A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8206, 2 August 1915, Page 7

A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

MEETING OF GENERAL COMMITTEE.

The monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Ashburton A. and P. Association was held on Saturday. There was a full attendance, and the president (Mr D. G. Wright) presided. Several associations wrote forwarding the dates fixed for their respective shows. —Received. Mr C. W. Wood wrote thanking the committee for its motion of appreciation of his services as a committoeman. —Received.

Mr H. E. Blunden wrote accepting the vacancy on the committee caused by Mr C.W. Woods resignation.— Received. . .

The following resignations wore accepted:—Messrs H. M. Macfarlane, and W. Hay ward, junior. Mr Charles Cairn's resignation was held over till the next meeting. The committee went into the matter of the charges alleged by Mr R. J. Edgar, of Seadown, against the officials, that on show day, in March last, they had withheld his "A" certificate, which had to be presented to the Railway. Department before a refund of railage could be secured, and that as a consequence he had had to pay a charge of 225. which he would'not have been called upon to expend if his "A" certificate had not been kept back.—-The secretary said that on the second day of the show, when, clearing lip his office of show papers, etc., he had found Mr Edgar's " A " certificate, which he (Mr Edgar) had apparently left on the counter. On receipt of Mr Edgar's first letter, a day or so after the snow, he had sent him the certificate, and at the same'time advised him to apply to the Department at once for a refund, and stating that he (the secretary) would be pleased to ,do anything he could to help him. Nothing more had been heard of the matter until a day or so ago. when Mr Edgar had forwarded a letter from the Department, which letter refused to grant a refund. The dates on the Railway Department's letter, and on Mr Edgar's letter, showed that after receiving the secretary's letter advising him to apply at once to the Department. Mr Edgar had allowed three'months to elapse—from 'the end of March to the end of June— before he had taken the trouble to apply to the Department. Mr Christian said that he had questioned Mr W. H. Amos, his assistant, in regard to holding bade Mr Edgar's " A " certificate, and he had said he had never asked Mr Edgar for it. "Asa matter of fact," went on Mr Christian, " the 'A ' certificate is of no use to the Association's officials."—The President said he thought the Association would be making a great mistake if it acknowledged any monetary liability in the matter. —Mr C. Reid said the action of the secretary in the matter had apparently been right, and he thought the committee should take the secretary's .word. He moved that the secretary's explanation be approved, and that Mr Edgar be informed that the committee cannot undertake any liability in connection with it.—Mi" Mawson seconded the motion, which was carried.

The spcci.il committee set' up to report regarding the matter of affiliation with the New Zealand Clydesdale Horse Society and the subsidising of A. and P. Associations from totalisator tax recommended: —(1) That no action be taken in regard to affiliation with »ie Clydesdale Horse Society;. .(2) that application be made for the Union Steamship Cup for.competition,.at our, next show; (3) that no action be taken in regard to the proposal of the Manawatu A. and P. Association regarding subsidising A. and P. Associations from totalisator tax.—The report was adopted. The Combined Horse Committees made the. following recommendations: (1) That the parade be held on September 21; (2) that thq classes and prizes bo the same as last year; (3) that the dog trials be deleted; (4) that two judges be appointed, and the following gentlemen be asked to a,ct in the order mentioned:—Messrs W. F. M. Buckley (Christchurch), .1. W. Blair (Outram), J. Mitchell (Weston), and A. Taylor (Lincoln); (5) that the Veterinary Department he asked to supply officers for the veterinary examination; and (6) that Messrs H. • Morris, P. Shearer, and L. R. Stoddart be ' appointed stewards. —The report was adopted. Mr T. Mawson reported that he had had an offer to rent the: showground.^ for sheep-grazing ptirposes, the rental offered being £12 per annum. Mr Mawson also reported on the progress of the improvements at the showgrounds. He moved that the offer to rent the ground be accepted. Mr G. W. Body "seconded the motion, which i was earned. '

The president gave a resume ■of tiro work of. the recent A. and P. Associations' Conference in Wellington. ,He said it had not been very well Attended, but the work carried out had been very interesting and useful. The Ashhurton remit had been carried mianimoiisly.-*-Mr Christian also gave his impressions of the Conference.