MASTERTON DEBATING SOCIETY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1061, 29 April 1882, Page 2

MASTERTON DEBATING SOCIETY.

The Eauiy Closing Movement.

_ The Masterton Debating Society hold its usual sitting last evening, when a .good attendance of members took place, Mr Grundy (the President) in the chair, The minutes of the previous meeting wero read and confirmed. Mr Park brought forward his notion of motion that a committee be formed to oinvna the town for subscriptions in aid of a small laboratory in connection with the Institute. The mover alluded to the great good to the young which would result from scientific lectures, illustrated by proper instruments, particularly as the elder scholars of the public school were beginning to take great interest in scientific subjects. The chairman supported the motion, but while cost members were in favor of the project, nearly all wore against a subscription, list being opened at present, and after a short debate the consideration of the question was adjourned. Three new: members were admitted to the Society, and one proposed. The debate on the early closing movement did not take place, owing to a misunderstanding on the question between the affirmative and negative leaders. It was adjourned to a future date. The noxt subject is: " Shall the - franchise bo extended to women?", Mr Hall affirmative,, Mr R, Brown negative. A vote of thanks was passed to, Mr Barnard for kindly presenting the Society wjth'a notice board.

WAIRARAPA AND EAST COAST PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

ANNUAi-MEEXINO. The annual meeting of the above Sooiety was held on Thursday .last, Present— Messrs W. 0, Buchanan (President) A. Armstrong, %l Nix, J. Donald, A, Matthewß, W. Booth (Treasurer), R. Donald, H. Braithwaite, G, Beetham, B, Kimberley,: L. Nix, John Strang, J. Burrow, J, Reynolds, H, H, Wolters (Secretary), M, Smith, W. Miller, N. Grace, R, R. Armstrong, H. MoMaster, J. Snodgrass, B. Boys (Vice-President), J.O. Vallance.' ■ The' Secretary read the advertisement .convening the meeting,. The minutes of the last general meeting were read and confirmed.

The General Committee's report and statement of accounts were then read and adopted.

In the debate on the report and accounts the President stated there was one thing ho wished to draw the attention of the meeting to, The Agricultural Company's Act required two auditors, whereas the accounts submitted had only the name of one auditor appended, He did not think i{ wj»s necessary for the Society to raise.the difficulty, but might leave it to tho Government to do so if they chose,. He thought, however, it was a point on which they should make a note for tho future, They had hoard the report read and he thought ddw, was the time for any mombor to move its adoption or niovo auy amendment on it, Mr Booth thought the consolidation of the debt would be advisable if the yearly interest could theroby be reduced. The Chairman intimated Biich a proposal would be brought on later in the meeting, ■. Mr Booth would be glad to see his question noticed. If their • indebtedness was placed at 7 per cent, it would moan an important reduction on the expenditure, Nearly equal to' whaf'th§' Society had available for prizes. The Chairman thought the lime had come when the permanent charges pn their income should be reduced. If no amendment were to be made he would usk some member present to move the adoption of tho report and balance sheet. It was moved by Mr J, Burrow seconded by Mr Armstrong that the report as read bo adopted.

Mr G. Beetham, M.H.R., would, if he was in order, like to speak shortly to move a vote of thanks to tho officers of

the past year. He did not think they should let this opportunity pass without expressing their opinion of the obligation tljo Society otvgd to then}.' 'J'haj ijad dono their dv;ty, a'nd 'had brought the Society to its present successful position. J3g hoped to see the Society mate progress jn the ensuing year. If any'Sjocioty onjy Qjfisfod from, y'eaj to.yeir thJB. wag only n state, of stagnation, hut he believed this was not the fighting spirit of the Wairarapa. He felt assured the spirit that had pervaded the past would descend to them if elected, as their successors. He helei veil a great deal of the success of the Society was due to their oflice-bearers, and he hail much pleasure in moving n vote of thanks to tip],"' The' motion was shortjy seconded by Mr B. Kimberley," The resolution'for the adoption of the report 'and baliinob sliept, and' yotg of tliaiiks to ww oi]|c§ beap'rg for f|]B year wag then carried wifho'ut a djssentent vote, ••'..• The Chairman then said, on behalf of

himselt and the Committee, ho. had to thank them kindly for the motion moved by Mr Beetham. Their progress during the past year had been satisfactory, but not so great as might •have been nuticipiytad. Efawevei',' (here nd'cftuso% discouragement. He fe}t the district would not besatisfied unless the Society made, substantial progress, In the nejft year he believed it would be so, The Committee Jiad been met in a hearty manner by the'members of the Sooioty, and he begged to return them their sincere thanks. The Cornmitteo weremuch indebted to the Society for their kindly recognition of their services.

The election, of officers wp thgn ceeded with'. ■" ■

Mr W, 0. Buchanp was reel'ectod President, g'n the molten of Mr N, Gr-aco, seconded by'Mr H, BraithwajtQ. The President said ho had hoped some one else would have been elected to the office and ho. really meant-what ho said. After serving in the offlco for two years he thought he ought to bo relieved. He could only repeat on his re-election what he had said on behalf of the Committee —his sense of the cordial support he had received from overy member of tl)o iSooielv. Other Societies were averse jp anyone,' like/ p,. permanent Chairman', and he was desirous that this Society, too, ahuujd endeavor to avojd' jiitipdu'oing such a ci|Stan] : Howevei', if the members thought he qoqld be of further use to them his services were at their disposal. He thanked tho members for the kind manner in which his nomination had been proposed and received. Mr G. Beetham moved the re-election of Mr Boys to the office of Vice-President. That gentleman had long been amon«st them, No one had taken a greater interest in the Society and he thought it would only be a fair recognition of his sprvicps'tQ rpielect |jjin to'die o'ftjoo he had held during the past pear, Mr Boys thanked the members for reelecting him, but at the same time could but support thp views of the President as to the advisability of infusing more fresh blood among the officers, Without selfflattery he could say he had done the best ho was able for the Society, having been oue of its original promoters, Ho could appreciate the honor they had done him last year in electing him as Vice-President from the class to which he essentially belonged—the small farmers. But he would nowrathor retire as he had a lot to do outside the Society, He would rather they elected another to tho office although he was still willing now as in the past to do his best in the ranks, He was too old to speak in a complimentary manner, He would rather they elected another in his place as he believed tho infusion of fresh blood would give a new impetus to tho Society,

Mr Beetham thought silence gave consent, and tl}at Mr. Boys not having objected to the nomination, could not now decline the office, Mr Booth was re-elected Treasurer on the motion of Mr A. 1 Matthews, seconded by Mi Snodgaass, Mr Booth said the billet was an easy one, and he would he most happy again to fill it,

The ballot for the members to retire from the Committee was then proceeded with, Messrs Snodgrass arid E. E. Annstrong being appointed scrutineers,.. The President prior to the ballot testified to the good, services rendered by Messrs Phavazyn and Moore, but as the former would he absent from the district for a'considerable period ;;and the latter desired to be discharged from his duties as a. committeeman owing to those he had to discharge under his appointment from the Government,, he thought members would see the advisability !of eliminating ■those gontlemen's names from the committee. >, •"-.. >■■■

Mr,L. Nix also requested'that his name ■mighc be taken 'off .the Committee and the list of the members of the Society as he was dissatisfied with the way.in which its affairs were carried on, ~<•■. The ballot resulted in.the names ol Messrs F. G, Moore, D. Cameron,' O. Pharazyn, G. H. Lister-Faye, O. H. Gayfer, and L, Nix being struck'off the

Committe holding office (luring the past year, Theie'were twelve nominees to fill the vaoancioa arising on the Committee, the following members being elected:— Messrs J. Burrow, J, Reynolds, J. Barton, B. Kimberley, H. fl.'. Jaokion, and H. S. Wardell.

Referring to the report Messrs Booth, Buchanan, Beetham, and Boys wore appointed a committee with power to add to their number to consider the advisability of consolidating the standing debt of the Society, their report to be considered at an extraordinary genoral meeting of the Society to be convened for that purpose,

The queationofniakingthemnual meeting a two days' Show was then mooted. Mr Matthews moved and Mr H. McMaster seconded that the Show be restricted to one (lay as it had hitherto been, the mover expressing his opinion that if judges were on tho ground to time the whole work could be got through iu one day. Mr Beetham thought if this Show had as numerous entries of stock as that of Hawke's Bay it would be necessary to have a two days' Show; until then lie thought things might stand as they were, Mr Booth expressed an opinion that unless they got far greater entries of stock and Baw thoir way to recoup themselves for the extra expense that would be incurred, he thought they had bettor let things stand as they were for a year or two.

Mrbnodgrass in tho present position of the Society's finances endorsed the opinion expressed by Mr Booth, and Mr Matthews' motion for a ono day's Show was carried.

The President said a few minutes ago, while alluding to their finances, the number of subscribers hold been read out. He thought that this might be augmented by at least 40 from new arrivals and others. If each would do, hjs bes| in, this directjqn ant| \yhilo'tljair' finances would qe mcreaspt] a greator aud mora extended interest wquld bo creatod in the district. It was gratifying to find members had paid up sq well in the past. He would also personally express a hope (frit theiv l)ri?B list-woqld at least he kept up to the standard of last year oveu if it were notincroaaed, If some thought what they oould give was insufficient let half-a-dozen club together and make it- prizo for some class. It was impossible for the Society m the state of their finances to provide a liberal prize list, and they could only look to the liberality of private donors. There was one other point he would,' mention. A discussion, had pison in'llifi'Oo'njmitlae whether an, ordjntffy shorthorn, that' is, with Of pedigree outside Coate's Herd Book or the N.Z. Herd Book, should be allqwed.to compete with purehret} cattle, Ha had taken grea) pams; in,' malsimj inguitigs pn matter' from 'kindred Societies, am] he found they'almost universally followed the same rule this Society had, It was open for the owner of any animal to enter it if he considered it a shorthorn. He would like to hear what any gentleman bad to say on the subject.

Ml' Matthews said the number (f purebred cßJtle'wfts large. This cqurse'might be all yery well, bijt he thought it was hardly applicable here, 'He (lid not'think it fair to tl)ose whq Had gone to a great expense in purphasjqg ox- replug purpbjed pattle fhftt they gjjqujd bo palled on to compete with nn annual who, perhaps from being in a little better condition, might catch the judge s eye and get placed before him, He would advocate two classes,

A letter was read from Mr Bunny, sen., regretting his inability to attend, and advocating two classes. / Mr C| in hjsahsouce, took up Mr Bunny's suggestion, as a motion, that fliero should be two classes—one for piire-l'ved beasts only, according to the Herd lluok-tho other for shorthorn cattle generally. They would have to inoreaso their classes to include, not only bulls, but cows, heifers, and calvos, Tho owner of a pure-bred beast did not always care to run tho risk of one who:had, perhaps, only two or three strains of pure blood, 011 tho grounds Mr. M&tthpws h,ad stated. If wo ha 4 "nothing of' this kind, and thpse animals were kept away, one important element of their Show—the educational one-was lost Mr Boya seconded the resolution. They wanted to improve their stock, and could not without they encouraged pure-bred stock,

The President pointed' out that they had wily been able to bring 100 head nf cattle together at tho last Sh.iw, ml he thought if this distinction was made it would reduce competition. The number of pure-bred stqcj? in tb.e djstrlpt wns ve.ry small; the fem.ales might be counted on his. fingers, an,(j were in. the hands qi two or three settlers. He thought they ought to very oarefully consider the matter before they made any alteration. He thought the matter should be left in the hands of the Committee to deal with, this meeting giving their opinion as a suggestion, as the matter Gould now be brought forward at their extraordinary general meeting.' Mr W. Booth moved as an amendment—That the question whether separate classes should be created for pedigree cattle should he considorad fujly at 'the extraqrdin,ary meeting of the Society; and that notice thereof be given in the circulars convening the sameTho amendment was scoouded by Mr Braithwaite and oarriod,

Messrs Snodgrass and Wilson were elected auditors.

The meeting ooncluded with a vote of thanks to tho Chairman at 8 o'clock,