lr. Bennett said this poaching had so thinned the birds that in eight days' shooting lie had seen only four birds. He complained also that the committee had not been called together to discuss the, business of the Society. The report and balance-sheet U read were then adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Officers were elected as follow: President, Mr. J. E. Wilson (re-elected); secretary and treasurer, Mr. D. McAllum (re-elected); council, Messrs. K. Whittle, J. Bennett, W. L. Newman, W. Birch, C. Young and Gibson. ' GENERAL BUSKVESS. It was decided that tlu> Council should meet on the first Friday in each jnonta. It was decided to fix the secretary's salary at £25 for the ensuing flrw.— Mr. McAllum said he did not require any salary, and was prepared to continue in an honorary position. He lid not think the funds could bear tht strain. —The president explained that the £25 was intended to pay Mr. McAllum lor the past year's work. j> Mr. Young moved that the president and Mr. Whittle approach the] Recreation Grounds Board asking for permission to erect in the grounds a hatchery large enough to accommodateiat least 100,000 ova. | Mr. Bennett complained thai the Society, whilst providing for anglers, was neglecting the provision of birjs. Pheasants were becoming so scarce that unless the Society made some move the dogs would b e scared when the* raw a pheasant.

Mr. Matthews considered tlptt all the Society's work and expenditure were to a great extent useless unless some active steps were taken to stop poaching. Country committees could assist. Mr. Whittle felt sure many farmers would be glad to co-operate & this matter if they were assured the Society was a live body. Mr. Young thought the solution of the difficulty lay in substituting gun licenses for shooting licenses. Mr. Hooker, the ranger, made an assertion that some members of the Society were poachers themselves, Tarikl was a hot-bed of poaching, Mr. Whittle resented the ranger making such remarks unless he'could prove his words.

Upon the motion of Mr. Matthews it was decided to form country committees.

Upon the motion of Messrs. Whittle nml Bennett a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. W. W. Smith for his car« of the fish in the ponds of tt»* Recreation Grounds.

The usual compliment to the chairman and tne press concluded the meet