NO BREAKAWAY

Northern Advocate, 31 October 1932, Page 3

NO BREAKAWAY

NORTHERN A. AND P. ASSOCTA

TIONS,

PART OP PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. ASSURANCE GIVEN. Three delegates, Messrs- .1. Mitchel and F. O’Donnell, president and S(*cre tary respectively of the .Aucklam Agricultural and Pastoral Association and Air .1. H. Ivissling, secretary-of tin Franklin Association, met delegate of the newly-formed North Aucklam Executive of A. and P. Societies oi Saturday to seek an assurance that tin Northern societies were not breaking away from the Auckland Provincia Council. That assurance was given the meeting deciding to recommend tc the various associations that the title of the now body be the North Auckland Committee of the Auckland Provincial Council. Delegates from Whangarei, Northern Wairoa, Waiotira, Kaikohe, Towai, Upper Wairoa, Bay of Islands, Rodney and Hukerenui attended the meeting. Air F. O. Barge was elected to the chair. In opening the discussion, Air Barge said there was no Intention on the part of Northern societies to break away from the Auckland Provincial Council, but in forming the committee they had done so because they felt they had reached the position where they could help themselves. Air H. N. Cliff (Waiotira): “What feeling lias the Auckland Council towards the stop we have taken;’’ Air Alitchell gave an assurance that j the council had the best of good will towards the North. 1 When the copy of the minutes of the previous meeting was placed before the council it was viewed with alarm?as the breakup of the council, which was formed in 1927-2 S. Prior to that the societies worked on their own. The Auckland Provincial Council had functioned well, and it was felt that the step taken by Northern bodies was the thin edge of the wedge which would break up the council. “We feel we want to stand firmly in this matter,’’ he said, “and not do anything to break up the state of affairs which we have now. We can help you a lot in developing mud boosting your territory.’’ Air Alitchell said he had' been glad to hear the assurance given by the chairman. “I have no antagonism towards the Auckland Provincial Council,’’ said Air Cliff, “and in fact see so little of them that I do not know any of them. The North is not represented on the council. We claim we know our conditions better than people who live in Auckland, and we enn meet our own problem, such -as show dates and Judges, much better here. ’’

“] do not know whether this is an inquest on the Auckland Provincial Council or a birthday,” said Mr O'Donnell. “We were thunderstruck, to find that this committee was being set up hero. I assure you we have no antagonism whatever.” Mr O’Donnell then gave a sketch on the history of the Auckland Provincial Council, pointing out the good work it was doing in regard to the questions of show dates, judges and showmen. “It is not the Auckland A and P Society,” he went on, “and wo have only two representatives on .it, but, through it, we claim we have done something worth while in the history of New Zealand shows.”

He felt some trepidation as to the result should the northern societies break away, and if they wanted to finish on their own they must do so without any aid from the Auckland body. “That would be all right for your interests,” ho said, “but wo came into it for your interests.” He thought that if the Northern societies parted with the parent body' they would gradually disintegrate and go back to their Individual societies, and the last stages of their existence would bo much worse than the- first.

“Organise this as an annual conference in the North, and the Auckland Provincial Council will send its secretary and perhaps its president, to attend. Our only object is co-opera-tion.”

All the Northern delegates stated that their societies were opposed to any breaking away from the Auckland Provincial Council, hut that it was felt that the problems of the North could be discussed by some central body. That was why the committee had been formed. Tt was then moved by Mr C. H. McKenzie (Northern Wairoa) that, it bo a recommendation to the various societies that dhe name of the body be the North Auckland Committee of the Auckland Provincial Council. That motion was carried with two dissen--1 ients. A further resolution was passed that support be given to the Auckland Provincial Council in pressing for the Royal Show in lfilb r ).