OTAGO AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2057, 27 July 1893, Page 5

OTAGO AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETY.

COMMITTEE MEETING.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the committee of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society was held in' the secretary's office on Saturday, Mr M. Sinclair, (president) in the " chair. Correspondence was read from the Agricultural department and' the Minister for Lands re suggestion made as to the new Stock Bill, &c, and as to the society's protest against placing the railways under political control. Letters were read from' the Dunedin, St. Eilda, Port Chalmers, and Momington corporations, expressing their hearty approval of the society's resolution with regard to public abattoirs, aad their willingness to co-operate in establishing the same. The Gore Farmers' Club wrote asking the society to take part in a, meeting to be held under the auspices of the New Zealand Fanners' Union, with a view of securing the abolition of the local custom of 2£ discount charged by the agents in wheat transactions, and that bags be paid for as in the case of oats. — After discussion the committee unanimously resolved not to take part in the proposed o^bference. •> The following letter from Mr J. R. Scott, i secretary of, the National Dairy Association, was read :— " I have been instructed to request your society to undertake the, carrying out of a competition among cheese makers for a valuable , cup presented by Messrs John M'Nairn and Co., of Glasgow, at your annual show, or later if possible. The following are the conditions under which the cup is to be competed- for, viz. :—• Half a ton Cheddar shape coloured cheese suitable for .export, to be won three times, not necessarily in succession, the cup to be the property of the maker of the cheese.' I would point out that your show takes place rattier too early in the year for a really good cheese show, but that later in the year a very good show might be made up with grain, boots, &'c."— lt was resolved to thank the National Dairy Association, through Mr Scott, for their offer, and to state that this being the last meeting of the present committee they are not in a position to deal with it, but that they will recommend their successors^ initiate, if possible, an exhibition of dairy produce, cereals, . roots,' seeds, &c, about March, at which Messrs M 'Nairn's cup can be competed for. ' It was unanimously resolved that the society should do its utmost to encourage the planting of trees and shrubs in.Tahuna Par* on Arbor Day, and • ther secretary ) was instructed to invite the co-operation of the Tahuna Recrea- " tion Company. Messrs Sinclair, Patrick, Brydone, Roberts,. Duthie, Taggart, J. W.Wright, and W. O. Smith were appointed ,a committee to arrange details on Arbor Day, and to intimate" through the' secretary that donations of trees, shrubs, &c.j would be thankfully received. It 1 will be remembered that a beginning on a small'scale was made last year, and, there can be no doubt that if th 6 Recreation" Company, as tenants heartily join with the' society, their landlords, in a, well organised scheme for planting shelter shrubs an^d trees, 1 Tahuna Park inthe^near future will be one of 'the'favourite resorts of our citizens; but Shelter from wind 'and, drifting sand is indispensable, "^and '" the Recreation Company arid the Agricultural 1 and ' Pastoral Society are' equally interested in providing, it, and doing everything in their power to promote the comfort of their patrons. " , ANNUAL MEETING.' , The annual meeting of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society, was held .at Bern's Hotel ont Saturday at noon, Mr Mark Sinclair, (president) occupied the chair, and' there were also - present — Messrs R. Gawn, .J. Gow, J. Smith jun.,' J. Duthie, R.. Wilson, W. Cuningham Smith, John Roberts, S. James, Robert Chatters,- J.Hazlett.W. Patrick, F. T. Staconacb, A. M'Farlane,, T. Brydone, K. B. Ferguson, J. ShieH- A. M'Kay, and J. W. Wrighb. :. ** * ANNUAL BBPOBT. The Chaibman, in moving the adoption of the annual report (already , published) andbalance sheet, said he thought the society might congratulate itself on the satisfactory, balance-sheet which' the hon. treasurer wasable to submit, especially when they considered the unfortunate weather which was experienced on the " peoplejs day" of the'annual show. He bad no hesitation in stating that the treasurer's estimate of the, additional gate money which would have been received had; the weather been fine! on that - day. would^ have been exceeded, and that a difference of £150 in the revenue of the society was caused. .The show of stook was probably the best ever seen on Tahuna Park, and, so far as he was able to gauge the minds of ..the 1 , public, there would have been the largest attendance ever seen on the grounds on the second day of > the „ gathering had the weather been fine. - He thought it only right and proper that he should bear testimony to the warm' and hearty support the committee had given him during his. term of office. Every member of the committee had been thoroughly alive 'to his' work/ and anxious to promote the ' interests of the society. With reference to the conference of agricultural and pastoral ' societies: and fanners' clubs held in Dunedin, at the ' instance of the Tokomairiro Farmers? Club, he expressed the hope that the ensuing;year' would witness a meeting'of a similar character, and that another conference would be held at which all matters affecting the interests of the farmers might be thoroughly and fully discussed,' for he believed that only good couldi possibly result from the exchange of ideas which such gatherings brought about;' One matter which had been omitted from the report was a reference to Arbor Day. Many ' persons in Dunedin had been kind enough to present' the -society with valuable trees and plants,- and several members of the committee took' a hand in planting these in the grounds ; and he thought thatthose who visited the society's property would admit that a great improvement had been made. He trusted that the incoming committee would be fully alive to the importance of this matter, and that equally good, if not better, work would be done on the approaching Arbor.Day. The society had sustained a very serious loss during the year in the departure of their old friend Mr Philp, who . was elected secretary at the last annual meeting, and whose"ser?ices from the foundation ,of the society had b. eh of a valuable character. While he believed it would be a very difficult matter to find - a ' man who would fill the position of secretary as well as Mr Philp, he did not think it wpuld be right were he to close his remarks without referring to the kindness of Mr Cuningham Smith in coming to the rescue of the society when Mr Philp's engagements called him away. He did v not think he could be accused of flattery when he said that there was probably no man who could have rendered the same amount of service to the society as Mr Smith had been'able to render.— (Hear, hear.) It seemed to him that Mr Smith- was- peculiarly fitted for the work, he exhibited more than ordinary enthusiasm in the work, and he had got the society into, such thorough working oidor, notwithstanding all the difficulties it had

passed through, that the speaker was sure it would have a successful future. He hoped Mr Smith would be spared to extend the same amount of energy and enthusiasm in the society's work for many years to come. — (Hear, hear.) Mr Chabtebs, in seconding the motion, said that, as one who had been connected with the society since its formation, nothing gave him more pleasure than to think it was in a prosperous condition, and he hoped it .would continue to prosper. The motion was then put and carried. ELECTION OF OFFICE-JIEABEBS. On the motion of Mr M'Kay, Mr W. Patrick was unanimously elected president for the ensuing year. Mr Patrick, in taking the chair, said the position was one whioh he had never aspired to, as he knew there were so many members of the society who were better able to fill the chair, but since they had been pleased to confer the honourable position of president upon him he would do his best to promote the interests of the society. On the motion of Mr Gawn, Mr P. Pattujlo was elected vice-president, Mr Charters declining nomination. ' , Mr W. Cuningham Smith, who was proposed by Mr Sinclaib, was unanimously re-elected honorary treasurer. Mr Chabtebs proposed Mr Edward Duthie for the position -of secretary. He had full confidence that Mr Duthie -would do everything that lay in his power to further the success of the society, and he knew of very few men in Dunedin who were more competent to fill the position. Mr J. Smith, jun., seconded the motion. Mr M'Kay proposed as an amendment that Mr J. R. Scott be appointed. He understood that Mr Duthie was a young man. and he knew nothing against him, but he thought that experience was necessary, and this qualification was possessed by Mr Scott. Mr Roberts seconded the amendment. He did this, he said, with no feeling against Mr Duthie, because he had no knowledge of him, and that being so he preferred to support the candidature of the man he knew. Mr Chabtebs said that though Mr 'Duthie was not an old man he had had any amount of experience in .business, and he had also had a great deal of experience of coqntry.flhows. A ballot' was taken, with the result that Mr Duthie received 10 votes and Mr Scott 8, and the former was consequently elected. Messrs A. Hamilton and S. Slesinger were appointed veterinary surgeons for the year, and the following committee was elected : — Messrs Joseph Allan, D. Bacon, T. Brydone, R. Charters, J. Duthie, K. B. Ferguson, Sydney James,, R. Gawn, J. GoW, A. M'Farlane, A. M'Kay, M. Sinclair, J. F. Peake, J. Roberts, J. Shiel, J, Smith jun., W; C. Smith, Robert Campbell, W. D: Sutherland, W. H. Taggart, J. W. Wright, W. D. Stewart, and Cochran Weir. ' CpMPLIMENTABY. Mr James proposed a hearty vote of thanks to, Mr W. Cuningham Smith. for his services during the past year. As Mr Sinclair had remarked, Mr Smith not only thoroughly knew the work, bub had shown by his actions for many years that he had a thorough interest- in it. He* thought Mr Smith deserved their thanks, not only for acting as their hon. secretary for the past five months, but also, he might say, tor his services during the past seven or eight years, for, he -had been the' backbone of the society. v ' '"' > . -< The motion was carried by acclamation, and,; on the motion of Mr Wilson," a vote of thanks was accorded to the retiring president and committee.' Messrs Sinclaib and Smith acknowledged the votes, after which the meeting terminated.