Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association. MEETING OF GENERAL COMMITTEE.

Evening Post, Volume XLV, Issue 33, 9 February 1893, Page 3

Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association. MEETING OF GENERAL COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the General Committee of tho Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held in the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's buildings at noon to-day, Mr. E. W. Mills in tho chair. Messrs. T. Oxenham, C. Tate, A Burns, J. J. Smith, and Twomey attended as adoputation from the Hutt County Trotting Club, which desires to have a track laid down on the show grounds at Potone. Mr. Tate said that sufficient material could not bo obtained to lay down a cinder track. They woro told that a grass track could bo made for J_s or .£3O, despite tho statement that the cost would be _75. The Chairman — What term would you require tho track for? Mr. Tato— We could not do with less thin seven years, with a right of renewal for another seven. Mr. Tato, in reply to questions, also said that tho club proposed to havo three meetings a year. If tho club was required to keep tho track in ordor it would liko to havo the right to train thoro. Tho club would bo willing to form a track and give .£SO a j'ear as rental in the event of threo meetings only being hold, but if more than threo wero held tho club would pay in proportion. Tho deputation then retired. Dr. Purdy also waited on tho committee in support of a proposal that a suitable ground should be laid off on tho show grounds for cricket matches. He stated that it was proposed, iv tho event of a ground being formed by tho committee, to establish a club, to bo called the Hutt County Cricket Club, and Mr. Fitzherbert and himself would guarantee to pay _5 per annum at the outset. Replying to a question, ho said it would bo folly to spend money in lovcllinsr the ground for a crickot pitch if the footbailors wero to bo allowed to play on it in the winter. Ho thought, however, that somo arrangement might bo come to between cricketers and footballers on tho subject. Dr. Purdy thanked tho committee for its courtesy and withdrew. A deputation from the Rugby Union consisting of Messrs. J. A. Thomson, T. Ellison, and E. Liddle (Hon. Secretary) then waited on the Commit! co and asked upon what terms the Union would be allowed a portion of tho show grounds for football. Mr. Thomson explained that last season tho Union had paid _o for the use of tho Island Bay Reserve. Replying to a question, Mr. Liddle said the Committee would agree to pay so much for each Union match and a percentage on the takings of each outside match. Mr. N. W. Worry moved that Dr. Newman and Messrs. W. A. Fitzherbert and G. H. Scales should be a committee to arrange the details in connection with tho applications for tho uso of tho ground for trotting, football, and crickot purposes. The motion was seconded by Mr. W. H. Millward, and agreed to. Mr. Scales moved that three delegates from each of the trotting, football, and cricket bodies confer with tho committee just set up, und report to noxt mooting of the General Committee. The motion was seconded by Mr. J. D. Crnickshank and carried. The opinion was expressed by several members that tho ground would not bo fit for football next winter.

Wo recently referred to the manner in which butter was being bought to fill orders without sufficient regard to evenness of quality as liknly to prove most detrimental to the trade. Then came the cabled news from London that shipments wero arriving of most uneven quality, and the Agricultural Department cabled to tlio Agcut-Gcncral to enquire. Ponding tho reply, wo told how some shippers had examined a quantify of butter received for shipment la«t week, i its rejection being the result. To-day a : reply has been received to the cablegram to the Agont-Gencral, which confirms the ivor^t fears as to the damapo done tho trade by f hose inferior parcels. The Agent-General, in effect, .says that of tho butter shipments rrcently received tho "fanners" and "mixed" lots havo been found to be " unsound," and owing to this the " prospocts of tho trado are most discouraging," tho action of shippers " having proved most detrimental " to

it. " Only tho beht oroamory butter," the Agent-General sayw, " has proved 11. sneccsb," and "' opinions aro oxproßsod by Knglish oxports that colder carrying chambers aro dosirablo." Apropos of our paragraph yesterday rospecting tho abandonment of tho Kohimaraina Trainintr School and tho case of tho boy Armstrong, tho Minister for Education informs us that thoro now remain only two pnpils in tho school. Mr. Kocvob liiih had occasion to bo dissatisfied with tho eohool for 11 considerable time, and Homo 1(> month* ago ho personally examined tlio children. As a rosull of tho examination, and a conforonco with tlio oflicors, tho toaohers woro changed, and a duly cnrtilicatod niulo teacher appointed. This teacher did good work for a year, but at tho end of that timo tho Minister, after smother vimt, came to tlio conclusion that it was expedient to oloso tlio school . Ah tho iittciul.inoo of boys nt tlio school had dwindled down to a very small nuinbor, a financial Having will bo effected by tho chaugo and the di^tnlmtion of tho boys to othor contro.s, and tho 10 acres of land will bo ro-loa.sed for tho runmturior of the term of tho Government's lou-.0, viz.., threo years. Tho buildings aro of littler or uo value. With roforoneo to tho ilismissnl of Head Attendant Mucloay, of tlio Mount Viow Asylum, wo find it was convoyed to him in a lot'ter fiom Dr. MacGrogor, dated 3rd February, in which tho Inspector wroto :: — ■ " Aftor tlio most careful consideration of your conduct in eonnoetion with tho treatment of Ah Ching in tho Apylum, and ospecially in roforoneo to tlio cliargoH made against you by Mr. Wood, it is considered to bo impossiblo to continuo yon in your oflico ot Hoad Attendant." Tho lottor was writton by direction of tho Hon. W. P. Keovoa, und it concluded with an oppression of groat rogrot at having to disponso with tlio sorvicos of an officer who had douo so much good and usoful work in tho Auckland and Wellington Asylums. Tho charges referred to consist of a statement by Mr. Woodß, tho chiof clork, that ho recollected socing in tho roport upon Ah Ching's admission (a form fillod up upon tho admission of ovory pationt) a statoniPiit that tlio man was bruised, whereas on referring to this report lator ho found it stated that thero were no bruisos. Maoleay at the original onqniry statod that thoro woro no bruisos, but that ho had not romovod tho man's shirt. Ho novor mentioned any othor examination, but at tho Royal Commission ho sworo to having made a secoud oxnmination not boforo mentionod, and to being positive from this that thoro woro no bruises. Thoso apparent contradictions causod enquiry to bo mado subsequent to tho Commission, with the result that first tho head attendant was asked to resign, and subsoquontly was dismissed. Messrs. Beanoy & Sons, of Auckland, tho successful tenderers for the iron tower for Stephens Island Lighthouso, havo Bignod thoir contract. Thoir tonder wus for <£GB9. Tho othor tenderers woro — Sparrow & Co., Dunodin, _t725 1 _ 3d ; S. Luko & Co., Wellington, _729; Scott Bros., Christchurch, _800 0s 4d ; W. Cablo _ Co., WoEtngto.'i, _825 ; J. & A. Anderson, Christcfenrch, _992. Mossrs. Bpaney were tho build sra of tho towor on Cuvior Island, which is stellar to the prosont towor, and for which ti«ir contract price was a little over JC7OO. Miss Mabel Hill, of the Wellington School af Design, recoived by yosterday's mail 3 bronze modal awarded to her by tho Auckland Academy of Arts as first prizo for paintings of still life, shown at tho Acadomy 's 1 rocont exhibition. The subject which Miss Hill dealt with was a collection of Maori curios, wbinh sho reproduced in oils. Tho modal itsolf is a very chasto one, engravod on both sidos in designs thoroughly typical of tlio colony, and illustrative of tho motto of tho Society, viz. :— "' Tho old ordor changeth." GoorßO Thomas _ Co. will soil to-morrow, fruit, &c. Churchward _ Co. will sell to-morrow, fruit, .fee. Townsond _ Paid will soil to-morrow, fruit, _c.