Annual Meeting.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2805, 5 July 1890, Page 3

Annual Meeting.

The Rkpobt.— The Secretary read the annual report of the committee, and submitted a statement of account 1 ), as follows : —Gentlemen, —Your committee have much pleasure in submitting the following brief report of tho proceedings of the Club during its first year, terminating to-day. There are at present on the roll the names of 121 members, two of whom are honorary members. During July last a Corn Exchange was opened in Cambridge, at which the greater portion of the wheat grown in the district was represented. Efforts were made during the year to induce the Auckland auctioneers to hold one joint sale only per week, and application was made to the Railway Department to run one special night train weekly, but neither application was successful. Representations were made by this Club, supported by several kindred clubs, to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, of the injustice of the present systom of weighing-in of bags containing produce, but the Chamber has so far refused to amend the existing regulation. Considerable attention has been given to the establishment, by Messrs Nelson Bros., of sheep-freezing works at Tauranga, and a conference was held upon the subject by this Club, and a deputation from Tiiuranga. Tho matter is, however, still in abeyance. Tho committee waited upon the Railway Commissioners with the object of inducing them to nmend the present tariff of charges for carrying farm produce and requisites. Tho result of theentcrview was duly reported to the Club. The following matters also received attention at the hands of the Club during the past year:—Completion of the Thamos-Waikato railway; supervision by Government of the sale of artificial manures; proposed stock show, and the Waikato Horticultural Show, The committee have great pleasure in referring to the series of instructive lectures delivered under the auspices of the Club by Professor Thomas and Messrs Dick and Hyatt. The committee have also to coneratulate the Club upon the formal ion of a branch at Hamilton, which, it is doped, will materially assist in securing those reforms so essential to the advancement of agricultural interests. The secretary will submit a return of tho receipts and expenditure for the past year, together with a statement of the pie«nt assets and liabilities of the club. Signed, on behalf of the committee, G. E. Ci.akk, chairman.

Balance - shkkt. — The balance - sheet showed the receipts to have been £30 15s, and the expenditure £20 lis "id, leaving cash in hand £4 3s 7d. There are also unpaid subscriptions to the amount of £3 10s, which makes the assets £7 13s 7d. This is nut including furniture, etc. The liabilities are £1) 10s (id, so they exceed the assets by £1 His lid. The accounts had been duly audited by Messrs Gane and Anderson.--The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said perhaps the club hid not been the success that they had anticipated, but they must bear in mind that all undertakings of a similar nature met with many obstacles at the commencement that were not likely to occur when the machinery, so to speak, had cot into good working order. He thought they might claim to have made a very fair start; the membership was good, and he trusted wmild yet increase, indeed lie hoped that every farmer in the district would ji.in their ranks, and not only the farmers but also the bu-inoss people, he thought, should become members, anil then tl.ey would present a united front when they had to do battle in any causo affecting the welfare of their disti ict. Not all their elforts hud been crowned with success, but although such was the case, he believed the discussions had done good, and that in the future they would yet reap the reward of them. For instance, he thought the bag question would be settled to their satisfaction, and the action taken regarding the Tauranga meat freezing scheme had carried more than one point, and had been the means of obtaining offers from the Auckland Freezing Company that, ho thought, would not have been made if the farmers bad not strongly supported the former project. Ho had lately been told that the Freezing Company were now offering terms similar to those offered by Messrs NoWon Pros., and in fact he had had the offer made to him. In the matter of railway freights they had failed, like all others who had attempted to gain any redress from the Railway Commissioners. This was a subject upon which they must make a determined effort at the next election, and have it decided whether the railways are to be a money-making machine or to promote the settlement of the country. The lectures given under the auspices of the Club had been most instructive to the farmers. In science tho farmer must keep pace with the tin.es, if he wished to hold his own. He had hoped the balance would have been on the credit side, but the subscription was small, and they had incurred liabilities that in future would be shared with tho other branch, and there was yet a probability that the Hamilton branch would pay a share of the lecture expensos. If that wi'.sdoneit would about set matters square. He was pleased that a branch had been firmly established in Hamilton, and trusted that To Awamutu would follow the good example. Ho then moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet.—Mi-Anderson seconded the motion. —Mr Forrest, in supporting it, said: So far as our year's operations are concerned, thero is no reason to regret the starting of our Club, yet in tho future we must avail ourselves, of greater opportunities so as to obtain our reasonable demands. We cannot deny but that there are many who take a desponding view of our future. For a long time past the cry has been that the farmer cannot get a fair return for his produce, and the only consolation is that food has been cheap, and if it was not so the discontent amongst the working classes would be greater than what it is. Cur securities have diminished and our people are emigrating to more fortunate lands, but we have grounds for believing that better times are coming, and that our long run of bad luck will soon come to an end. My reason for supposing this is because our exports have so enormously increased which fact clearly shows that our trade with other countries must be profitable, and thero will bo no lack of people to settle on the land, so soon as it can be shown that those already settled are making money and able to repair and paint their buildings. Wo cannot detach our destiny trom other portions of the country in which we live, yet the question of our local prosperity is of the greatest importance, and every man by fair and honest means should strive to make his own district excel. I hold that it is a bad sign when a township does not use every fair means to do better and pass its neighbours. Now in this way, and of my own knowledge, the business people of Cambridge have often given their time and money in bringing many trading advantages to this once prosperous township, from which the farmers greatly benefitted; yet it is remarkable to state that to-day we find several of our farmeis indifferent, and actually assisting in driving the business of this town to soino distant place. Look to it! For good-fellowship should begin at home, and the success of our Club very largely depends upon maintaining our established rights, Regarding tho bag question, I think we shall have to extend our operations beyond the province of Auckland, that is, if we mean to crush the system of weighing in. I see by the newspaper reports that in Utago the quotations are for bags weighed in. Now I think wo should find out if there is a Farmers' Club in that province, and if there is, we should endeavour to gain their assistance in putting a stop to the system. The lectures given by the vaiious gentlemen were very instructive, and perhaps instructed some of us a little too much ; for instance they showed mo that 1 was taking about two guineas worth of phosphates per acre out of my ground, by growing wheat, but I only netted about £1 17s per ncre ; so no more wheat-growing for me.—Mr Souter : J have dealings with tho Otago merchants and the sacks are not weighed in,—Mi

Allen : I expect they are weighed in when the produce is bought from the farmer, and when shipped on they are charged for. — Mr Souter said a petition to the Government to give Vaile's system a trial was being numerously signed in Auckland. He thought the club should aid in the matter. —A desultory discussion ensued, but no motion was tabled, and the matter eventually dropped. — The report was then unanimously adopted. —Mr J. Fisher thought the unanimity that had existed during the past year was a good sign. It is seldom that they were all of one way of thinking, but after a matter had been thoroughly discussed, they had usually been uuanimous in their decisions.

Election ov Officers.—Mr J. Fisher proposed that Mr G. E. Clark be reelected chairman. He did not think it always advisable to re-elect, but they could not go far wrong in the present instance, for Mr Clark had devoted an immense amount of time and energy to make the club a success.—Seconded by Mr Anderson. —Mr Clark said every member should think well before nominating the old chairman for tho ensuing year. If it was for the advancement of the agricultural and paßtoral interests, he had no objection to take it. but would not do so to advance any particular township. He would have liked to see the vice-chairman (Mr J. Fisher) elected to the office, and had done his best to get Mr Fi9her to stand, but without effect.—The motion was then put from the vice-chairman and carried unanimously.— In returning thanks the chairman said there had never been a time when it was more necessary that the farmers should be more strongly knit together, to be able to take thoir part in the questions that were now agitating the world.—Mr J. Gane proposed the re-election of the vice-chairman (Mr J. Fisher).—Seconded by Mr Allen, and supported by Messrs Forrest and Williams.—Carried unanimously.—Mr Fisher briefly returned thanks.—The following gentlemen were elected a Committee of Management: Messrs R. Reynolds, J. Forrest, J. Anderson, W. R. Souter, and W. Allen. Mr C. Tuck was re-elected treasurer and secretary, several members speaking in high terms of the able manner in which he had discharged the duties of .his :jftice.

New Members.—The chnirmau trusted that all members would endeavour to increase the roll by getting their friends and neighbours to joiu ; he also thought that farmers' sons should be members. This hint was immediately taken, the following being elected : Messrs J. S. Fisher, A. H. Forrest, A. Souter, and J. W, Anderson. Mr W. J. Hunter was also elected.

The Pkess.—The chairman thought they should give a hearty vote of thanks to the press, especially to The Waikato Times, for the able manner in which they had treated the Club. The representative of the paper he had mentioned had been most regular in attending their meetings and had given fair aud impartial reports of the proceedings, and he believed The Waikato Times had done its best to help the Club not only by reports but also by articles. He moved a resolution to that effect, which was seconded by the vice-chairman and carried. Next Meetini;.— The next meeting of the Club will be held on 2Sth July. It was resolved to issue cards —similar to those used by the Hamilton branch—to the members, and also to put a short advertisement in Tub Waikato Times on each Saturday preceding the day of meeting. Account*.—The following accounts were passed for payment : Cambridge Borough Council, 7s O'J ; caretaker, Te Awamutu Public Hall, us ; Piako County Council, £117s (>d ; clerk, £5. Notice of Motion.—Mr T. Wells gave notice that at the next meeting he will move .-—That this Club do now consider tho best means of augmenting the funds of the Club.