MANAWATU A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 5

MANAWATU A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

..-■■■ V THE YEAR'S OPERATIONS. (BTTELEGEAPH— SPECIAL COEEESPONDENT.) ' .- Palmerston North, February 9. The report and balance-sheet of the Mana- ' watu A. and P. Association, to bo presented at the annual meeting, wae read and adopted at a meeting of the general committee today. Mr. F. Arboii, president, occupied the chair.-' '■■'■■ '■''' ■'■'■■ •:'■ '-.■'■" ->- : .'■■■' v ; ANNUAL EEPORT. The report referred to last year's dairy conference and spring and winter>show, and then went:on to tho sum of £457 expended in new buildings and improvements on tho grounds. This included a,50 by 60/ foot extension to the Agricultural Hall, removal of the original produce hall, and reinstatement. The secretary's and stewards , ' office (in use prior to. the erection of the.present offices on tho.sliow grounds) has been removed to' ; tho Short .'Street _ entrance, and ■ refitted-.'for a caretaker's /residence. In addition, other improvements in the formation of: footways and raising .and. ;turfing tho i green of tho grandstand have been • effected. ..It has been decided not to write off anything for depreciation' on the this year, aa- the committee, was' of', opinion that they- are already, written down, below .their: present value'.-, .In,.comparing,the balance to' credit of the profit and loss account with/that of last year, , members would, therefore! note that last year £261 12s. was charged to profit and loss: account' for depreciation 'on buildings and plant, whereas, this year, only £35 is charged for depreciation on plant. Lincoln scholarships: Only two candidates entered for the examination for the scholar ships'girag entrance to Lincoln Agricultural College, and offered by the association. The successful candidate was Mr. R. Buchanan, who subsequently relinquished the privileges ■attached thereto. ; 'In consequence- of the small interest taken in; the matter during tho past years perhaps the. scholarship should v be finally, written '-off.,.."■.'■•.'■ ':..-; ; . ■. . Dairy' School: Reference was made- in last year's report to tho offer made by the. committee to the Government to give a suitable , ■ site on ; the show, grounds-for the purpose of erecting , the proposed dairy college and: experimental station..- Sites have been selected by the Government, and the.'necessary legislation has been approved by Parliament; in order to enable the: Government to complete the; matter, 1 ,' .--,.-'; .■■:■.''.'■; i ■.'■'■ ' ■■'■'.

' Membership:iThe, returns of membership,: in comparison with the'preceding year, show a' decline of- £86. This-is a matter of surprise, seeing the, exceptional . privileges offered.,■■- The privileges, offered .to:.members are member's ticket and four, ladies', Bingle admissions' for the dairy', show, and:'member.'B tickets good for admission on all'days of the show,at,'the gates, with two ladies tickets, each' good for one.'admission-at.the front gates, and., admission to. the. grandstand. Further concessions in'entry fees are, available for practically thowhole of the schedules of. both shows... Tho"--committee' directed ..a.ttentiorito this'matter in-last year|s report,-, and is still'df. opinion that a systematic canvass wduld.no doubt result.in,raising the.number . of ' members to .that of the' previous year.Provision ' also .. .exist ior juriibrs'Vof ages ifrpm-15;to 19 ' years, joining the association as junior.associates at .a yearly subscription' of 7s.'-6d. .; -This: covers the- spring and dairy shows until the age of-21.v : " ' ; '" > ".- ■ ■ Donations: The committee appreciate and heartily thank the many donors -who'-contri-buted so liberally to the shbiy prize, fund, materially, adding, to'the satisfactory "financial ■results..-- The convenient 'position .of the grounds: to the centre- of Palmerstpn North' has so. increased 'the popularity', of the grounds for .'sports' and public purposes generally • that. an' increase of reyenue-.is, to be noted. ~' This' is a. matter, of satisfaction; .-as' the bordugh' rates on the association's pro'-; perty amount to £213. per,- annum, Thanks are due to tho many members of the'association who ' lypluntarily,. undertake 'the' duties of show stewards at the dairy show and spring show. ~' :■"■-. ..-.-■ .. Mr. Johnston's Tour: In March last tho :committee' ; a'ak'ed Mr; 'J.' M. Johnston; to re-' at the Royal Agricul-tural-Show ofiNew.South:.Walesi Sydney,.-andi voted the sum : of £25.for.travelling expenses... Mr.'Johnston, on his: return, furnished the, committee with a valuable report on. thisand, other- shows-' in Australia, and,: at .-the .same: time, refunded the'expenses,voted him. JThe , committee: again. record■ their thanks to.Mr.•. Johnston. I .for his .interest' in : the' welfare;.of : tho'associatidn.-';:'.' ■ ". ; : ■'■'■ : - ."' -■•

Retiring- Officials: The retiring ofßcers-are , ithe/president'(Mr. ,-E. . .W.',:Arbqn);-vice-' presidents (Messrs.. J. G. Hark'ness, S. It. Lancaster, E,. Short,- and .Wv.T.'"Wood) j'hon. treasurer > (Mr..; J. M. Johnston), and the; ■members of the' . General Committee (Messrs.' M.: Cohen,-E. J. IWilde, J. '0. Batchelar; :S. C- Jounneaux, H. M. Simmonda, C. A. J. Le'vett.'J. A. M'Crea. H. Gillies, K. Dalrymple.'J. BalsillioVT: E./Hodder.'and .A.' Sutherland): i 'All are eligible for_ re-election■ onVboing.nominated. . Eleven ordinary, meetings of the General ,■ Committee,.- eleven meetings ;of-: the Dairy; Show ■.Committee,-'. and forty, meetings'of subcommittees haye;been. held during the year, making in all sixty-two-meetings. .!.:;•. ; \ ■:"■;•;■; .■.•■•■' Financial Statement:- The, financial state-, ment jireserited. set. out the general expenditure from'the spring' show, over, a series, of years from 1905 up' to the end of the; present' year rending; February 1..; The. respective totals were as follow:—1905, £5692;' 1900, £6165; 190,7,: £5669; 1908, £5731; 1909, £5323., .The ; amounts devoted to .prizes in: the'same years we're;respectively £440,'£369, £338, .£4OO, -andv £382.',. The totals;, first' enumerated included the winter show '6Xr penditure of £1126 in 1905,- £1031 in' 1906,-. £1118 in 1907, £999 in'-1908,'and £982; in; 1909. The balances', were made up by the general charges, un'dor- all .-headings. The receipts fromv .the'spring: show -gates arid etands for the samo periods are as follow:— 1905, £1138; 1906, £1291; '1907, £1168: 1908,-. £1231; 1909, £1001.- '.Entry fees- arid space .charges were as, follow:-r-1906,. £547-; 1006, £695;. 1907, £715; 1908,',£693; ,1909,, £1771. .The total receipts .from the .spring show for the same year's were as follow:— 1905, £2462; 1906,''£3019; 1907, £2568; 1908, £2799;-1909, £2659'.: i. Members' subscriptions in the same years totalled: £1304, £1445. £1451, £1255, and £1169. JThe.principal items' in the balance-sheet were:—Liabilities—Overdraft, £5.615' 14s. 6d.; surplus brought forward,' January 31, 1908, £13,818 os. -4d.; total, with sundry small; accounts.' £19,803' 7s; - Assets t- Improvements and building at January 31, 1908, and buildiugs for the current year, £9141 ,12s. 5d.; land, account, h £9739. Other, accounts swell the total to £19,803; 7s. ... ' ■ ■, ;.;.; : -:-,-;'.:■ - : .■'-- COMMITTEE MEETING/; ' \; / : ' The ordinary meeting of the General Committee of the association was also held yesterAuckland A. aridP: Association wrote asking: whether .it.was ..thought- de-, sirable' to ■ arrange for another conference during' the, present', year; . also whether, it would be practicable to federate-the A. and P. Societies! of/the Dominion, so as toi.form'a body.that might be called the Royal Agricultural, and Pastoral Society of New Zealand.'.'Consideration was deferred in : the meantime'. -' ' •■ : -. ; Itwas decided.tt) write to Mr, R.- Tanner regarding the conditions of one of the. horse classes at -the spring show.; In.the event-of Mr. Tanner not replying, it was decided to assume that a certain mare had not fulfilled the conditions of the class. .; ■ "-w":. Messrs. D. Buick, M.P., and ■■ Harkness, Wellington, were appointed vice-presidents of the association. . ;-,- . '.'• ■ Mr. Atwood, having retired from the General Committee, opportunity was taken: by Mr. W. F. Jacob to refer to. Mr.. Wood's work, i He moved, "That : .the., association, place on record its appreciation of the-valu-able services rendered to ifbyMr. Wood, both as Mayor of Palmerston and member for the district." .Mr; Jacob said members, not behind.the. scenes had few opportunities for judging of Mr. Wood's services to' the association, but they had been very real. The motion'was seconded by. Mr.' Dunk and carried unanimously..;.'.. -, '. During the discussion on: the question of the withdrawal; of .the agricultural scnolarship offered by the association, referred to in ; the annual report, Mr.- Cohen suggested that monoy which was set aside by the association for the purposes of the. scholarship, should be, donated to the Palmerston Technical School, whero it would earn a. £1 for £1 Bubsidy conditionally on it being devoted to im agricultural soholarship., y/eio. this

suggestion followed and the candidates prepared by the educational, authorities responsible, it was possible that complete success would follow the present failure. Prior to tho commencement, of the business the presidont','.oh behalf of members of the.committee and of tho association, presented the secre■tafy (Mr. J.-C. Lane) with a handsome silver salver and'a cheque, the presentation being to mark the occasion of Mn Lane's recent marriage. Mr. Arbon alluded in eulogistic terms to Mr; Lane's services to the assooiaj>oll, over a series of years, and expressed on Dohalf of the committee their felicitations on •the event. , ". .. ■ -.-..."