TO REMAIN AT TAHUNA

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 16

TO REMAIN AT TAHUNA

THE SUMMER SHOW. PUBLIC APPEAL TO BE LAUNCHED. £IO,OOO THE OBJECTIVE COLLECTION LIST ALREADY “HEADED.” At a special meeting held on November 29 the A. and P. Society decided to hold over for consideration by a larger meeting tile committee’s proposals that: — 1. The committee be authorised to dispose of Tahuna Park, utilising the proceeds as legally authorised in securing more suitable show grounds. 2. Before completing the sale of Tahuna Park the committee be authorised to obtain confirmation from the Dunedin Jockey Club of its generous proposal to lease a suitable area at Wingatui for a term of years for holding the annual summer show'. 3. That the committee continue negotiations -with the Harbour Board with a view to securing 25 to 30 acres of the Southern Endowment (adjacent to Anderson’s Bay road) provided the area is suitable for both the summer and winter shows. The special meeting to give further consideration to the proposals was held on the 31st, between 80 and 100 members being present. The president of the society (Mr V. Andrew) was in the chair. The meeting decided, on an amendment by Sir John Roberts, to withdraw the proposal to dispose of Tahuna Park and to endeavour to raise CIO,OOO from the public to relieve the society •f its financial obligations. The decisions |NR unanimous.

THE CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT. In his opening remarks the Chairman explained the object of the meeting. In moving the adoption of the committee’s proposals, he said that it was very gratifying to see such a large attendance. It clearly showed that members and the business community were taking a direct interest in the society’s operations. The'meeting was practically a continuation of the meeting held on November 29. At that meeting, after the committee’s proposals were fully discussed, it was decided that a circular letter be sent to each member with a request that they .should express their opinions on the question should Tahuna Park be sold or retained as a show ground. The position was fully placed before members, and 96 replies had been received. Of these 72 recommended that Tahuna Park be retained as a show ground and 24 recommended the sale 9! the park. It was probably not fair criticism to deal entirely with one year’s results, but the position would not be materially altered even if several years were included. If they referred to the last audited balance sheet they would note that the two principal sources of revenue at the' summer show were admission to grounds (£605) and entry fees (£345), whilst the last year was considerably less owing to the unfavourable weather. With these figures before them, it must, be recognised that it was the duty of the Finance Committee to go into the whole position, and it was mainly on their report- that the committee was practically compelled to take steps to relieve the position. To pay close on £750 per year to provide for accommodation for two days’show was out of the question, and in addition to these charges over another £IOOO was required to pay piriz.es and other expenses. To continue carrying on under these conditions would be simply courting failure, and it was mainly due to these facts that any such proposal as the sale of Tahuna Park was even suggested. The committee had had several proposals under consideration, but of all of these the committee believed that that submitted at the last meeting was the best proposal under the circumstances. He could assure members that they had only the interests of the society at heart,, and if any member present had a scheme to assist them in their efforts they were prepared to give it every consideration. The committee realised that one of the serious drawbacks was the raiway connection, but if the/ Dunedin City Council and the St. Kilda Council were really anxious to assist the society he believed that there was a reasonable prospect of being able to connect the pitsent line direct on to the grounds. If this could be given effect to it would, overcome one of their serious objections and be highly appreciated l.y exhibitors. There was also the proposal under consideration to hold a Royal Show alternately in the" North and South Islands, and whilst it would be admitted that a Royal Show would be of considerable advantage to breeders throughout the dominion, it might have an opposite effect on several of the metropolitan shows, the Otago one included, as under their present arrangements they could not expect that their grounds would be suitable, All these matters required careful consideration before the committee were justified in recommending any heavy expenditure in improvements to their present buildings or in connection with the railway line. There had, however, the Chairman went on to say, been a proposal , submitted to the committee during the last few days which, if supported by the business community. would place an entirely different complexion on the whole position. Sir George Fenwick, managing director of the .Otago Daily. Times and Witness Company, who had always taken a keen interest in the society, and who had, through the paper, been the prime mover in raising considerable sums of money for other purposes, had so satisfied his directors of the claim of the society and the necessity of retaining lahuna Park that they were prepared to subscribe the sum of £250. This generous offer was voluntarily made without any aopeal, and practically without any condition. —(Applause.) If any proposal was accepted on the lines suggested, it would certainly be the duty of. the committee to make a thorough canvass of the city, and the proposal initiated by the Daily Times and Witness would be an incentive to other business firms to assist in placing the society on a sound financial basis. A proposal had also been received suggesting that a portion of the foreshore be utilised for both the society’s summer and winter shows, and pointing out how that area might be used to obtain revenue. The removal of the winter show from its present site would require very careful consideration, and in any case until tHey obtained more information as to the area, the rent required, and the cost of the necessary buildings, the scheme suggested could not be definitely decided on at that meeting. Other proposals had also been submitted, including one suggesting that Tahuna Park might be utilised for holding the winter show. The committee were not in any way committed to any proposal, and were quite willing to give careful consideration to any scheme or proposal which would tend to place the society in a better position. Briefly the position might be summed up as fellows: (1) To retain Tahuna Park under present conditions entailed heavy annual expenditure and & heavy draw on the society’s resources far in excess of what should be paid for the accommodation required. » (2) In addition to the annual overhead expenses, a large expenditure would be necessary to put the whole buildings, fixtures, etc., in a satisfactory condition. (3) The present railway connection was not satisfactory. The society now paid heavy charges for the conveyance of stock, and was compelled to spend a considerable sum annually in repairs before the Railway Department would grant a permit. (4) If Tahuna Park was sold at a satisfactory price and accommodation secured on similar terms and conditions to those on which the Wingatui property had been, offered, the society's annual expenditure for the Summer Show would be reduced by close on £750 per annum—a, saving which could not be ignored. (5) If Tahuna Park was to be retained as a show ground the committee must obtain additional revenue of at least £SOO per annum either by voluntary subscription, increase of membership, or by utilising the park to better advantage. He did not object to fair criticism, the chairman continued; in fact, he rather appreciated it, as it tended to improvements. At the same time, some of tho comments that have apeared in the local papers were

not fair. lie felt assured that if they knew and fully understood the true position some of the "views would be materially modified. It Burcly should not-be expected that individual members of the committee should personally canvass for financial assistance from those who directly benefited by the society s operations. The serious cost that was being entailed in retaining Tahuna r*ark as a show ground had been repeatedly before the committee, and every effort had een made to increase their membership to meet the position, but, he regretted, with not very satisfactory results. The time aa now arrived when the business community of this city should realise their bligations and the committee be relieved of the nnancial responsibility. He had eneavoured to place the position as briefly as possible before members, and it would now i f meeting to decide what was best interest .of the society. He had Dronnvil w hdst he believed the n I* . su fimitted at the last meeting was Ahe *. h * ve had under eon- • lon » *he committee were prepared to consideration to any other proat m, ? ht il be submitted. He then under JL,™i° Ve e.- * he proposals that were consideration at the previous meeting. M, Z T 0 CRITICISM. did not u SeC °" ded the motion. He to add tn "Y’ b u s f ld ’ t ba t he had much would see hat h Y had said before. They tne societv r ° m -^ r -Andrew’s figures that tion It y k TV n a ser ‘ oius financial posithe cHKe- d , bee n MSSMted, in someof that ft. m e , ve ed against the society, bow W ttee drawing the long sheet cert ‘*l WaS n a acl - 1 he balance assets Y y Y lowed a credit balance of assets over liabilities, but that was only made YY provision whatever had been preriatfon Y°' Vn for deto MvYn ’tt hOUg u h 11 must be apparent had it i u hat sac b premises as the society steadilv ahun a I ark had been depreciating it would t Y num , ber °f years. In fact" prenfi es • 6 at >? st £2CCO put the otheY oe m a condition tit to last for anwhich th ye , a Y’ "'bicli was the time for for the h fi y J , ,ad st , ood already. The fixings 6 d J spl , a * v stock required bringing ex Den fbose were immediate the s,vr S tbat were required apart from m.tteehd v. Y° r ° Ver 12 years the como h .,.Y d Y a< P ,ett y heavy work annually ure Yf: B re >' enue with ‘he expendibe i'n th i 1 3 v Cle ‘y a* theirs should not cfent rev p ° slt, on It should have suffiY -e- t 0 b f large 'y f ree from financial troubles so that it . could give attenhad not P h?° Sal? f u, expansion. But thev asthev sh en M ln th<3 Portion to expand Y h T ‘ e Y >and ' , The y had had water h althY° h tQ u keep their heads above that nn i? gh he w ? s Prepared to say and w °‘ ler sem'-Pobhc body in Otago examined corn P a *"® s had their expenditure SocWv d TT^d rUt Y leSSly as the A and P. not o-et nh 'Y' fhose conditions they could simnlv ’ a ! ,d lf tbey stood still it simply meant retrogression. Thev must sr*!. ,h 6 a iie «s« ”to and Other el e P? e cost of transport during the had incl 'eased enormously had X? £ few years and many people th u d to curtail, with the result that he show suffered. The number of entries that bv* XT'”®’ , a Y J they must remedy ments V Tit S exhibitors proper induce, step would'Tave'to tlfen. S °The TownY £ant°to Members of the committee, had canvassed HonsTd u° m t,me t 0 tinm and odd dom, to sav ha that e ?h reCeU T d ' ü ßut he "as sorrv fYL ii who benefited most whom y J T Y S , how were those from wnom ,t was hardest to get anythinSSiSL tvTh 3 ” "Y"- 1 /’ s P en d half an ho.tr wdth 5 - h 3 , ret l', ler and then come away If they had done so The society would not now be m the position in which it ound itself He assured the meetin- that the proposals had not been made before committee had considered them Zl THE AMENDMENT. Sir John Roberts expressed the soeietv’s appreciation of the offer by the Otago Daily Times and Witness Company He went on to say that at the last meeting he saw the society’s financial position ,n such a light, that there was apparent to him no alternative to shifting changed Th k ‘ ? Ut Y he Potion changed. The proposal to shift to Wingatui had he said, wakened up a lot of peojflY—(Hear, hear. ) > It behoved others besides the committee to do their share of the work. Retailers and others reaped a very material udvantage from the s/Yiety’s two shows. Sir John then moved:— J (a) That this meeting accepts the very generous offer of the Otago Daily prooosalofYh ny and .resolves that the proposal of the committee for authority ,0 ./h SF ’ ose °f Tahuna Park be now withdrawn, arid as there is every prosof the swjiety being relieved of of Tah,ma a p d, i ffiCuU ' eS u the retention ■ Park as a show ground is fbl Thai 16 h r ;Y erests of the society b frZ III I *'!.! 16 committee can obtain I™ * tbe °tago Harbour Board a I fin e offer as regards the annual rent mh.'J ° f . ease ’ ‘he proposal to utinse a portion of the foreshore / \ f stand in abeyance. C T?h.mY bl -p Y® c ® m m;ttee to retain lahuna Park and relieve it of its financial obligations and make the necessary improvements that are urgently required, this meeting pledges itsJf to do its utmost to obtain voluntary contributions of £SOOO from the business community, the citizens, and supporters of the society. (d) That, this meeting place on record its high appreciation of the generous offer submitted by the Dunedin Jockey Club m placing its Wingatui property at the committee’s disposal immediit was advised of the position. (e) io give effect to these proposals, especially to clause (c), that an advisory committee be appointed to confer with the General Committee in connection with these proposals. In connection with the personnel of the advisory committee, Sir John Roberts said that he had no suggestion except that some prominent citizens should be included. There had been some remarkable expressions of opinion regarding the probable cost of putting the buildings at Tahuna in good order. One man had considered that he could do everything for £l5O. One item -sanitation—-

would cost hundreds alone. If the sum of £SOOO was not. sufficient for the purpose the committee could go to the public later on. There had been a suggestion that the accommodation was not sufficient, for the crowd at the show on a fine day, and it was said that the grand stand was not large enough. To enlarge it would cost a considerable sum, but, if the Domain Board was approached, it would probably be possible to get a site for an extra stand there. The amendment was seconded by Mr James Begg, who said that, although he had been one to move in the direction of the proposal first made, he saw that the alternative was better. Still, the original proposel had no doubt done a great deal of good.—(“Hear, hear.”) The responsibility of keeping the show at Tahuna would now rest with the public. If Dunedin was not going to drop out of it altogether they would have to be prepared for a Royal show hero.—(Applause.) That w’ould not be for some time yet, but they should see that their grounds were in a condition to satisfy the committee of inspection when Dunedin’s turn came. —(“Hear, hear.”) The Chairman, with the permission of his seconder, Then withdrew his motion amidst applause. Mr J. B. Waters was informed that ihe mortgage on the Crawford street property was £6OOO, and that on Tahuna Park £5600. The overdraft was. £1409. “ Then,” said Mr Waters, “I think that your request for £SOOO is too modest. It. would be better to go for £IO,OOO and tnus place the society on the safe side” —an expression that was greeted with signs of approval. The Chairman expressed his pleasure at the suggestion. Mr W. Gardiner supported the amendment, at the same time emphasising the desirability of anproaching the Government to urge upon it the necessity for better facilities for transporting stock to Tahuna. (Applause.) ANOTHER SUGGESTION. Mr Lethbridge expressed the opinion that, instead of going to the public for straightout donations, it might be a better inducement to offer non-interest-bearing bonds of £SO and £IOO. If people had a prospect of getting their money back it would induce them to come to the society’s help more readily, but public spirited citizens who could afford it would be able to surrender the bonds at. will—either hv gift or legacy. Mr Lethbridge also suggested that the City Council should be urged to reduce the tram fares or else give the extra money received to the society. A RETAILER AND RETORTS. Mr A. Barnett was the next speaker. Some unkind things had been said about retailers, he remarked. Well, it was to be hoped that they ran their businesses on better lines than the A. and P. Society ran its shows. For the last 30 years it had made no change in its “ staging ” of the shows. Mr W. Gardiner here broke in with the remark that the committee had done wellall in ' its power. Mr Gardiner’s voice sounded as if its owner was annoyed. Mr Barnett: Mr Chairman, Am I to be protected from that great big bullock over there? Mr Gardiner: I object most strongly to that remark. If you are not satisfied with the committee, why don’t you put it out? You get a chance every year. I have done my best on the committee. Mr Barnett asked , if lie was to be allowed to proceed, and on being assured by the chairman that he was, explained that he did not mean anything by his remark about Mr Lardiner —it was only his way. He went on to say that he thought the retailers had been referred to very unfairly. He suggested that the society should take a leaf ou £-i- “ le retailers’ book and dress the exhibits up a bit differently from time to time. It might be difficult to make a bullock look hke some other animal, but it was possible—(Laughter.) He considered that a tew business men as distinct from farmers and stock agents might be of assistance to the committee in making the show more attractive. Mr Barnett again expressed regret that Mr Gardiner hid taken nim up the wrong way. a . Dcnnist °n said that, if it was decided to issue bonds or debentures, as cllrT" sugg ff ed > <h e Otago Daily 'limes Company would increase its donation subYmlld a p y '7 a - USe ' ) , He thou ght they find that it would be necessary in ~ e on R run to issue bonds. Regarding he tram charges, he opined that, if the society agitated, the City Council would he forced by public opinion to give the society some relief. A “GAMBLE” SUGGESTED. Mr James Brown explained what had been done in Christchurch to save and equip Lancaster Park when £12,500 was raised I n .two efforts by the raffling of two bungalows. Was it possible, he wondered, to take simnar action in Dunedin with as happy results? Mr G. Gray also rose to defend the retailer. He said that the shopkeeper’s critics evidently did not realise what ho was up against at the present time nor that the retailer was fair prey for the promoters of every appeal. He supported Mr Brown’s idea for something in the nature of a queen carnival. If an appeal fo r straight-ouf donations was made it simply meant that those who were constantly dipping their hands in their pockets would have to carry the load again. Mr Gray questioned the advisability of expending a lot of money on Tahuna Park until it was decided what should be done in regard to a site on the foreshore. He suggested that, a larger building for housing the winter show would be advantageous. SYMPATHY OF COUNCILS. There was a request by Mr Edgar Hazlett that the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr J. S. luouglas) should express an opinion as to the raising of the fares to the show grounds. Mr Douglas replied that, he brought with him the desire of the councillors that, the site of the show would not be shifted, they could safely rely on the council giving fair consideration to any reasonable proposal.—(“Hear, hear.”) He reminded them, however, that, in raising the fares the council had followed the society in raising the charge for admission. Perhaps when the society reduced its charge ! —(Laughter.) He did not think, however, that the fares affected the attendance very much, for at present the cars carried all the people the Tramways Department could accommodate. In conclusion, the Mayor assured the meeting that the council would be prepared to do anything within reasonable limits to assist, the society. The Mayor of St. Kilda (Mr J. W. Dove) said that he could not promise anything in the way of financial assistance by his council, but his oouncil were out to help

the society to keep the show within the city gates. He favoured “a gamble” as the means of raising money. THE DRAINAGE BOARD AND ASSISTANCE. The Chairman of the Domain Board (Mr J. Hi Hancock) was next called on t<f> speak. He had, he said, always done what was possible to make Tahuna Park attractive.—(Applause.) It was said that the grounds were not big enough. Well, they might not be at times, but arrangement* could be made.—(“Hear, hear.”) Of course, he could not commit the board, but he did not think that the members would bo antagonistic. He saw no reason why the society should not extend its area back to the Sandhills, where seats could be placed and accommodation found for thousands. He was sure that the Domain Board would assist them to extend their boundaries without a great deal of cost to tile society, and he considered that a reduction of 25 per cent, could be made in the tram fares. At u® Si J- rn< > time, it had to be remembered that the cars we-re empty while they ran one way. Ihe society should also reduce the cost of admission. Mr .D. Murray (Clydevale) speaking as an exhibitor, referred to the need for special Invercargill and Christchurch trains getting out, to the grounds in reasonable time. He also suggested that anyone presenting 20 guineas should be made a life member of the society. Sir John Roberts, in reply, said that, he did not take all Mr Barnett’s remarks seriously, but there was no reason why Mr Barnett should net. be yoked no with the committee. Regarding Mr Gray’s remarks he did not consider that there would be any likelihood of the foreshore being available for at. least 10 or 12 years. Then ihe question of rent, would crop up and would possibly be an insurmountable obstacle. ihe motion was then put and carried unanimously. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. On the motion ofiMr G. Black the following Mere appointed an advisory committee with power to add, to confer with the executive and General Committee on all matters 111 J! on !l ec^on w ith the proposals submitted: —lsir George Fenwick, Messrs W. C. Burt Arthur Barnett, ,T. Lethbridge, Crosby Morns, J. A. Park. ,T. Sutherland Ross, O. W Rattray, H. P. Sincock, I>. E. Theomin, and J. Brown. APPEAL RAISED TO £IO,CCO. Oil the motion of Mr Black, seconded by Mr Waters, It was decided to alter the amount of the appeal to £IO,(XXL The motion M T as earriod without discussion or dissent. * Mr J. A. Park moved a motion in tho following terms: —“That this meeting desires to express its entire confidence in tho executive and members of the General Committee in connection with all matters affecting the welfare of the society, and to assure them that members appreciate the valuable services they render in carrying on the society’s various operations.” Tlie motion was seconded by Mr P. Barr and carried by acclamation. Mr W. C. Burt said that his firm would supplement the contribution made by the Otago Daily Times, and Mr G. Thomson said that, if debentures were issued, his firm would take £IOO worth and would subscribe £SO. Both announcements were received with applause, and several other tentative offers were made at the close of the meeting. On the motion of Mr H. Turner, a motion of appreciation, with which the name of Sir George Fenwick was coupled, was, passed by acclamation in connection with the offer of the Otago Daily Times and Witness Company.