OTAGO AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 18

OTAGO AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the abovenamed society was held at Philp's Terminus Hotel on Wednesday afternoon. There were 15 members present, Mr John Roberts (president) in the chair. ANNUAL REPORT. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet (already published), said : You will feel, lam sure, a certain amount of disappointment at the result of the last year's operations. It is somewhat disappointing to find that as we increase in year? we decrease in prosperity to a certain extent. During the past year the total income of the association, exclusive of debenture money, has been £1032 4s, against £1100 in 1887 and £1159 6s 7d in 1886,

( showing a decrease of £68 from last year's revenue and £127 from that of the year before. ' The chief falling off is in subscriptions, whioh 'were £362 16s 6d this year, against £424 19s last year and £485 14s in 1887. By referring to the other sources of revenue it will be seen that the receipts have been keeping up very well, and that the support accorded to the various exhibitions held by the association has by no means diminished. The want of easy communication from the city has had a very prejudicial effect on the attendance of the general public at the show for the past three years. Now, the Dunedin Tramway Company having acquired and put into first-class running order the Ocean Beach railway, the public can be easily conveyed at a cheap rate to the gates of the park, the result of which should be a very much better gate money in future. The takings at the gates at last Christchurch Show amounted to the large sum of £926 18s, and surely it is not too much to expect that the Dunedin Show, which so far as the quality of the stock exhibited is concerned is ia no way behind the great Canterbury exhibition, should draw an equal attendance. In Canterbury the show day is the great holiday of the year to the country folks, and trains laden with excursionists pour their thousands into the Addington Park. So it ought to be here, and so it will be, if only the attractive character of the exhibition is kept up. The chief exhibitors of stock have promised their best support, and it remains for the new committee to use every effort to make the coming show the greatest success on record, both in the number and excellence of the exhibits and in the attendance of the general public. The great obiect to be kept in view is to reduce the debt. Proceeding with the analysis of revenue and expenditure it will be seen that £500 of new debentures were issued and £262 10s of loan was paid off, making £237 10s of additional permanent debt. Of this amount £161 15s was expended in a new shed for dairy Droduceand local industries; £123 4s Id in improvements to the grounds, and £28 12s in purchase of plant — a total of £313 Us Id. This expenditure may be called " extraordinary," and is not likely to occur again. The debentures now running begin to expire next year, aud it is probable that they will be renewed at a lower rate than that now paid, which will also assist the revenue of the association. Of the ordinary expenditure, the great bulk is of course for prize money, which amounted this year to £477 19s 6d, exclusive of donations in plate and goods. It is a question whether: it would not be judicious to reduce this item somewhat. At lsist year's Canterbury show, where, as I pointed out, some £926 was taken at the gates, the prize money given by the association was £484 14s, so that our prizes are, considering our means, far greater in proportion than theirs. A comparison between their balance sheet and ours shows that they received in the three items of entries, gate money, booths and catalogues £1725, against our £563 19s; yet our prize money is only £6 less than theirs. The grass in the park is now thoroughly established, and in time it must be the favourite recreation ground for Dunedin. It is satisfactory to note that even now the revenue derived from rentals is increasing every year, and there is no doubt that a large revenue will eventually be derived from this source. A pioposition has been made to hold afternoon fetes at the grounds daring the summer, and I believe if properly carried out these might be popularised so as to bring a' considerable income to the association. The motion for the adoption of the report was then put and carried unanimously. ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS. On the motion of the Chaibman the following office-bearers were elected for the ensuing year : — President, Mr A. M'Farlane ; vice-president, Mr W. C. Smith ; hon. treasurer, Mr W. C. Smith ; hon. veterinary surgeons, Messrs J. G. Douglass and S. Slesinger ; secretary, Mr Sydney James. Committee— Joseph Allan, T. Brydone, R. Charters, G. Dowse, H. Driver, J. Duthie, K. B. Ferguson, H. Gourley, J. Gow, J. A. Johnson, W. Patrick, W. L. Philp, J. F. Peake, John Reid, J. B. Reid, M. Sinclair, James Smith, jun., J. Roberts, G. G. Russell, J. D. Ritchie, E. J. Spence, D. Sfcronach, W. D. Sutherland, W. H. Taggart. . Honorary Stewards—The presidents ot kindred societies throughout the province, John Allan, A. D. Bell, A. C. Begg, John Blair, D. Bacon, H. Buckland, W. R. Cameron, Dr Coughtrey, T. Cossens, W. Cowan, J. M. Douglas, John Duncan, J. A. Duthie, James Gall, R. Gawn, J. L. Gillies, J. Grindley, J. Fleming, James Hazlett, E. H. Hart, A. Imrie, C. W. Kerr, L. Maclean, F. Meenan, E. Menlove, John M'Caaley, John M'Caw, James Robin, J. F. Reid, G. Rutherford, John Stephenson, James Stewart, S. G. Smith, J. Toomey, William Wright. COMPLIMENTABY. Mr T. Brydone proposed a vote of thanks to the retiring president and vice-president for their valuable services duriDg the past year, alluding to the active interest taken by both in the work of the association. He expressed disappointment in seeing so few of the Taieri farmers present, and thought they were neglecting their own interests in not taking a larger share in the support and management of such an association. Mr H. Driver seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The retiring president, in returning thanks, hoped his successors might have more prosperous times to face, and be able to show the members next year a more nourishing state of affairs. He felt we had turned the corner now and might confidently look for times to be altogether better in the future. The meeting then closed. i ■— — — i — — — — — — -— ■

The Land Board on Wednesday had to deal with a melancholy list of perpetual lessees in arrears with their rent. In several cases the debtors appeared iv person, and gave a dismal account of their position and the misfortunes that they had had to encounter. One man, for example, said he had bought sheep for 6s one year which he had had to sell at 9d the next ; and another stated three successive potato crops had failed. The board granted time to these unfortunate lessees, save in one or two cases where the men saw no prospect of improving their position by struggling further.