GERALDINE COUNTY ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1562, 8 March 1887, Page 2

GERALDINE COUNTY ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

The annual general meetiog of the above Society was held in the Wallingford Hotel yesterday afternoon. Preseoft —Messrs A. M. Clark (President, in tf|e Chair), Nicholas, Aspinall, Twomey, and Dt Hayes. The following report was read :-- "The Council in submitting the annual report of accounts for the consideration of the Society have again to congratulate the members upon the satisfactory operations of the past year. The attached balance-sheet shows that the Society commenced the year with a credit balance of £2O 5s 6d, and have closed it with a credit balance of £IOO. In addition to this balance there is a sum of £lO 10a still outstanding for subscriptions unpaid. This favorable state of affairs has been brought about principally to the greatly increased number of fjjfeiug licenses issued, and also by no expenses having been incurred in the prosecution of poachers. There can be no doubt but that the action of the Society in prosecuting poachers in the past has in a great measure helped to such a satisfactory result, as your Council cannot but think the members will agree that the money spent in that direction was well spent. During the past season only one case of poaching has been brought forward, but the evidence adduced was of such a weak nature that your officers deslined to interfere unless some stronger proofs were brought forward. No furthor evidence has as yet been brought to the knowledge of the Society. The Council regretlo say that the roll of members has receivea no increase during the past season, and they would urge upon the present members the desirability of inducing their friends to join the Society. The total receipts for the year, including the balance in hand on the 28th Feb., 1886, amounted to £125 10s, and the expenditure to £25 10s, of this latter amount the mim of £lO was spent in procuring brook trout. The number of licenses issued was greatly in excess of that of the rrevioua year, being 100 as against 66. In addi« tion to these licenses the Society has endorsed a number of licenses issued by other Societies, a fact which tends to show that the waters in our district are beginning to be well and favorably known amongst fishermen all over the oolooy. The rivers and waters under the Society's control are now abundantly stocked with trout, and there will be no occasion for years to come to replenish the stock. The Council would therefore suggest that the efforts of the Society for the corning year be directed towards the importation and acclimatisation more particularly of feathered game. The salmon ex lonic alloted to this Society by the Government were, together with those alloted to the South Canterbury Society, liberated in the Opihi and Tto* inuka rivers. They numbered som6 4009/ and were apparently strong and hlaaWfy fish. It was found necessary to tha sum of £2 in clearing the bar at the Milford lagoon to give the salmon a clear exit to the sea. No information has reached the Society of the salmon having been seen since they were placed in the rivers. Of tha brook, trout purchased by this Society and the South Canterbury Socioty conjointly, 1000 were placed in the creek running through the township of Arowhenua, and the remainder, 1900, in the Temuka river at the back of Mr O. P. McCallum's. The thanks of the Society are due to Messrs

Farr and Nicholas for the services ren-

dered in transporting and liberating these fish. All liabilities to dato have been fully paid, and as there will be.no occasion to draw upon the funds of the Society for

the next fsw rnoDths it will be advisable to place the greater part, if not ihe wljole, of the balance in hand on fixed deposit for six months. The outstanding subscriptions as they come in should be more than sufficient to meet any ordinary expenditure in the meantime. In accordance with rule 4, Messrs Hurgreaves, lnwood and Findlay iretirej from the Council, but they are eligible* for re-election.

The President in moving the adoption of the report congratulated the Society on its financial position. It was something creditable for a jMung society to be able to come before ihe public with such a balance sheet. He regretted that so few of the members were present, but he supposed the reason was that they thought' the right men were in the right places. It was gratifying to them also that their work had turned ont even better than they bad expected, and that every creek and river is now teeming with fish. Though nothing as yet had been seen of the salmon, he was fully satisfied a account would bo given of them yet. file thought.it would be as well oot to decide too quickly as to what should be done with the funds, tt would be well to refer the matter to a Committee, and let tbera report as to the most advantageous. way of utilising if. He moved the 1 adoption of the report and balance-sheet./

Mr Nicholas seconded the motion aa'

was carried unanimouily. f' On the motion of Mr Nicholas the retiring members of the Council—Messrs El'irgreaves, Findlay and lowood—were re-elected.

Oo the motion of Mr Aspirtall, Messwjv H. Wil-iauM, G. J. Mason and J. li!f Flint were re-elected members of thi Society.

great deal of work for the Society, and he did not see now that they were in funds why they should ask any man to work for nothing. Mr Nicholas and Dr Hayes thought £lO 10s too much.

Mr Aspinall reminded the meeting that he had taken the office as a labor of love. He never expected to be paid for it although there waß a good deal of work attached to it. After some-conversation the President, wh» spoke very highly of the way Mr Aspinall had worked for the Society, suggested tc make the honorarium 7| guineas, and this was unanimously agreed to. This being all the business the meeting adjourned. A meeting of the Council of the Society was then held, with the President in the chair. After the minutes were read and confirmed, Mr Nicholas laid he had hooked four of the brook trout. They were four inches lorg and in a fine healthy condition. He ' Wated then, immediately without hi>". A letter ■. «s read from Mr A. Perry, Secretary to the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, stating that his Society had come to the conclusion thai as poiioned grain had been laid all over the district, and game could not exist, it was no use offering a reward for hawks. As for shags the rivers were so full of trout that it v.as not necessary to offer a reward for them. After the matter was fully discussed, it was decided not to offer any reward for hawks, but that one shilling per head be offered for shags brought to the Secretary on and after the Ist of April next. On the motion of Mr Nicholas, seconded by Mr Twomey, it waß resolved—" That the shooting season for native game be from the Ist of April to the 31st of July next, and for pheasants and quail from the Ist of May to the 30th of June ; license for shooting the latter lo be_ £l, and license to sell the latter to be £5." Dr Hayes said ducks were thinning ont, and would soon be exterminated. He thought they ought not to be allowed to be sold. The President did not think that could be easily rione ; persons had been in the habit of selling them for a long time, and It would not be ensy to alter it now. After some conversation Mr Twomey moved, Mr Aspinall seconded, and it was carried unanimously— " That Messrs Clark, Nicholas, Gray, Hargreavee, Aspinall, and Dr Hayes be appointed a sub-Committee to consider the most ndvantageous way of utilising the funds of the Society, and to report to a meeting of the Council within two months." The meeting then adjourned with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.