OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 13

OTAGO EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

.The seventh annual meeting of the Otago Early Settlers' Association was held in the Board Room of His MajesJ^'s Theatre on the 22nd inst. Mr Donald Reid, sen., president evening. Mr Donald Reid, sen., president of the association, occupied the chair, and there was a moderate attendance of members. The . report for the year was read and adopted a& follows: — Your committee has much pleasure in again meeting you, and, this being the end of the seventh year of our existence, it may be well to take a retrospect and review our position. The objects of the association as set forth in the rule* may be briefly summarised: — '"£0 promote a spirii of brotherhood and friendship among the early settlers and their descendants; to gather them together periodically and entertain them socially; to collect and place on record reminiscences of early settlers; to keep a careful record of eMch settlers and their families." In furtherance of these objects we consider a very satisfactory state of affairs can be shown. The roll of membership has now reached 900, and is steadily increasing. The treasurer's balance sheet will show the financial position. There are no liabilities, but many valuable a*sets, in which, theassociation being- registered, members iave a common share "Your committee has met monthly. 1 Two special meetings, three 'reunions, and three district meetings have been held. *A>. Social gathering was held in the annexe, Agricultural Hall, on August 31, 1904, at • which there was a -large attendance of members and their families. Jt reunion, io celebrate ihe jubilee, of the arrival of. ships Thetfs", .Uolphin, Ashmore, and Pudsey Daweon, was held, in the Garrison Hall on November 24,, 1904, at which the surviving passengers were fairly represented. A reunion to celebrate _ the fifty-seventh anniversary of the settlement was' heM in His. Majesty's Theatre and annexe on Anniversary Day, March 23, 1905, at which -his Excellency the Governor was present, and gava an address. An early settlers' picnic was held on the "Wingatui Racecourse on February 2, 1905, Dunedin and Taieri districts being well represented. The combined Balclutha-Milton picnic was held at Milton on February 8, 1905,tbis being the largest gathering yet held, about 1400 persons beings present. The celebration of the sixtyfifth anniversary of the settlement of Wailcouaiti was held there on the 16th February by a month), and was a great success. Many interesting presentations have been made to the association during the year. A large and valuable collection has now been gathered together, which, will occupy considerable space, and prove a great attraction when exhibited in. the new hall. Xn addition to the large sums collected and donated to the building fund, your committee has pleasure in acknowledging the following benefits: — A performance by. Miss v Edith Leech and her Dramatic C!rbs; » ceilidh by the Gaelic Society; the balance of funds from the surviving members of the Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney, and Shetland Society; and donations from the Early Settlers' Picnic Committee, Milton, and also from the Anniversary Celebration Committee, -Waikouaiti. The committee appointed to provide for the .erection, of a memorial hall has had" several ' meetings during the year, and has been making some progress in procuring contributionSjpbut, owing- 'to various causes, a thorough canvass of the province for subscriptions has not yet l>een made. "It is now proposed to make •»- call -on -early colonists and those who may be -willing to contribute, so that -when sufficient -has been subscribed the building may be pnt in hand without further delay. It may interest subscribers and intending contributors to know how the fund at present stands. The full amount collected to date is 17s sd, and we have in addition written promises for £480, making a- total of £906 17s 5d There are aleo from all parts many reliable promises of contributions when a start is made with the building, for which plans have been prepared, and the totaKcost estimated at £2200. The site in Moray place purchased tor the building cost £1425, and was at once paid for, and it is now earning enough to -^ay rates and taxes and leave a snza!! balance over. Your committee feels satisfied that, the object being such a worthy one. we have only to make our requirements generally known to secure substantial contributions to the funds — at least, enough to enable us to proceed at once with the work. In this connection it is gratifying to find the lady members and committees, who have already^ given such valuable aid, again taking »n active part, and that they have resolved to hold a carnival, art union, and bazaar at tb* winter show time in 1906, in aid of the "building fund. rJ loe idea has been suggested of joining our efforts with those of the art gallery promoters icr the .purpose of securing a more eligible site. The matter of a sit for the art, ga>llery, the committee understands, has not yet been settled, and it has been pointed out that there is at present a large vacant space at the intersection of High. ana Cumberland streets, Hie present railway station being on the ecniSi-east side, which would be an excellent position for our Memorial Hall and for an art gallery. An informal application was made some time agjo to the .Minister of Railways to secure ±hls site for our Early Settlers' Memorial Hall, but the application, at the time was declined under various pretexts — one Being the objection of the Railway Drpartmetit to any building near the railway, another tha>t the site had been promised to the then Mayor (Mr J. A Park) as a site for a band rotunda. There is ample space in the area mentioned fox both a.rt gallery and an "Early Settlers' Memorial Hall. The site as an ideal one for both purposes, and there does not appear any valid reason -»why the land shcnld not be made available and handed over, under proper stipulations, for such worthy and public-spirited undertakings. The site in question, in the centre_ of the traffic to and from tho railway station, would be quite unsuitable for a band Tottmda. If this sit* could be secured, the section already acquired coul-d be disposed of. and the proceeds made available towards the erection of ornate and imposing buildings which would be an ornament to the city and worthy of the site, and the object for which the buildings are to be erected. The committee believes that if this matter were properly placed before the Minister of Railways and the Government they wou'd willingly agree to grant the site fox "the buildings, and thus, without any cost ■ to the colony, advance tihe worthy objects of both associations In conclusion, the committee Tegrets to have to state that n large amount is owing in outstanding subscriptions for the year ending April 30, 1905. and makes an earnest appeal to all concerned to at once reduce the amount ly postal note, payment al -the office, ox a>t j Messrs John Reid and Sons, as personal col- j lection over such a large area is practically 1 impossible. Members are also reminded that, Recording to the rules, subscriptions for the year ending April 30, 1906 are payable this | month (May). j The balance sheet, as submitted by the fconorary treasurer (Mr G. C. Proudfoot) showed:— Assets: Bank of New Zealand. '

£389 6s 8d; Dunedin Savings Bank, £101 15s 9d; property in Moray place, £1437 Os 6d; cash in hand, £1 2s Id;— total, £1929 ss. The amounts to profit and loss account were:— Balance April 30, 1904, £1504 9s 2d ; subscriptions, £193 8&; interest, £1 15s Pd;— total, £1699 12s lid. The expenses for the year for rent, salary, and commission, rates, etc., totalled £196 5s 4d, and a balance of £1502 7s 7d was carried forward to next year. — The balance sheet, as submitted, was adopted. The President, in speaking to the report, said he did not know whether the outside public would clearly understand the financial position of the society. It might be supposed that the sum of £426 17s sd, which had been collected, and the £480 promised represented the total contributions to the society's funds, but he would- like to emphasise the fact that in addition to the amounts named the sum of £1400 had been raised, which had been used to pay for the property in Moray place, making in all a sum of £2331 17s 5d that had been raised towards the Hall Fund. That was not a bad record for a society which was supposed to be a poor one, and he misht J point out that if they had one-third morethan the amount mentioned in hand, or promised in as. substantial a manner, they might proceed with their building on the present sit© or anywhere else, and if their ! friends were as generously sincere as some i of their letters indicated, there should be no difficulty in regard .to (.funds. In conneei tion with the site mentioned in the vicinity of the railway, he had heard that day that ; there was some talk ©f erecting a memorial • to the memory of fcheir fallen troopers, and | he would point out that on the vacant piece- [ of land referred to there was ample room for- an art gallery, an* "old settlers* hall, and a' troopers' memorial.* In regard to can.vassing the city for "funds he thought the association had been 'somewhat lax in the past, and had allowed others to come in before it, but Tie thought the old settlers' turn had arrived now, and he hoped this matter would be taken up at the first meeting of the .new committee, and that some arrangement, if possible, would be come to with the art gallery and troopers* memorial advocates for securing the site mentioned in the report, which, if not T>ut to some such purpose, would become a waste place in the town. He suggested that, if necessary, a deputation .should proceed to Wellington and interview the Government upon the matter. The secretary (Mr !L. lianglands) said the Premier had expressed himself at the Firemen's Carnival as very much interested in the Old Settlers' Association, and had said lie would be willing to do anything he could to help them. Mr Martin also spoke in favour of the sito suggested in the report for the old settlers* hall. ELECTION OF OTFICEES. Mr G. Fenwiek, in proposing the reelection of Mr D. Reid as president of the association, said he bad had the same honour th© previous year. Their president had done valuable work for them, and he expressed the hope that Mr Reid would become their permanent president. — (Applause.) He was certain there was not a member of the association but would be glad to see Mr 1 Reid continue in office as president. " The nomination was seconded br Mr J. Reid and carried unanimously, and the president briefly returner) thanks for hit re-election. The other officers of the association were then elected: — "Vice-presidents — Messrs Thos. Aitken 'Af© S pnVl) Alex. Burt. sen. (Dunedin) Geo. CMder fNor*h-Tsa«t Valley). Charles Duke (Sawyers' Bay), John Duthie (Dunedin). John "Reid (Punedin) : hnn. treasurer, Geo. C. Proudfoot: auditors W. T. Monkman and F. J. Monson ; Committee of AFanasrement — Messrs Adam "Brebnpr (Rt-. Clair). George Brown (Dunedin). W. R. ■Ri-iietTi fD"irorliT^ William Cr«>wlev (Ravenebourne). T. S. Cullin-? fftt TTHrla). W. H. • IVrens rß*>nekno T v^ TV R. v T"uHon 'ThmWilliam G. Hay (Dimpdin). Robert Jack (Ravensbourne). I/. Lane-lands CDun»rHn) Jnhn AT 'Woe (Drinedin). Dr W. J. Will (Abboteford). The meetins- concluded with a vote of thanks to the chair.