ORPINGTON CLUB.

Evening Star, Issue 12865, 14 July 1906, Page 2

ORPINGTON CLUB.

About a dozen members put m an appearance at last night's annual meeting of the Orpington Club, which was founded a year ago at the time of the last annual show of the Duncdin Fanciers' Club. The president (Mr J. Stewart) moved the adoption of the balance-sheet. The income, he raid, had been £5 17s from subscriptions, while the expenditure had been £lO 17s so that the club had a debt of £5, for which he had become personally liable. The club would be unable to supply the trophies promised.. He himself had won two of these, and Mr Peterson the other, but he (the. chairman) did not care a fig about getting those he had won. The trophies, however, to" become the absolute property of a member had to be won twice in succession. The club had a membership of fifteen, and several new members would be proposed that night. The eecretary pro tem. (Mr H. P. Hurvry) pointed out that the expenditure of £lO on printing rules, etc., would not be a recurring one, as 500 copies- bad been run off, and nearly all these were in hand. A discussion on how to increase the membership ensued, in the course of which the chairman said that .nil the Orpington breeders in the island had been forwarded a circular, and notified of the meeting. A suggestion to increase the annual subscription was regarded as impracticable, but it was recognised that a good ftep would lie to secure active representatives in each town as honorary members. The balance-sheet having been adopted, it was proposed to instruct the secretary to issue a circular notifying breeders of the club's position. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows:—President. Mr J. Stewart (Invercargill); vice-presidents—Messrs A. T. Y. Symons (Timaru),/'A. Tyree (Ohr:stcburch), E. Riley (Dunedin). and A. Wylde (Waitahuna); secretary, Mr R. Day (Invercavgill); committee—Messrs- S. C. Kesteven (Christchurch), A. A. Clarkson (Chrirtchurch) G. Butcher (Christchurch), De Beer (Dnnedin), C. Peterson (Timaru), H. P. Harvey (Dunedin), C Grant (Outran)), G. Shelton (Henley), Rev. Mitchell (Balclutha), Taylor (Milton), Day (Invercargill), and M'Gill (Oamaru). Mr R. B. M'Kay was reappointed auditor. The offico-beareru elected above are the epme as those elected for the previous year. chairman oaid that the secretary would be instructed to notify the office-bearers of their election. He mentioned that at present some of them were not financial members.

The meeting then proceeded to discuss the need for an understanding about what the aim of breeders should be in regard to featheriag.—Mr Nash said the breed required protecting from the looseness of feathering, which some of the judges called for. Mr Mitchell said breeders did not know what to go for tight or loose feathering.—Mr Harvey disagreed with a' suggestion by Mr Mitchell that inquiries be made at Home in regard to the English standard It was known that neither t:ght nor loose feathering was wanted, but close feathering. Only capable, trustworthy judges should be appointed.—The Chairman said that he understood slight alterations were being made in the standard at Home. The-re was a likelihood of the English clubs getting out illustrations of standard birds m both blacks and buffs. Mr Riley suggested that a print of Orpington standard? be on hand at shows for reference by judges, and at meet.'ngs for the inetruction. of members. Mr Riley (who judged Orpingtons at the present show) proceeded to explain what had influenced him in making ha awards. In the course of his remarks he said thatthe buff Orpingtons were better than the blacks both in type and in closeness of feather. The blacks were big and loose and brutal-looking in head—were degenerating into black cocSins, in fact, instead of a general utility bird. The Chairman said that he thought cinna-mon-colored birds should be eliminated from the buff class. He had no time for them could breed them by the score. Possibly a separate class could be instituted for cinnamons.

The meeting strongly expressed the opinion that all judges should stick as clcee as possible to the New Zealand standard, which is a copy of the EnglL hj standard. This had special reference to closeness of feather. It was recognised that the club were not yet strong enough to appoint and pay their own judges for the Orpington classes at ehows. It was respbed to offer the club's trophies next year at the Invercargill show, the annual meeting to bi held at 1 that time.