Resolutions invalid, says Acclimatisation council

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33384, 16 November 1973, Page 10

Resolutions invalid, says Acclimatisation council

The North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society's council is pinning- its hopes for survival on legal moves which it hopes will invalidate the motions of dismissal passed at the annual meeting on Wednesday evening.

The council has sought; an opinion of the evening's proceedings from its legal adviser. The two motions asked the| Governor-General to remove' the council from office and, have the society’s secretary (Mr J. M. Checketts) administer the North Canterbury district under the Department of Internal Affairs. The motion asked that this be done

ipnder Sections 37d and 35e lof the Wildlife Act, 1953. The council, however, considers the resolutions invalid. Rule 18 of the society says [that if the annual meeting . should from any cause lapse or not be held, the business ■ which should have been disposed of at it shall be considered at another general meeting. Rule 19 says that the president, secretary, council, or 30 members of the society may call a special meeting. HALFWAY THROUGH The meeting on Wednesday was about halfway through the agenda when the motions were adopted; and it is not clear whether the meeting “lapsed” through its failure to complete the agenda, including the election lof a new council. . No further business was transacted after the passing |of the motions, about 11.45 p.m.

The society has 1403 members and the council is underI stood to be confident that the resolutions would be reiScinded by a big turnout of members, even if the motions 'fare ruled to be valid. It appears that no council member will resign over the affair, and the president (Mr N. I. Voyce) said yesterday that he had reconsidered his intention to resign. ! Mr D. J. Hughey, who is [president of the New Zealand Salmon Anglers’ Association, and who seconded the motion that the society’s j balance-sheet and annual reI port be not approved, also proposed a motion that the I Department of Agriculture [and Fisheries investigate the ■society’s trout and sahnoni rearing activities.

, Mr Hughey said that Wednesday evening’s actions had not been “arranged” by the Salmon Anglers’ Association,

but members had been urged to attend the meeting. He wants the Department of Internal Affairs to administer the society’s affairs while the department is investigating the society’s breeding and rearing policies. “A LEGAL ENTITY” According to a council I member, Mr T. D. Anderson, ) the society’s council is a I legal entity until new council (members take office. He said (yesterday that there was still one council meeting left this year, at which the new council would take over. The department had been notified of what has occurred at Wednesday’s meeting. There has been growing criticism in the last few months from salmon anglers of the society’s fish-breeding ;and fish-release policies. It I is said that not enough notice (has been taken by the [society’s council of recent research on artificial breeding (and release of fish. One council member, who (did not wished to be named, ) told “The Press” that he was I “sick and tired of continual ; sniping” of the society’s work [by those “on the side-line.” “Sure, we have made mistakes,” he said. “But why is it the only time we hear of these people is when they are complaining? Why don’t they do something constructive, for instance getting themselves elected to the council if they think they can run the show better than we can?

“Ripping a society apart and then handing over the bits to the Government to put together doesn’t help anyone,” he said.