DISTRICT NEWS.

Northern Advocate, 24 June 1920, Page 4

DISTRICT NEWS.

(Own correspondent.)

WAIPU

AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING

.Mr J. C. McKay, president, too* the chair at a representative gathering of members of the Waipu Agricultural Association at their 34th annual meeting, which was made au aiternoon meeting nstead of an evening one as on previous occasions. Before proceeding with the busmen, on the motion of Mr J. J. Finlaysun the secretary was instructed to convey the sympathy of the members to the relatives of the late Mr Philip McKay and Mr J. B. Campbell, of Kamo.

The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed, after which the secretary read the annuul report and balance sheet (duly audited,), both of which were unanimously adopted without comment.

ANNUAL REPORT

The following is the full text of the anual report, as submitted by the secretary:— To the members of the Waipu Agricultural Association. —Ladies and Gentlemen, —I have the pleasure to briefly report on the operations of your association during the 34111 year of its existence, which were not so large as during some of your previous years. During the term through the war finally ceasing and satisfactory peace terms being arranged, the last of your members have safely returned from active service. Your committee have extended your sympathy to those of your members and friends who have suffered bereavement throughout the year. ■Actig under instructions from your last annual meeting a public meeting was called to consider starting a Men's and Soldiers' Club in the district, but nothing was done in the matter.

The question of having only one Park in the district was not submitted to the members as intended at your last annual meeting; hut is part of the business notified for your present meeting. The year's business was transacted with fewer committee and sub-com-mittee meetings than on some previous occasions.

Arrangements were made for holding your usual Annual Show on the 18th March, and a canvasser sent' to Auckland to canvass for special prizes. He only succeeded in getting aibout £25 worth, which sum although not so large as that received on previous occasions previous to the v/ar, may be considered satisfactory, as it is for various reasons far more difficult to get this class of donation now than it was in pre-war days. Your committee made all the necessary arrangements for a successfhl function and their efforts had every •appearance of being crowned with success, except for the weather, which on Show day was wet about the time many people would have been leaving home, with the result that it Mmited those who faced the storm to a very small number many :of those from outside districts who had started being compelled to return. The attendance was very small both at the show and concert. This was very disappointing, as a record crowd was expected, unless affected by the scarcity of benzine. From an exhibition point of view the show compared more than favourably with many of the previous ones, there ■being 165 exhibitors with 1091 general entries.. Although this may appear a large number of entries, it only represents an average of barely 22 for your schedule classes,'for a good many of which there were no entries, especially draught horses, many breeds of cattle all classes of sheep, except fats; pigs, and poultry. For inside exhibits the accommodation was almost too small, thus necessitating crowding them closer together than the stewards would have liked in order to give the public a fair opportunity to see them. Tha general quality of exhibits, including live stock, was favourably commented on hy thoee in a position to do so and to compare them with those exhibited at other country shows. Surprise was expressed particularly at the quality of some of the produce and fruit exhibits, considering the very unfavourable spring and summer experienced. This demonstrated that the land in this district could withstand the evil effects of an unfavourable season as well as many places. I think your thanks are specially due to your show stewards for the way in which they discharged their duties, particularly those for the live stock, who had a hard time of it, as nearly all those classes were judged in the pouring rain.

The financial position of the <isstfciatio'n is contained in the balance sheet as posted to each of you, so it is unnecessary to deal with it here, but any further information required will be available at the meeting. Your members number 85, against 96 last year, and an average of 89.7 for the past 17 years. This decrease is no d'ouibt caused through the wet weather preventing any from getting to the sfyo w, as this is the day on which most of them pay their annual fees. However, if all these 85 of you give the affairs of the association your careful attention, you may, I trust, at the end of the year' on which you are now entered ibe able to report a record year's progress.—l have the honour to be, etc., J, N. I. iMcK-ay, secretary. RECREATION GROUND. A good deal of discussion took pllace as to whether it would ibe better for the district to hold all their sports gatheirngs, etc., in one recreation ground, instead of the present practice (the show being held on the association's ground, and all the other sports gatherings, such as the Waipu Caledonian Society's games, football, cricket, tennis, croquet etc., in the Caledonian Park). Eventually it was agreed to approach the Calsr donian Society to see whether they are prepared to join in maintaining ■one recreation ground. CATTLE DIP. It was an instruction to the incoming committee to go into the mattev of having a cattle dip built in the district, now that cattle-dipping is becoming compulsory in tick-affected areas. JUDGING RULE, It was also an instruction to them, that at any future shows the stewards be instructed to see that no ■owners of exhibits are allowed to be present while judging is being done, except in cases where animals have to be led, driven or ridden.

APPRECIATION

■On the motion of Mr A. MoLennan the sum of five guineas was voted as j a wedding present to Miss A. C. Campbell as a slight token of the members' appreciation of her services in the interests of the association. Several members in speaking to the motion testified to her ability to assist and particularly the vviiiingness with which she always did it, as she was particularly interested in arranging for the concert held annually on show evening, and repeatedly on show day when others were enjoying themselves, she had to go off the field to practice songs, etc., with outside talent engaged for the concert. On the motion of Mr J. A. Finlayson the thanks of the members was extended to the officials for their services during the past year; and the president acknowledged the thanks on behalf of the officers. THE OFFICIALS. The follwing fficials were then ap pointed:—'President, Mr R. R. McKay (the late president, Mr J. C. McKay, declining re-election); vice-presi-dents, Messrs R. S. Durham, Gus McKay, and N. McMillan; secretary and treasurer Mr J. N. I. McKay; auditor, ■Mr P. C. Taylor; and a strong general committee of ladies and gentlemen.