ANNUAL MEETING.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume 26, Issue 1369, 18 January 1896, Page 4

ANNUAL MEETING.

•The annual meeting was then held, and ihe secretary has'ing read the minutes of the last annual meeting, which were confirmed pn the motion of Mr James Hore. seconded by Mr Thos. Ramsay, the meeting proceeded .with the

ELECTION OP OFFICERS for the ensuing year. The President said that at the last annual ; meeting Mr Law said it was owing to his I £the speaker's) irrepressive ability that he ': would support him for the position of presi- j dent. He did not see that his irrepressive j ability had done them any good as the club i had had a very quiet year, but perhaps the | pad weather had had something to do with ! that However, he would like to keep the \ pluh going even if they only held meetings i occasionally. It was always a recognised ■ £qdy to bring influence to bear on the member'for the district, or in any other direction, pn behalf of the farmers. This year was their sixth anniversary, and as they did not seem to hare got any smaller for a long time the' probability was that if they could stick . for a few years longer they would get a much He then asked for nominations for the office of president. j "Mr John Law did not see any reason why ' they should t-ave any change. The club had i been fortunate in having Mr Eamsay in the ! first place as secretary and then as president. .' iSe could not say whether their quietness : /luring the past year had been due to the j president being a little more quiet than usual ■■ or to the late severe winter; perhaps it was a mixture of both. He had pleasure in proposing that Mr Eamsay continue as president. If- they kept the club together he had more hope for the future, and there were better times in store for them. There was much work for the club to do, and if they closed its career at the present time they would close it when the work already done .was just beginning to germinate. Two things were going to happen in the near future : one was the entrance of the Otago • .Central Bail way on to the Maniototo Plain which might eventuate this year; and they had "also the Otago Central Pastoral Association holding its meetings at Clyde, jind the Dnnedin Association was putting put. feelers to get' hold of us here. It was impossible for them at present to maintain two institutions. They had either to give their support to Blacks or join Dunedin. j punedin would probably be the one for them ' .to support. However, that was for the club jfco consider in the future. It would be a big mistake to allow the club to lapse. "Mr Bleach had great pleasure in seconding Mir Law's motion. It was understood that pHe. offices of president, vice-president, and secretary were all rolling ones, but it was better to remain stationery than to roll into oblivion, which might happen if they made a change. Then there was also the probability of the Farmers' Club having direct representation in the House of Representatives before another year, which was a great consideration for them to look forward to. He quite endorsed Mr Law's remarks as to Mr J. J. Ramsay's fitness to retain the position, if he isvould only conset to do so - Mr J. J. Eamsay said he would like to see jthe position a rolling one, but as it seemed to be the wish of the club for him to take the office he had no objection. One reason was he had only been president of the club for nine months, and they had done very little business in that nine months. As to what Mr Bleach said was likely to eventuate, it would not be his desire if it did not happen, as'heboped to stand for some higher position before the end of the year. He thanked them for their good opinion of him. "The motion was then put and carried unanimously. Mr J. 'J. Eamsay proposed Mr Bleach for the office' of secretary. Mr Bleach had to decline as he h?d two or three similar positions and it took up all his spare time. ■ As he said-last year he thought the business of the club could be carried on better by having a and secretary living close to each other. It would pot shit him if he wanted to see the president'lb have to run after him to Hyde, Dunedin, or perhaps to "Wellington. Taking all this into consideration it would be better if Mr Ramsay consented to retain the position. ■*

' Mr T: Ramsay thought it was much more desirable to have a new secretary. Mr Bleach then moved that Mr J. Hore be secretary for the 'ensuing year, but that gentleman moved they could not do better than tOretain their present secretary, which potion was seconded by' Mr W. Mawhinney.. andcarried." •• . . . -