ACCLIMATISATION FINANCES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22465, 28 July 1938, Page 5

ACCLIMATISATION FINANCES

$ Budget to be Drawn Up CRITICISM AT MEETING OF COUNCIL After considerable criticism had been expressed of the financial affairs of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, presented at the annual meeting, the council of the society unanimously decided, at a meeting last evening that a statement of the assets and liabilities of the society as at March 31, be drawn and that the executive and finance committees then prepare a budget for the year, to be submitted as early as possible to the council. When the report of the finance committee had been presented by the chairman of the committee, Mr C. H. Lawrence. who referred to the depletion of the society’s funds and the need for curtailing expenditure on fish and game in case the society should find itself on the “wrong side of the ledger,” Mr H. T. Penrose raised the point that the balanco-sheet might create the impression that sums drawn from the reserves under the previous council were the responsibility of this council. This was neither fair to the council or the sec-rotary-manager. he said. Mr J. F. Hutchinson then moved that a statement of the financial affairs of the society as at March 31 be drawn up and a special meeting be called as soon as possible to draw up a budget based on this statement. The reserves of the society, he said, had decreased greatly since former years. “As far as the council is concerned, there seems to me to bo no actual need to draw up a now statement,” said Mr W, J. Mac Gibbon. “Year after year the society seems to be getting in deeper and deeper. We want to bo aware of the true position, but the council has had that put before it, and I really can’t see the need for a fresh set of figures.” After a suggestion had been made that a statement should be made of the position as at the end of July, Mr Hutchinson said that he did not want any suggestion of “mud-slinging.” The whole council should be fully aware of what the position was, he said. The chairman (Dr. D. McK. Dickson): There seems to be a general desire for a complete statement of the society’s affairs and what ' could be budgeted for in the way of income, but I hardly think it is necessary to call a special meeting. A Basis' for Decisions Mr Hutchinson said that some activities would have to be curtailed during the year and some would’have to suffer sacrifices. He himself did not feel that he knew whether to.approve of the proposed activities of the fish and game committees or not, and he did not feel that the council was in a fit position to decide. If a budget could 'be drawn up, it would be possible to be fair to the various committees, instead of having one pulling one way and one another. The society would then be able to come to suitable decisions. In supporting Mr Lawrence that the new statement be drawn up as at March 31 and not July 1, Mr Penrose said that he was not making accusations against anyone, but the society should know where it stood. It had a very limited amount of money and should spend it as a whole and not on one committee. It was finally decided on an amendment of the original motion that a statement of assets and liabilities as at March 31 should be drawn up and a budget prepared by the executive and the finance committee, to be presented to the council as soon as possible.