OUT OF HAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1927, Page 15

OUT OF HAND.

lively annual meeting. AND V. ASSOCIATION, j APPOINTMENT OF NEW SECRETARY MEMBERS DEMAND EXPLANATION. Bent- oil discussing tile action ot ilie general committee in dismissing the managing secretary (Mr. A. D. Stanley), a section of members at the annual meeting of tiie Auckland Metropolitan Agricultural and I'astoral Association yesterday afternoon disregarded the ruling- and persisted in arguing the matter till the meeting was adjourned. The president (Mr. W. W. JCassey), who presided. s:iiJ lie could not allow a discussion concerning the secretary, because there was 1:0 provision for general business 011 the order paper. At the close of the meeting. Mr. A. -T. gtratford and Mr. W. .1. Lopdell informed a "Star" representative that they, with 18 other members, had decided to call a ipecial general meeting of the association, for the purpose of a full discussion. Jlr. .James Wood opened the discuslion by stating that he would like to fcnow for information of those members who were not on the committee, why the secretary had been removed. He thought the members who paid their fees and supported the association had the right to know the whys and wherefores of the position. Everybody knew what sort of talk went on outside the association, and it was better that the matter should be cleared up. The chairman said that, according to the ruling of Mr. E. H. Northcroft. the independent solicitor specially engaged for the meeting, members were not entitled to discuss any other business except that set out on the order paper. The last item on the order paper was the election of auditors. The matter of the secretary had been carried out by the committee. Mr. Wood: You can close your meeting and let the people sit here and discuss the whole matter. The annual meeting is the time and place to discuss this matter. You may say we can't discuss it, but we are not satisfied.

Mr. W. J. Lopdell said it was only at the annual meeting that members had the chance to speak. The chairman ruled Mr. Lopdell out of order. j Mr. Lopdell persisted. He stated that Then the committee had decided to dispose of Mr. Stanley, twelve voted for him and thirteen against. One of those who voted against him was three years in arrears with his subscription. Then, too, only three days' notice of the meeting had been given, instead of five, as required. i The Chairman: You are out of order! Mr. Lopdell then wanted to know if leven members out of the total membership of 1300 had the right to send out a circular headed "Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association"? The Chairman: You must observe my ruling. Mr. Wood: What is the meeting called for Mr. Mulholland said he thought the chairman should have seen that general business was placed on the order paper. He thought it was a great pity that the business meeting should have gone on the ticket questio. The Chairman: I'm afraid you are out of order. An Exhibitors' Stride. "We would like to know," persisted Mr. Mulholland, "why the executive saw fit.to put Mr. Stanley out of his position." By their action the committee had, perhaps, spoiled Mr. Stanley's chance of getting another position. As things were at the present time, it was most unfortunate that this had happened. Mr. J. Wood, speaking as one of the biggest exhibitors of the province, suggested that if an explanation were not forthcoming, exhibitors should not exhibit another beast. Personally he would not exhibit a beast under the present conditions. The speaker contended that Mr. Stanley had improved the association considerably since he took over. When he became secretary the association w«:s on the verge of bankruptcy. Cries of "No, no!" The Chairman: You're out of order. Mr. Wood: I don't care. I'm telling the people in the room what I think about this. Here the chairman interrupted to say that he would give a distinct promise that next year he would take "jolly good care" *hat general business was on the paper. (Derisive laughter and cries of *oh, ch!") The chairman said that he did not know till that afternoon that general business could not be discussed. Mr. W. C'oath said that during his forty-four years with the Bank of New Zealand he had come into contact with the f irmers, and he knew that many of them wanted an explanation of the extraordinary treatment meted out to Hr. Stanley. It was only right that members should be in a position to ask the chairman certain questions. Th* chairman ruled the speaker out of order. Mr. H. S. W. King asked if he would he in order in moving that the chairman leave the chair so that members present ®igh:. discuss the matter. If this were done it would give the president ample oppoitunity to defend the position and •xplain things. The chairman said that he had nothing to hide. If the members had no confident in the committee, they had their remeiy by outvoting them. The position tad already been tested twice, but he eonld not refer to it till he had declared the Ihirty committee men elected. Mr. Sing was not in order. Once he had declared them elected Far From Bankrupt. Here Mr. Fordyce rose to say that for twenty-eight years he had been secretarv ®f the association and he wanted to deny the statements that had been made concerning the position of the association *hen Mr. Stanley took over. At that ®®e the affairs of the association were ® a splendid position. The association far from bankrupt. Cries of "Chair, chair." and "Why don t you call him out of order, Mr. Massey ?" Mr. J. Hislop said that it would be 'affair to members who had left the meeting to discuss the matter of the «ecretary. Mr. Northcroft, explaining the procedure of business at such a meeting, •aid that any member would be entitled to challenge any business that was not the order of reference. The order .reference was issued so that members might determine whether or not they should attend the meeting. It would J? irregular, and unfair to absentees, to ®scuss the matter informally. It was r®rniissable to call a general meeting special purpose.

Mr. Coath wanted to know if it would be possible to call a general meeting later to ascertain the position.. "I hope it will," he said, "for your own credit. Mr. Chairman, for your own sake, and for the credit of the association." The chairman: As I explained before, gentlemen, the committee has full power to explain the position. There was a burst of laughter when Mr. Lopdell asked: "Would our learned friend give us an opinion as to whether that meeting that voted Mr. Stanley out was in order'.'"' Mr. A. C. Jones said there could be no satisfaction in discussing the matter that afternoon. If twenty meml»ers sent in a requisition, then a meeting could be called. "If the members arc not going to settle down and work for the good of the association, I for one will not hold office," said the-chairman. '"This thing has been thrashed out again and again, till I'm sick and tired of it." tries of "Where* When? - ' Harping and Fighting. The chairman: I do hate harping and fighting 011 the whole thing, it's been finished and done with. Loud cries of "No! No! No!" The chairman: It is not going to do the committee any good by discussing it further. Mr. A. -T. Stratford: If twenty members called a meeting, the meeting could be held, could it not t The chairman: That is quite so, but what good is that going to do? Mr. Stratford: It would give a lot of satisfaction, anyhow. As an old member of the association. Mr. Fawcett said he thought the meeting was going to do a terrible lot of harm. He had come to the meeting to hear the matter swept up. If members were not going to get an explanation or a promise that an explanation would be made, a lot of harm would be done. No pood could come if this thing was to be squashed down with the fire still smouldering underneath. Mr. Lopdell asked if the appointment of the new secretary had ever been confirmed, and if so by whom and when? The chairman: You know as well as I do what happened in committee. Mr. Lopdell: Yes I know, and I'm ashamed of it. Till the new secretary is appointed we have only one secretary. The chairman: As a matter of fact Z*lr. Stanley, as retiring secretary, congratulated the new secretary. Mr. Wood: Courtesy. Meeting Had No Power.

Mr. James McLeod said that if members were not satisfied* with the thirty members elected to the committee they could get up a petition and ask those thirty to resign. The meeting had no power to deal with the matter. If the committee had been satisfied that Mr. Stanley was not the man for them, they had a perfect right to appoint another. Things might come out—he would not say that they would, or that there was anything that could come out—but something might come out that would be damaging to Mr. Stanley in getting another jiosition. Therefore they should not discuss the matter.

Mr. A. J. Wood: There is such a thing as an indignation meeting. Mr. A. F. Bell: As one of the committee, if the chairman will allow me. I have a few things to say. (Turning his back on the chairman) I am not addressing the chair. A member: Lnconstituional. Mr. Bell went on to say that all knew it was unconstitutional. The facts relating to the matter were that after the last show a committee of five was set i up to bring down suggestions. In the report that was made, there was a recommendation that the services of Mr. Stanley should be dispensed with. Nothing was said against his character, nor was there any mention of dishonesty or the question of administration. The committee simply thought that a better man could be found. A member: I presume, Mr. Chairman, that this is a street-corner discussion. Mr. Bell: I'm making a direct statement of fact! The Chairman: He is doing it absolutely without my authority. Mr. Bell went on to tell how the committee was set up to call applications for the position and to reduce the applications for the consideration of the next meeting. (Here loud conversation on the part of several members made the speaker's voice inaudible.) That next meeting, continued the speaker, was a prettv stormy one also, and it culm'nated "in the present condition of affairs. As a friend of Mr. Stanley, he did not think it would benefit him in any way to have the matter discussed. There was no sugg-estion that a charge of any sort had been brought against Mr. Stanley. The only reason why the committee had taken action, was that they thought that a better man could 1° found. There was no question of dishonesty in any way, and any member of the committee would bear him out in that. Mr. Stratford: Mr. Bell, do you think the notice sent out was a nice notice? Mr. Bell: I'm not expressing opinions. (General uproar.) It being then 3.45 p.m.. a member moved that the names of the new committee should be read out. The chairman said that the scrutineers reported that they would not be finished with their work till at least five o'clock. The meeting adjourned, after carrying a vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr. Lopdell.