TRUST LANDS TRUST

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10641, 23 May 1912, Page 5

TRUST LANDS TRUST

SPECIAL MEETING OF VOTERS, j AN MEXT. ' W m-ctiwr' offers of the Mas-I l ■■£ 4.t,r. TVll«?t WS"i> held ,in irlU ™t* tn hMevoniijr. About ray's Hall Jaw. • *«" ffs «!,.r«J *: advertiseThe secretary ie.iu :fcnent calling % «eet..ng. Eton take thechair, B tated that he w,s not for the He moved that Mi -H C Robinson t-Jke the chair. : ""illris resolution usis .earned on the

VOIOC6. ... ,■ -, ,«■ Mr (Ebbinsou congratulated ALi | Kten upon hfe cleverness *:, getting ' ihirn into the >air. He e XP re 6& ed the hope that the j ; - .-Biice sheet .voukl be At anyrate, they would in ine affairs of the Trust, He«mul leave it to otters to k MrEcb^ ; tl, ; n t P.O s! •coeded to cnt:c:.se c-im-. W !hidh had opposed.." - A«e j jH e expressed the opMuon that Iks p.. , ■ . dl ,i m cd to have .been rc*pmisibl ? »n, for the of sites . indrfor Redrawing up of a new form - if lease. He had never 'been fighting Iter He ..nil .Wit tor an «lucat!cu.al (had been doing its duty, it would Shave ,made better .provision for the education of the young.'" i Mr E. G. Eton stated that he (hit not 'think the .balance Hieet required fl nv Mr H. O'Leary did not think the voters bad had .sufficient tune' to study tbe-bafonoe dbeet. It had only been' issued that afternoon. He was .inclined to imove Mat the meeting be adjourned lor another week. (Laughter.) '" ~ ... X Mr E. G. .Eton .drew attention to the fctab that .the balance sheet had been examined iby the Government. 'Auditor .and .found correct, That w , the reason for the delay in issuing it. ; As Chairman of the Trust, lie was j prepared to .answer any questions. Mr O'Leary was pledned that the. li'aiamcse sheet was audited. Jf it could be audited within a week, he saw no I reason why it should- --not have been | audited .before. He congratulated Mr . jßobimjon upon having .brought the matter before the ipublie. Mr Eton explained that Mr Rdbinteon was iw>t responsible for 'the balance sheet being .audited. The Audiltor happened to have been in the (town, and -was available. --Mr J. B. .Keith congratulated . Mi' Hobin,&cas -upon hk il'titude hi the. snatter. He saw aiio <rtason why tlioy f should not have an audited balanc/2 j . telieet 'befcire the .annual meeting, so , that (they could discuss it, Mr Keith j 'Anew attentkid to .the fanb that while ' the Tovenrae for the year wris £IBOO, J the .expenditure on .grants'was- some-| ■■ thong t'ike £450. It seemed to him "thaVtbe Trust was bottling up the "benefits of' tlie; Trust for posterity. H,? •ntould Ike .to. know if the Trustees had any explication to make. ]

•Mr J. .B. Moodie said there was no idea in the minds rlf the voters who were present at the last meeting, tin t'; 'the accounts Avove net ,f iirly kept. He flid riot think .fihe nositvr.tl had been criticised, in a proper manner by the '"Age." As lie had only received the balance dheex ithat afternco.l,. ho was not in' a (position to criticise it. Mr Eton stated that die n'ticks-d /the "Age" had probably been prompted by a statement by Mr Robinson, that th?re had 'been .hole and' corner work. JVii- .Eton dialler «ed Mr ftcibincrai to show ithat there had been hole and po'rner work. Mr Rtibir.iso'a admitted having made •the statement at the last meeting. Mr O'Lcary said he was not prepared to .criticise the bahvivce dieet. He thought there should be an adjournment.

Mr .0. Pragnell expressed surprise Kllint Mr Robinson, as converer of the meeting, had not been able to thal--lengA the ibialance .sheet. Neither had !Mr Moodie nor Mr Keith been able to do so. Mr Pragnell said he would refer to matters outside the balance sheet, if he were permitted to do ISO. The .chairman 'agreed' that matters outside the balance sheet should be discussed. Mr Prdghe'B then proceeded to deal ivitk the work done by the Trust. Ho claimed that the Trustees had done 'good -work'if or the people., Some people had congratulated Mr Robinson ! .upon his action.. He (the speaker) al-' .teo congratulated him. But the net result of his effort was that they had 'about thirty (persons present alt the ••meeting. Mr Pragnell pointed out, however, that during the whole time •Mr Robinson, had been a Trustee, '(had never asked that an audited balian.ee sheet should ibe presented to the annual .meeting. .So far ,r.ls the retmarks df Mr Keith were concerned, <the speaker thought there was same force in. them. He expressed the opMon that the Trust should,evolve jsom,e (defilna'te scheme .for education. ■Per.sonal.ly he fatvioured the'establish'men't of an .agricultural school. The chairman asked where there

wtfs .reference in the balance' sheet to feho new :bui!dir.g in Queen Street. Mr Pragnell referred -he chairman ! to t'li?. figures. Mr "Robinson asked if this represented the w%ole cost. Mr Pragneill .stated that it did. Seme perscaiail explanation, tben took 3Aioe bictwec'i? .Mr pragnell and Mr Riobinson; which concluded in Mr P.iagncll .saying, "The people evidently took my word, because they 'put me in and rejected you!" | Mr Robin.so.ns: That's what - I comj plain of!

Mr H. Bannister: Have we Come here to .criticise the balance sheet, or for a .bit of f tin ?

'Hie dhakman: A little of both. (Lmightctt-.) Mr J. Pryor asked if tliey could ci'iticiw itihe 'balance sheet. The secretary read the notice calling •the meeting . Mil- Pryor .thought th? meeting tlie most extraordinary lie had' attended. Ht K»emed strange ,that Mr Robinson should be in the .chair, and the Chairman of the Trust in the body of the baN. Persoma.lly he considered the Trust was to be congratulated upon its balance sheet. He expressed the hope that .something should be done in the direction of establishing rfn ag-i-icultural college.. He did not thiirk they should make- 'small grants for ischokrslliips. He would like to know if the fleets 'in t'he balance sheet represented the full assets of. the Trust. The secretary stated -.that the assets .represented only the buildings. This was by the instructions of the auditor. '

Mr Pryor moved that the balance sheet as presented be .received.

Mr J. .B. Keith seconded. He criticissd the Audit Department for having ■required the 'balance .sheet to bo made out in the way it was. Mr Keith pointed out that the Trustees had paid off ,the liahility on the Town! Hall. The isoeretary stated that it wais compulsory to pay .off the liability to the Harbour .Board. Mr Keith said the 'matter could have .been .arranged. The chairman .(/riticised the action df (the, Trust in its building "operations. ' Mr Eton .pointed lout .that the balance sheet had already been received. Mr Payor: Then 1 am at a loss to know what we are here for, (Laugh-

ter.) Mr C. E. Baniel'l expressed disappointment at the tone of the meeting. He had come there to hear something, but he had heard only personalities. The chairman! asked Mr Daniell what the new brick building had cost. Mr daniell replied that it had cost £5400. " ' • Mr Keith thought that this should •have-been fchown in the balance sheet. The motion for the tfdeption of the .report vtas 'ijhen put. There were one nr two "ayes," and the remainder of tiie .meeting was .silent. iThe chairman declared the motion 'carried. Mr -9. Inder said he took a great interest lin the Trust. Ho had come to the m.eet.?rig to learn. He was •surprised at the extraordinary nature of the meeting. He had expected to see the Chairman of the Trust in the chair. j Mr Eton rose and explainpd flirt, Mr (Robinson-mid been "voted to the chair by the meeting. •Mr. Robinson pointed out that a ifire*h meeting 'was .necessary owing to the etinir.man lmvinig refused to adjourn .the last Reeling. Mr Inder .said lh:? had misunderstood the object of the meeting. He thought 'it wms, the adjourned .meeting of voters.. He had nothing more to ©ay. Mir Eton*,: I move n vote of thanks to the 'chairman Air'the hue evening's. entertainment he has jprovided. TOc* motion was carried, find the mooting .adjourned.