ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 231, 4 July 1872, Page 5

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

On Thursday afternoon last the annual meeting of the Acclimatisation Society was held at the City Council Chambers. Mr W. D. Murison, the President, was in the chair, and there were present- Mr Turton (Secretary), Capt. Boyd, Messrs Hepburn, Hodgkins, M'Glashan, Larnach, Oliver, D. F. Main, J. T. Thompson, Tewsley, J. Reid, &c,, &c.

The Secretary read the balance-sheet to the 31st March, from which it appears that the balance in hand last year was L 125 8s lid, and 15s in petty cash. The receipts were— Donations and subscriptions, L 207 15s ; Provincial Government, on account of subsidyof two hundred pound", Lßo ss 6d; sale of birds, seeds, and egg 3, L3S Is Sd ;— total, L447651d. The payments were— For purchase of stock, L 142 17s Id ; purchase and distribution of seeds, L 95 16s ; expenses connected with the distribution of stock, L 22 17s 6d ; destruction of hawks, 1 5 10s ; wages, L 96 ; commission, L 6 10s 6d ; food for birds, L 6 3s 2d ; postages, L 2 7s lOd ; sundries, Ll6 12s 6d ;— balance to the credit of the Society, L 2 lls Cd. Since the balance-sheet was made up to the end of tbe Society's year, the Provincial Government paid over the amount remaining due of LI 19 14s Od, and liabilities were incurred to the amount of L 24.

The report details at great length the proceedings of the Society for the year. It ex plains that, owing to the limited revenue of tbe Society , they were unable to arrange for shipment of stock from England, which however was of less consequense, as nearly all valuable insectiverous birds and game are already acclimatised. A large sum was expended during the year ou the purchase and distribution of seeds, principally of Coniferce, procured from California through the able agency of Messrs Gross and Co. Seeds of sixty-five kinds of trees had al?o been presented by Hir William Thomson, forwarded to him by his son from the garden of the Taj, Agrr. The Society were not in a position to contribute towards the subsidy from the Acclimatisation Societies required by the Government to supplement the vote of LSOO by the House of Representatives ; but it was for the Society to say whether LIOO should be appropriated to that purpose. As the funds disposable will be probably about equal to last year's income, the Council are of opinion that the expmditure should be limited to the distribution of trout and the purchase of forest tree seeds. The remainder of tbe report gives cheering accounts of the increase of pheasants, partridges, Californian quail, hares, axis and fallow deer, insectiverous birds, and trout. The report and balance sheet were adopted on the motion of Mr Tewdey, seconded by Mr J. T. Thompson. Mr Laknaccl moved a resolution to the effect that the society regretted that tbe state of its funds rendered it undesirable to contribute towards the importation of salmon ova, and that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary.

The motion was carried

Mr W. D. Murison was re-elected president, and Mr Thomson vice-president Committee — Town : Messrs J. Reid, H. Tewsley, E. Oliver, W. J. M. Larnach, G. K. Turton, W. Mann, E. M'Glashan, G. Matthews, W. Hepburn, Captain Boyd, It. S. Cantrell, F. C. Fulton, A. Grigor, J. W. Murdoch, F. B. Rich, J. F. Kitching, Rev. W. Will, H. Dench, F. Roberts, J. Shaw, W. Shennan, W, A. Young, P. F. Stoddart, A. Jones, and W. Derritt. The question of electing a secretary and treasurer, in the room of Mr G. K. Turton, resigned, was postponed. On the motion of Mr M'Glashan, a vote of thanks to the retiring office-bearers was passed.