Waimate A. and P. Association.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 214, 10 June 1902, Page 3

Waimate A. and P. Association.

ANNUAL MEETING

A SATISFACTORY YEAR,

There w;i9 a very good attendance of members at the County Council Chambers on Saturday, Mr H. N. Hertslett, president in the chair.

The minutes of last annual meeting were read and confirmed. The secretary (Mr 0. Akhurat) fead tha committee's annual re-r port as follows ; la presenting you with the annual report for the year ending 30th April, 1902, i is with great p'easu-e that we have to record a fairly satisfactory year, despite many adverse o'rcum.stanoea. Annual Show.—The policy of expansion which was adopted in 1900 was extended through the past year, and the schedule wa<> carefu'ly revised and added to, with the result that the classes weie increase 1 from 175 t> 200, and the prizes offered from £262 to £325. The. entries totalled 572, as against 5.5.7 the previous year, wh'iigh, considering the exception- ! ally dry weather and the consequent scarceness of feed in the spring, must bo considered highly satisfactory. The special prizes off en d numbered 44, which shows a small falling off as compared with the previous year. T n J 3 was accounted for b,y the the tradespeople forming an association and, instead of giving individual prizes, handing over a lump sum through their association which was considerably smaller than the aggregate of the prizes they offered the peyious year, The total value of the special priaes offered was £BO, as against £64 the previous year, and the best thanks of the members are due to tbq donors for their generosity, which bo largely assisted in making the show a success. The money actually paW away

in prizes exclusive di "special prizes was £209 Qi, as against £157 the previous year and £99 the year before that, and the fact that we have been able to pay this amount of prize money without running into debt, despite the falling ofl in gate money owing to the very unfavourable, weather on show day, proves that the policy of increasing the prize money offered hasbeon fully justified. - Members. During the year we have lost, from various oiuses, eight members, and • have now on the roll 139 members, as against 130 last year, showing that 16 new members have been eleoted during the year. As there are some 500 farmers in the district, there is plenty of room for active canvassing, and if each individual member will take th,is matter up energetically, not only will our Association be gr.eatly strengthened, but we shall l*ve sufficient funds to make our show one of the most attractive exhibitions of stock and implements, qutsid.e of the large centres. It is much to be regretted that so many memheis are in arrears with their subscriptions. At the end of the financial year £33 was owing to the Association in subscriptions, etc., and althouqh £7 of this has since been p*id, there are still twelve subscriptions owing, bendes other accounts amounting to £4. Those members who have not yet paid are earnestly requested to do so without delay, as it seriously npsets the finances to have subscriptions outstand- | iog at the end of the f}oanoii*l year.

Improvements.-^'>r ; 'i* t m mr th pioiiit of j.t..uuJ Uk-u ov.r from MArlans his been aken in'.o tuc showground an I the whole fenced rou-ia with an px :el!en». plain an I btrbecl wire A l-H-lins; bank has also been erected '•> tw en ill.; mi'way line the show exhbiton who have stick and imp e ments coming by rail The bank, however, n quires widening by a fewfeet in order to ,nake it complete, and thn work should betaken in hanl as soon, as possible in order to allow tha shingle to »etset before the next show. It was found necessary to expend the sum of £8 >n hurdles for miking additional sheep •jem, acid a concrete stand for measuring lorses w-.s also pub down, making a •otal expenditure on improvements of 358. Fi:i\nc"3 —At the end of trn rioanci il year there was a credit balance of £26 Sa Bd. There were, however, mtstandins liabr'tlau amounting to £3O 12s 7d, against which the sum of £'23 owin.; i; i th ■ Association has to be placed. 'M'rnis latter amount £7 has u.l.so that today we hive the cati f=i rt:-T.i of knowing that, after spsndi • C>3 in improvements and £52 rmrei-i !>riz ••< than last, year, we still hive* «.! 13 I 1 i■■ hand and £lO owing, all of w'lich >-h hipe ev ntually ti get in. r e rnembers may threfor; cmgmti.il. i themselves on having bad a finan-inly >uccessful yeaf, despite the very u-if .vou able season which the cumiioi y experienced. Winr.-r Show Exhibit.—The committer t i -ni !"«d by you to collect a count v i-shib t for the Dunedin Winter show luv... l)T>n actively engaged in the matte-, an 1 'hey hope to be able to report hi' r-v-m if we have not secured first pine- we have gone very close to it. W d w,)ii 1 that you reappoint the eommiH"" who now have the nutter in hand.

General.— Vv • imve to report that the petitim for the incorporation wis for-w-u-ded to th« Colonial Secretary a few weeks ago, and we hope to hear very shortly now that thtsmatter is complete}. It U «r.'iU.lv 'o lie regretted that during the l.it'e- half of the year meeting of the I'.osnni'tt-e wt.-c called time afte- time, but !»ps.vl for want of a quorum. This is not only annoying to those members who do turn up -often at great I ersonal in-onven'ence— but it, seriously affeots the s working of the Association, ind in plecting a new committee care »ho;ild be taken to put on only those members who are wiling to give up th ; s ' iin necessary for the successful co iduct ot the business of the Association.

In conclmi m. .your committee wish to fiank the members for their hearty cooper,kti>ii, iviil aUo the County Council for so generou.-i!v allowing the Association tb* u e of their rooms for meeting, and Mr Cochrane for auditing the books. The report and balance sheet as read were adopted. ELECTION* OF OFFIOKTo. 11l vaciting tin. 1 chair Mr li-rts-lett thanked the for their eo-oporation during the year. Mr Ilertslett was again nominated, but declined to stand, on the grounds that Iho office should be a moving one, the viee-prosL dent to take office o:\ck year, This was snnp.orted by several members. Mr Francis was unanimously eleoted. A ballot took p'ace for the offio of vice-president, Mr Geo. Miller securing it from MrOrbell by one vote. Mr C. Akhurst was elected secretary and Mr D.. P. McLean treasure',-. The following were elected a committee .—Messrs Hertslett, E. (\ Studho'me, Mitchell, Orbell, Douglas, McGoverin, W. Dunbar, W. F. Ward, Saunders, McGowan, Beckett and D. \. Morgan. Mr H. Saunders' no,', toe of motion " Thai; rule 1a bo altered to read '-All stock must ha the bonw fide property of exhibitors for six weeks before the show,'" was then put. Speaking to the motion Mr Saunders said his object was to prevent fraud by the borrowing of stock for ex-

bibition or buying priz-j-tukora a day or two before in b.iggar shows. Six weeks guve time to get an animal into, condition should it be bought when lowAn amendment that tho time be three months was withdrawn, and the motion earned. An additional honorarium of £lO 10s was u.iaseil to the secretary (Mr 0. Akhurst) whose woik on behalf rl the Association was very highly spoken of. Mr Hei tslett said the bo>ks were kept as few in town were kept. In the members, Mr Akdmrst said at the present .rate of progress and with an t increase of members they might soon hope to equal Tiniarn show. They were not far o.v\t r*s regards entries year. Boutiue business was left to the. committee aul the meeting adjourned.