HOLDING COMPETITIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19384, 20 July 1926, Page 14

HOLDING COMPETITIONS

THE AUCKLAND SOCIETY. POSITION MORE HOPEFUL. READJUSTMENT OF FINANCES. Faced a few months ago with a heavy loss in which last year's festival had involved it, the Auckland Competitions Society was able to report at its annual meeting last evening a happy change of fortunes, brought about by favourable agreements with its creditors. The confident hope was expressed that the outcome of the next festival would be a decided financial gain. Mr. C- Mackley, who presided, remarked that it was a matter for regret that a city with such a large population had not been able to conduct competitions with the success that had attended festivals in the South. "We might not have the same proportion of artistic people here," said the secretary, Mr. Frank Adeane, commenting on this aspect, ''but wo certainly have a greater aggregate number." As compared with the loss of £I4OO on last year's festival, the secretary explained, it was expected that not more than £llsO, probably much less, would be required for the coming competitions, and as a result of the society's improved position it was thought that if the membership could be raised to 500 the financial situation would cause no further concern. Recently a hundred members had been .enrolled, and active canvassing would no doubt bring the membership up to the requisite number, Apart from arranging a composition with its creditors, said the secretary, the society had been helped out of its financial difficulties by the decision of the City Council to forego the debt of £2OO due on the rent of the Town Hall until the society was in a better position, and by the generous action of the adult prizewinners in not pressing for their trophies, conditional on the society continuing to function. The society, he added, began its new year with £l5O in hand, alter meeting guarantees for the coming festival. The secretary reported that Mr. Culf&rd Bell, of Wellington, had agreed to act again as judge of the elocutionary ite'W, and that negotiations were being made with Mr. Robert Parker, of Wellington, and Mr. W. Paget Gale, of Dunedin, for the musical section. Officers wero elected as follows Patron, the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon; president, Mr. Andrew Menzies; vicepresidents, Dr. C. E. Maguire, Mr. C. J. Tunlts and Mr. J. W. Shaw; hon. treasurer, Mr. Crowe; hon. solicitor, Mr. R. I. Gardiner. Mrs. Ferguson and Miss C. M. 'lulloch were added to the committee.