ACCLIMATIZATION SOCIETY

Southland Times, Issue 24445, 27 May 1941, Page 3

ACCLIMATIZATION SOCIETY

ANNUAL MEETING Several matters of interest to anglers and shooters were discussed at the annual meeting of the Southland Acclimatization Society last night. Ine president (Mr S. M. Macalister) occupied the chair and there was a good, attendance of members.. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, a resume of which has already been published, the chairman said that in the present state of the world he thought they could congratulate themselves that at this end of the world they could consider such peaceful sports as shooting and fishing. In securing an open season last year good work was done by the game committee and especially by Mr D. Wishart, chairman of the committee, in putting the case for such a season before the Minister. This had been followed by another open season this year. In Southland there were large areas outside the shooting districts and there was, therefore, ample opportunity for preserving game. This, he thought, was an important factor in the preservation of game in the Southland Society s district. During the past year, the game committee had taken an active interest in the game farm and had been instrumental in getting a number of. areas excluded from the shooting districts. These exclusions had to be made every year and were set out in the district regulations. This year there were nine excepted areas. Referring to the fontinalis fry which were obtained from Hakataramea during the year, the chairman said that these were thriving wonderfully and had made as much growth in two, or three months as brown trout made in five or six months. It was hoped that these fish would prove an additional attrac-

tion to the district if they were liberated in some of the higher and colder districts where they would thrive. Dealing with the finances of the society, Mr Macalister said that fishing licences during the year yielded £1374 3/9 compared with £1340/1/8 during the previous year, shooting licences yielded £566 compared with £605/10/-, and fees and fines came to £2l/11/2 compared with £67/6/2. The year had ended with a surplus of revenue over expenditure of £97/4/11 compared with an excess of expenditure over revenue of £l7B/14/8 at the end of the previous year. Mr Macalister added that the year had been successful financially, but there might be a drop in revenue during the coming year. He was glad to see that there had been no drop in the fishing revenue, but there might be a falling off in the future. He was very thankful for the co-operation he had had from members of the council during the year. His term of office had been pleasant and he hoped members considered that it had been a satisfactory year. Mr James Robertson seconded the motion.

Mr P. Hennessey said he wished to take exception to the payment of £lO4 10/- to agents by way of commissions on sales of licences. Many of the agents secured othei' business through the sale of licences, and he thought they might well sell them without commission.

Mr D. Wishart took exception to Mr Hennessey’s remarks. He said the majority of the agents were good servants of the society. The motion was carried.

On behalf of the duck shooters Mr Hennessey moved a hearty vote of thanks to the game committee for the work it had done during the year. He paid a tribute to the valuable services of Mr Wishart. The motion was carried. ELECTION OF OFFICERS The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr S. M. Macalister; vice-presidents, Dr A. R. Ritchie Crawford and Mr J. Robertson; council members, Messrs T. W. Brandford, J. C. Broad, M. J. Royds, J. M. Watson, C. Wilson, A. G. Fraser and A. P. O’Callaghan; auditors, Reid and Jones.

The chairman paid a tribute to the work of the retiring members of the council, Messrs W. Excel! and W. I. Aitken, and on his motion it was decided to write to them thanking them for their services.

In accordance with notice, Dr G. B. Orbell moved three motions to alter the rules of the society, but in each case the motion was passed in amended form. The effect of the first motion, as amended, was that those taking out shooting or fishing licences should be members of the society for one year from the date on which the licence was issued.

Dr Orbell’s second motion proposed that instead of the occupation of a candidate for election to an office of the society being printed on the voting papers, the particular branch of sport in which he was interested should be stated. It also proposed that canvassing or touting for votes in any form should be deemed to disqualify the candidate for election. Dr Orbell said he was moving the motion because in the sporting world it did not matter what a man’s occupation was. What the members wanted to know was in which branch of sport a man was interested. Mr G. Hoffman said that if the

motion were carried it would tend to create two parties in the society. Mr James Robertson said he did not think the game section had suffered in any way because of any preponderance of angling interests on the council. Mr H. Broad suggested the difficulty might be overcome if representatives of the duck shooters were asked to attend meetings of the game committee. Dr Ritchie Crawford said that there was now a good representation of the shooting men on the council, although this had not always been so. Mr D. Wishart said he did not think the society would gain anything if the motion were carried. The chairman said it did not seem to matter whether a man was interested in shooting or angling provided he was likely to be a suitable member of the council. *. It was decided that the wlwe of the motion should be deleted with the exception of the last clause dealing with canvassing and touting for votes and in this form it was carried. The third motion dealt with the question of filling extraordinary vacancies on the council and after a long discussion it was carried in the following amended form: —“Provided that in the case of a vacancy in the office of a member of the council the unsuccessful candidate first in order in the previous election shall be appointed by the council, if such unsuccessful candidate is available for appointment and has obtained not less than 50 per cent, of the votes given to the lowest in order of the successful candidates in such election.” The chairman said that these amendments to the rules were subject to the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs.

CARE OF SANCTUARIES Mr A. G. Fraser suggested that the council should consider the question of taking more drastic action to preserve the game in sanctuaries. Something should be done, he thought, to see that the game in sanctuaries was safeguarded and not disturbed. Mr Eustace Russell said that some good might be achieved if guns and dogs were prohibited in areas where it was now illegal to take or kill game. Mr Fraser said that one of the chief troubles was that birds were disturbed in sanctuaries by nearby shooting. He thought some steps should be taken to stop this. Mr Russell said that a man shooting near a sanctuary might cause the birds to fly out of the sanctuary, but that was not an offence because he was not deliberately trying to disturb the birds.