TAILWAGGERS’ CLUB

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 226, 21 June 1935, Page 6

TAILWAGGERS’ CLUB

Seven Women and Two Men on New Committee YEAR’S WORK REVIEWED More than forty members attendee the annual meeting of the Tailwaggers’ Club, which was held in the Wellington Y.M.C.A. building last night. Mr. D. K. Blair, who presided, said that the club had gone back to the extent of £3O in the last two years, but the operations during the past two months showed a slight surplus of income over expenditure. Mr. C. W. Batten said he did not think that at any time the club had failed to do what it set out to do. It was true that it tried to do far too much for the little money it had. He thought the limit was reached when on one occasion the club had been communicated with and asked to remove a dog from the Town Hall. The troubles of the club were purely financial. The need for its existence was as great as ever, and it had done excellent work, but it had been a terrible time for everybody associated with the organisation because always there had been the spectre of poverty. Mr. Batten said that owing to the incomplete nature of the records it had not been possible to obtain an audit of the accounts. The committee could not afford to spend money delving into the past. The loss during the past two years had been set down at £3O. • Membership Increases. The annual report stated that the membership of the club in the period from May 30, 1934, to January 31 last had gradually increased, the total number of persons who had paid subscriptions since the inauguration of the club approximating 3000. However, while the actual number of dogs enrolled had increased, the payment of annual subscriptions showed a rapid decline from 1700 per annum to less than 400 per annum at date. That meant that the annual income had decreased to a very great extent, thus making the financing of the club a very difficult matter, if not impossible. The total effective membership was too low to allow of really good service to members. The financial returns from subscriptions had been further decreased by the institution of local branches, which were allowed to keep a proportion of the subscriptions received by them, remitting only 1/6 to headThat meant that though a medallion had to be provided, the net return was very low, so that the total number of new members was not actually an indication of the financial returns Lost Dogs. The usual- number of dogs had been Jost in the city during the period under review, and in practically every case had been found and returned either by the club directly or as a result of advertisements that had inserted under its name in the daily papers. More especially had the club’s efforts been successful in several cases where dogs had been lost in other towns. Frequently dogs that had been lost for long periods had been found by means of the club’s record system by which records of all dogs lost or advertised fbr in . the daily papers; were kept on a file until the dog was found. Great service to owners was thus rendered by the club, and it was no exaggeration to say that no such service was given by any other organisation; Harmonious cooperation with the police department had been largely responsible for the efficiency of the service. Stray dogs had not diminished in numbers in spite of all efforts to find them new homes and to have all dogs registered. The efforts of the City Council officials had succeeded in forcing the.registration of many dogs, but the stray still continued, and the club’s work in connection with them should receive-a larger measure of public recognition. Members of the general public still continued to use the club as an advice bureau on every conceivable aspect of canine work, and in that respect alone the establishment justified itself. It was only too clear, however, that many who should take out a subscription promised to do so and failed to live up to their promise, thus receiving’the bene-’ lit of the club’s services without making any contribution toward its upkeep. If every non-member who asked for assistance could be made to pay an annual subscription, the club’s . income would be adequate for its needs. New’ Keimels Erected. In order to secure that dogs boarded with the club were kept in the open air, at Christmas time, 1933-34 a home was opened at Kaiwarra. The response was immediate for the holidays, but the climate proved too cold and wet. Consequently the premises on Lambton Quay, which had been closed during the tenure of Kaiwarra, were reopened in June last, while the boarding establishment was moved to Johnsonville. New kennels were erected there and still exist. ’ The report and balance-sheet were adopted without discussion. Withdrawal of Names. ■ During the election of the officers, .Mr. Mark Levy announced that he wished to withdraw from the club and to withdraw the names of several men whom be had intended nominating for the committee. When asked the reason for his action, he replied: “I have done my best to pull round this club, but this morning I was told that I was overstepping the limit.” Mr. E. J. Arlow said that there was obviously something wrong with the club when Mr. Levy had taken the action he had. “I had it in mind to make Councillor Gaudin chairman, but I am withdrawing all these names,” said Mr. Levy. Mr. Batten said it was “pretty cool” for a member to come along and try to stock the committee with his own friends. There was nothing to prevent Mr. Levy nominating for the committee as many members as he liked, but it was hardly fair to expect that those who had been nominated should make way for the whole of his nominees. . Mr. Levy said that the majority of those who had been nominated were women. Men were wanted for the job, and be knew the type of committeemen required. “Men Not Sports.” One of the women who had been nominated asked: “How do you know what we can do until we have made a start?” Another woman remarked that men were not sports; they did not have the interests of the dogs at heart. The following committee was elected unopposed: Mesdames Vine, Ahearn, Pritchard, Ive, Mclnnes, E. B. Roney,

Miss Steele, Mr. J. Galley and Mr. H. Petley. Mr. D. K. Blair was re-elected president.

The vice-presidents are Messrs. \V. G. Wohlmann. C. W. Earle, and the Hon W. W. Snodgrass, M.LC.

Mr. W. L. Anderson was re-elected honorary secretary. When a motion to increase tlie annual subscription from 2/6 to 5/- was under discussion, Mr. Arlow suggested that the matter should be left for the new committee to decide. The chairman said that under the rules the committee had now power to alter the subscription. Mr. Arlow: Never mind the rules; the public don’t know that.

The motion was defeated by an overwhelming majority.