MASTERTON A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8356, 11 February 1907, Page 5

MASTERTON A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

GENERAL COMMITTEE . MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the Gene- ' ral Committee of the Masterton A. j and P. Association was held on ' Saturday. There were present:— ! Messrs R. Gray (chairman), B. Rayner, W. Cooper, R. Johnstone, R. Dagg, J. Morris, O. C. Cooper, i J. D. Cruickshank, T. P. Lett, W. D. Watson,' J. Stuckey, J. C. Mc- . Killop, J. McGregor, W. McKenzie, : G. C. Summerell, A. G. Pilmer, D. : Caselberg, J. B. Moodie, E. E. Chamberlain. Apologies for absence | were received from Messrs J. C. Cooper and J. Macßae. The Finance Committee submitted [ the following financial statement: — Dr. balance at last meeting, £576 ! lis 7d; expenditure, £l5B 2s; receipts, £440 8s 6d; balance, £294 5s Id, less cheque outstanding ss; leaving a debit balance at date of £294 0s Id. Accounts amounting to £lB3 16s 3d were recommended for payment. The report was adopted. The Luncheon Committee recommended that an exhibitor, with the exception of exhibitors of implements, making an entry to the value of £2, or over should be entitled to a luncheon ticket on each day of the 1 Show; that the secretary be instructed to prepare a list of those to whom luncheon tickets have been posted; that tenders be invited for supplies for the luncheon, tenders to close on Tuesday, 12th inst.; that the luncheon ticket sellers be on duty to sell breakfast tickets on each day of the Show; that 18 stretchers be ..provided on the grounds for the use of the luncheon employees. The report was adopted. The Hawke's Bay A. and P. Association notified that their next spring Show had been fixed for October 16th and 17th. In accordance with his notice of motion Mr Caselberg moved, "That the resolution passed at the last meeting, deciding that instead of issuing passes, on Show Day, a small stamp be used, be rescinded." Speaking in support of his motion Mr Caselberg said that the ladies would object to take their gloves off, and have their hand stamped. There were also a great number of colonials who were too independent to allow of that kind of thing. It might do very well in parts of Scotland, but not in New Zealand. There was time enough in New Zealand to introduce the branding system. He considered it would not work, and if the Association introduced it they would be the laughing stock of the colony. Mr Watson seconded the motion. Mr McKillop said he would support the motion if Mr Caselberg would make the stamping apply to men only. Mr Caselberg said he would not do that. He would let the motion go as it stood. Mr Moodie considered that passes should not be used at all. They: were abused, and abused very badly. He agreed with Mr McKillop with regard to stamping only men's hands. He thought there would be no trouble with the stamping, for if a person did not wish to have the stamp affixed to his hand, all he had to .do was to pass out through the gates, and if he wanted to re-enter the grounds it would cost him another shilling. Mr McGregor said the system had been used at Home because leakages were discovered in the gate takings when passes were used. If it worked well at Home it would w.ork well here, where every members knew there were leakages at the gates. It had been said that no passes of any description were used at the Palmerston N. Show. He would like to point out that a good meal could be procured at the Palmerston Show for Is 6d whereas the Masterton Association did their own catering and charged £» 6d for lunch. The idea of the passes was to allow people to go home and obtain their lunch if they wished, and if they refused to allow their hand to, be stamped at j the gates, let them go and pay | another shilling to get in the grounds again. It had also been said that the ladies would refuse to allow their hand to be branded, but he would say that ladies rarely wished to pass out through the gates and return again. They usually came to the SJiow after lunch, and remained until the programme for the day was finished. When they did leave the ground they did not want to back again. It was the young people who abused the passes mostly. Mr Perry said that if stamping on the hand was compulsory he would object to it, but as the stamping was optional, he could see nothing objectionable about it. It affected only the young people, who wished to go down the town for lunch. Mr Lewis thought that the mover had brought forward his notice at an inopportune time. There had been a general feeling in the Association to do away with the passes altogether and the stamping system was a compromise. He did not think there would be as much exception taken to the branding as was being made out. Mr Stuckey said he agreed with , the motion, but doubted, whether it would be feasible. Somebody 1 was sure to make a "fuss" about it ; at the gates, and then a crowd would be drawn, with the result that people would be blocked from going in or coming out. The motion was then put to the meeting and lost, only the mover and seconder voting for it. The resignations of Messrs P. Gordon, sen., W. Wardell, G. Payne, T. ■ Duncan, J. Fraser and S. A. NobleCampbell, were accepted. Mr H. Evans was appointed a steward in the guessing competition vice Mr G. Watson, who will be unable to act in-that capacity. It was decided to take out the usual accident insurance policy on all the Association's employees on Show i Day.