A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18918, 5 February 1927, Page 6

A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

TIMARU. The sixty-first annual meeting of tho Timaru A. and P. Association was held yesterday, when Mr T. R. McKay presided over a good attendance of mem°The annual report showed the year started with a credit balance of ±«J £ 8d in tho bank, and after PW»g a« accounts the debit balance was £609 8s 4d. To this had to be added the sum of £SOO, money at call, making a total of £llO9 8s 4d owing on tb? grounds. From this must be taken £137 2s 9d, being the sundry debtors, leaving £1072 6s 7d as the total indebtedness of the Association. Most of this money was spent on levelling the ring, and on new sheep yards, the latter costing £238 4s. The profit from the Show was only £M 2s, a much smaller amount than wm anticipated, but the **"■'• ~ was the trouble. The profit on the year s working was £lls 4s, which was satiefactorv, buk this did net take into consideration the amount paid for the sheep vards and improving the ring. The incoming committee should devise some means of reducing this overdraft. A little more expenditure would be necessary on the grounds this year as the new ring would be required to be ploughed, levelled, and resown with finer grass than was in it at present. The grass previously sown in it had to be put in hurriedly to be in time for the past Show, but now that the earth had settled, a permanent job should be made. . The president stated that during the past year the long looked for improvements to the grounds had been commenced, and it would be for the incoming president to see that they were completed. From a show standpoint the Societv's last show was n ,';reat suecess and it was a great pity that bad weather on People's Day had marred the function. The Association had also been instrumental in having a herd-testing association formed in S6uth Canterbury. ■*■ fc« was pleased to be able to say that fue association was already doing very well. The report and balance-sheet were adopted on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr Bassett. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Treasurer, Mr t. R. McKay j auditor, Mr A. O. Martin, comnuttee, Messrs J. Bassett, H. Elworthy, A. 8. Elworthv, D. Grant, L. J. Grant, E. It. Guinness, R. W. Irving, J. S. Barker, J. F. K. Jamieson, H. B. S. Johnstone, E. Kelland, W. J. Kelland, H. Lowry, G. A. M- MacDonaid, J. Maze, M. Maze, N. M. OrbeH, M. O'Connor, R. Parry, W. J. Parry, P. Porter, W. T. Ritchie, T. R. Rhodes, T. Seaton, P. R. Talbot, B. E. H. Tripp, Dr. P. R. Woodhouse. The committee was granted £3OOO for the purpose of working expenses for the year. .. „ . Mr G. A. M. MacDonaid stated that it was necessary for them to get & sports club of some kind to use the ground for sports purposes as that vas their only way of securing sound Ihmiicial returns from it.

Reporting on the wheat conference at Christchurch, Mr MacDonaid said that much of the success of the meeting was due to the Produce Committee of "tho Chamber of Commerce, whjen went with a properly prepared list of suggestions and requests. In this way a good deal of the hot nir poured forth by the farmers was dissipated. There was certainly no suggestion of an "unholy alliance" with the merchants, but a conference with business men whose minds were trained to tackle such prob+ lems as were discussed. Mr Kid ley spoke in appreciation of the help given him by Mr P. R. Talbot in connexion with tho grass classes at the Bhow. At a subsenuent meetinp of the committee, Mr T. B. 6. Johnstone, of Otaio, was elected president for the ensuing year, and Mr L. J. Grant was elected rice-president.