A QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 63, 23 June 1910, Page 3

A QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE.

WHAT IS 'MEMBERSHIP? An interesting discussion followed a motion by Mr. Stanley Smith at the Agricultural Society's meeting the other evening. Briefly, he moved that no niem'ber should receive his membership ticket, giving him admission to die Society's shows, until his subscription had been paid. In theory, the motion looked reasonable enough, but it was urged mat it would not work in practice.

Mr. Smith, in moving his propo-silion, said that there were eighty memoers' subscriptions outstanding at the end of last year. Those members had received their complimentary tickets, and thus it was possible that 400 people visits! the spring show without contributing a penny to the Society's funds. He objected to the present system of giving membership tickets and privileges to every man on the members' list, whether financial or otherwise.

I Mr. C. W. Govett, in seconding, said [he didn't often agree with Mr. Smrth, i but this time he could. He considered I the adoption of the cash principle would save the secretary a great deal of trouble, and would not shut out a single member. Mr. A. W. Wood strongly opposed the motion, arguing that to tell a man he could get his tickets upon paying his sub. would be a 31ap in the face, which would induce most of the members to send along their money pretty promptly, but for the last time. He quoted the case of one of the Society's own members, who, being billed by another Society for his membership fee, sent the money and a request to have his name erased from the members' list. That gentleman had been one of,the strong supporters of Mr. Smith's idea until he had had this personal experience of the rule in practice. He didn't think that even 100 people had gamed admission to last year's shows on unpaid members' tickets, for many of the members in arrear were men who never visited the show at all.

Mr. W. Stanley opposed the motion, on the ground that the membership fee was not paid merely for the privilege of comirfg to the show. The money was paid for the benefit ofr the Society's funds.

The secretary (Mr. E. P. Webster) advised the members against the motion. In the past six years the Society had received £1709 10s from members' subr.ingin? from' £1(50 in 1005-(l to £4OO in 1908-6, and £3*s in 1909-10. Since the books closed this year he had received £3O, which brought the total to £1799'105. He considered that fully 50 or 00 per cent, of the outstanding subscriptions were "good." What was more, he f eit sure the members didn't join the Society and pay £1 per annum for the sike of the privileges attached, but donated the money to assist the (Society. Nine-tenths of them looked .upon the subscription as a donation. He pointed to the fact that not so very long ago the Society owed the bank £4OO. Now there was a credit of £162To change the policy which had enabled them to do that would be very shortsighted. "Mr. Smith said he would be the last one to move if he thought it would tend to cripple the Society. He pointed to the fact that last year's membership fees showed a decline from £4OO to £335. This was a bad sign, even though at the same time the members'' list had increased. The present system was wrong, and it should be changed for a better. He didn't think there was a single member of the Society who would refuse to come forward with his pound when applied to.

Mr. Gilbert pointed out that the big membership a couple of years ago was due to a on the part of members, prompted 1 by the desire to win Mr. Smith's.prize, awarded to the member securing Ihe greatest number of new members. If the committee made a special effort every year, there would be no room for complaint. The question appeared to be: Was the Society losing members who were still living in the district? It wasn't at all likely that the Society was going to depart from the present nolicy, which had given them such a large membership and placed the» in such a fine position. ; Mr. W. C. Weston spoke of the danger of "swopping horses in crossing a| stream," and suggested drawing up a list of members in arrears, allotting so many to each member for his attention. The president (Mr. W. Ambury) said he would have supported the motion if the Society was giving a pound's worth .for the ground subscription. But they weren't. Any member who wished could J get for a few shillings he now got for twenty, but they paict their subs, and helped the Society. They couldn't coerce members in this way. Of course there were "a few who would rather owe the subs, all their lives than do the iSociety out o« them," but they were k the great minority. The Society was on a good wicket now, and it would be a mistake to make an alteration -in the policy at this juncture. He suggested the advisability of appointing a canvasser to work up the membership in the spring. The secrete, rv. in further explanation, said the Taramki farmers were an honest lot, but they were not all millionaires in the swing of the year, and couldn't put their hands on a pound just when the Society might want it. The present system suited very well. The motion was withdrawn.