WAIKATO AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 268, 31 March 1898, Page 3

WAIKATO AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting was held at Ohaii|.o on Tuesday. Mr Jas. Hume occupied the elnir, and there were present : Messrs E Allen, 11. Gillett, C. Bowdeu, J. J. Storey, T. Slade, F. R. Seddo", W. (;. Park, R. Fisher, Jos. Barugh, A. Gane, junr , E. C. Shepherd, G. E Clark, C. Day, I Coates, Geo. Edgecunibe, YV. Chitty, Jas. Forrest, H. Roche, Johu Fisher, \\"m. Taylor, Allen, junr. (Annandalel, J. D. P. Morgan, H. Windsor J. T. Edwards, S. Steele, 1). Ross, W. C. Castleton, and others. Report and Balance-sheet.—The report and balance-sheet, wh : ch has already been published in our columns, was then read by the Secretary, Mr M. Butler.—'l he Chairman, in referring to the financial position of an! the pi ogress made by the Association, said that during the year they had received a total of £715, which was considerably iu excess of the receipts of the previous year. This was mainly duo to the increased gatemoney and the satisfactory i ale of the privileges. There had been, he said, a considerable increase in the amount of special prizes, about £62 having In en contributed in this department, as against £l3 the previous year. This was due to the excellent manner in which Auckland had been canvassed by their friend Mr Ed. Allen to whom their thanks were due. They had paid in prizes about £9O more than on the previous year, and the prizes unpud amounted to £.'3 lis, as against £56 16s 6d last year. They had expended a large amount of money on yards and buildings, they had erected sheep pens, and were making a beginning with the horse pens, and after writing off 10 per cent, for depreciation, the book value of the assets was £372 17s 6d, as against £3OB last year, and now the balance of assets over liabilities amounted to £413 5s lid, as against £362 15s 2.1 the previous year. They could congratulate themselves on the financial portion of the Association, and also on the success of last year's show. At the same tune they must not forget that this position could not be maintained unless .everyone did their utmost to advance the interests of the Association by obtaining new members, exhibiting and getting others to do the same. He hoped that in the future the shows would be made even more reprts* utative of the district than they had in the past, and urged all the members to use their best endeavours to attain this end. —Mr Forrest moved the adoption of the report.—This »va3 secouded by Mr Chitty and carried unanimously. Election of Officers —The following officers were then appointed for the ensuing year:—President, Mr Jas. Hume (re-elected) ; vice-President, Mr N. I. Hunt (re-elected) ; Auditors, Messrs J. S. Edgecunibe and M. G. Farrer, and the names of Messrs H- Gillett and R C. Mathias were added to the general committee in place of those of the late Mr C. A. Davis and Mr Lascelles, who is leaving the district. Thanks'.—Votes of thanks were passed to the auditors for their services ; to the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company for the use ot their offices, to the South Auckland Racing Club for the use of the grandstand, and the Railway Department for the excellent facilities afforded. Next Show.—The Committee was authorised to provide and expend the necessary funds for the next show, and on the motion of Mr W. G. Park it wis decided to hold the show on Wednesday and Thursday, the 26th and 27th Octobtr.

Condolence. -The Chairman referred in feeling terms to the death of Mr C A. Davis, whom he described us a hard worker and a good friend to the Association. Mr Lavis had never tired of labouring for the benefit of the Association, and all the members regretted his death while he was comparatively a young man. He proposed that a message of condolence should be forwarded to Mrs Davis.—This was seconded by Mr Coates and carried unanimously. Conference. —A circular was read informing the Association that the New Zealand Agricultural Conference would beheld in Cbristchurch in June next, commencing on Wednesday, the Bth, and askingif the WaikatO Association would be represented.—Mr Hume said it was Eimply a question of expeuse. Last year Mr Barugh had represented the Waikato, and if they sent a delegate this year he thought Mr Barugh should be asked to attenJ.—Mr Shepherd thought the sending of a delegate to the Conference was of the utmost importance. The Association had other aims besides holding the annual exhibition. If the agriculturalists and pastoralists were to be united throughout the colony it could only be by each Association being represented and pulling together at sucli a conference as this.—Mr Allen thought it was a very wise step if the Association could afford it; he thought the money might be put to greater advantage ou the show ground.—Mr J. Fisher said if they wanted to keep in touch with other associations they could not do better than send a man to represent them, and he was strongly in favour of doing so if they could afford it. At the conference a great many subjects were introduced for recommendation to the Legislature relating to Bills to be brought, forward. He instanced the Noxious Weeds Act, in which a great many alterations had been made by the northern members expressing their views. If they could afford it they should send a representative and Mr Barugh was the man.—The meeting unanimously decided to send a representative, but the selectiou of a delegate was left to the executive committee to deal with. Show Grounds.—The Chairman said the lease of the present show grounds would expire at the end of this year, and it was for the members present to decide what they were going to do. A committee had been appointed some time ago to look up a site at Frank ton, and a letter received from Mrs Jolly would explain 'he position. In her letter Mrs Jolly expressed her willingness to sell the land inspected by the committee for £2O per acre, and as many more acres in a northerly direction as would be required. If the Association preferred it she was prepared to lease the ground for 10 years at 15s per acre per annum, with right of purchase at £25 per acre, or, to lease it at £lO per annum.—The Secretary of the Waikato Park Association also wrote offering the Claudelands ground for £35 per annum for five or seven years, or a third of the gate money ; also to drain the ground to the satisfaction of the Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association, to be carried out on a plan suggested by Mr Cordon, who had subscribed £2O to the work.— Mr John Gordon also wrote stating that he had heard it was contemplated to change the Show grounds from Hamilton East to Frankton. He hoped this would not come to pass. He did not know the land at Frankton, but could not see how it would compare with the racecourse for convenience to the station. He assured the Association that the state of the ground would be vastly improved before the Show of 1898.—Mr Barugh said there was no personal feeliDg in the matter whatever. The Committee had done everything for the good of the Show. The Claudelands' ground was not a suitable place for the Show. Duriug the past five years they had only been able to use the Show ring on three occasions, and last year although they had five fine days previous to the show the ground was in a very bad state. He did not think the ground where the cattle pens were at present could ever be made suitable. The only thing to do wus to have the cattle pens removed to behind the sheep pens, and have the staud shifted too. The syndi-

cate hail let them have the gronr.il fcr three years for nothin*, hut since then hail charged an exorbitant price. Ha considered one-thinl of the gate money ■.van far too much.— Mr FMier raid t-e commi'tc" were to he oomp iment ■ I for looking af or the intere>ts of the Association. Lie heliev'd it was all done for the good o! the Ass ei f on, and rinic was nothing per mi.ti he wa.-i .-a e. I'o.ie was not a shadow of a doubt tint the Frank tori ground was far mire convenient for exhii iton. avd it was undoubtedly the bst \<\cce. for passengers from all parts. It was far before Clnudelands, for which they were payiug a very large figure. 'I he gnat est would be the sh'fting (f the material, and if shifted a great deal of it would be comparatively uselpss. If on the other han 1 the pens were, shifted from the wet to tin diy ground it would be of great benefit to the Association, and this would be, perhaps, the wisest course to pursue if Mr Gordon would give them the place at a reduced rent. -Mr Forrest said £2O was any amount fur the ground. All through the Association had been blackmailed by the Park Association.—(Cries of " No, no ! " —Mr Fisher : They made a bargain and they had to stick to it.--Mr Forrest maintained that the Association had bern blackmailed to the extent of £45. £2O was ample, and the showground should be shifted. They were going to make a big effort to shift it to Cambridge, where there would he no rent (Laughter). At any place where they could get thousands of people to go to a show,' there the railway authorities would extend their facilities. He proposed that the rent given should be £2O, otherwise the yards be removed.—Mr Forrest failed to get a seconder.—Mr J. Fisher said Mr Forrest was greatly in error in his remarks about the Park Association. It was simply an agreement, and they had to abide by it —Mr Shepherd had no feeling in the matter whatever. There was no reason in people objecting to the amount they had to pay. It was according to the gatemoney, and therefore dependent on the weather. If they had had wet weather instead of fine, they would not have heard the word rent mentioned. Shifting the yards to Fraukton, would perhaps be advantageous, but. he did not consider it advisable at present. The cost of removing would be about £125, besides the cost of the land. If they took advantage of the expiration of the lease, to remove the yards and struck a wet day the Association would he ruined. A fixed rent had advantages, but he would prefer that the risk should be borne by others as well, and favoured the gate money system.—Mr Allen said if it had been a wet day there would have been no show at nil. The syndicate promised to do all sorts of things, but when the time came did nothing at all —Mr Coates said one of the members of the Waikato Agricultural aud Pastoral Association had prevented the improvements being carried out. The ground was going to be subsoilcd when Mr Barugh advised them not to do so, or it would have been done. He held a share in the Syndicate, and anyone could take it, as it was a f;ee gift for nothing, and yet he aud the other members of the Syndicate were accused of blackmailing. He had been paying calls for the last six years. When he tooli the share he certainly never expected to reap any benefit ; he had acted for the good ot the district. He would give it to them and they could do what they liked with it. (Laughter). —Mr R. Fisher said it was not so much a question ot rent as suitableness of ground.---Mr Coates said they intended to put iu a pipe drain to the railway and open up plough drains every few yards.—Mr Chitty :If that is the case the chief question is rent.—Mr R. Fisher said the ground would never Le suitable whether it was drained or not unless the yards and stand were shifted to the dry ground. The Frankton ground was the most favourable spot, but he thought it would be unwise to decide at once whether they would shift, as they would have to pay rent for both places.— Mr Hume : They had one more year to run and by that time they could judge whether the drainage work done would be effective or not, and if the work was uot satisfactory they could then shift.—Mr Steele said he would be sorry to see the yards takeu from Claudelands, as he did not think there would be room at Frank ton. He favoured shifting the yards on to the dry ground. Mr Fisher The term of years was too short and the rent too high. The term should le extended.—Mr Hume proposed that they should hold the show at Claudelands this year, provided that the drainage works were carried out to the satisfaction of the Association.—This was seconded by Mr Fay, and carried unanimously.—Mr Fisher said that £35 for a seven years' lease would not do. It would be time enough after next show to decide whether they would accept the terms.—Mr Gillett: Had not the syndicate promised to carry out the work in time for the next show. —Th-. Chairman : Mr Gordon and the syndicate have written to that effect.—Mr Jno. Fisher moved that instructions should be given to the Committee to obtain aU possible information from the Paik Association and from persons owning suitable ground for a future site, and report to a meeting to be hold in October next.—This was seconded by Mr Shepherd and carried. — Mr Edgecunibe said Mr Fisher remarked that the syndicate left everything till the last moment, and then the Association were compelled to accept their conditions. If the syndicate had had a definite letter frcm the Association about this matter they would have been able to refer to the minutes ; but a gentleman had been appointed to meet them, and they had promised to extend the lease of the Association. He (the speaker) would have given a reply earlier only the whole thing passed out of his mind, and they were never again approached. If a letter had been sent he would have called a special meeting to consider the matter. There was no intention to leave it to the last minute, but as it was there did not appear to have been a very great deal of time lost when the Association had decided to allow it to stand over until after next show.

Office.—The Association decided to obtain an office for the use of the Secretary in Cambridge. Lincoln:?.—Mr J. Forrest drew attention to the unfairness of the rule at present on the books of the Association, which prevents a man clothing or housing sheep for show purposes, while breeders came from other districts where no such rule was in force and swept away all the prizes. He also suggested that a prize of £25 should be offered for Lincoln rams, with a view to attracting the best auimals in the colony to the show.—Nothing definite was done in either of these matters, but they were approved of aud offered aa a recommendation to the cummittee.—Mr Forrest offered to collect funds to go towards the big Lincoln prize. Notick ok Motion.—Mr Jos. Baruch gave notico of motion to move at the next meeting that the ruie limiting the number on the general committee should be expunged. Thanks.—A vote of thanks to the officers and committee closed the meet-