ACCLIMATISATION

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 91, 28 November 1928, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION

[ f NO AMALGAMATION. NEGOTIATIONS BREAK DOWN. For many months past an .active movement has been in operation for the amalgamation of the three TaraI uaki Acclimatisation SjCl'cieties, hut {as a result of a meeting of delegates held at New Plymouth On Fririay last it is now recognised that the movement has failed, ami the position, which has arisen must be deeply regretted in South and Cenjtral Taranaki particularly. NEW PLYMOUTH'S VIEW. finder date of November 10th, the secretary of the Taranaki Society wrote: At the monthly meeting of my Council, held On the sth inst., Uhe delegates who attended the meeting at Stratford on October 31st, relative to amalgamation, reported on , the proceedings at that meeting. The Council was very gratified to hear that' such good progress has been maa e with the preliminary arrangement, y, but members were surprised to learn that the delegates had carried a resolution recommending that the headquarters of the proposed provincial society be established at Stratford, my Council, in fact, were surprised that any place other than the provincial centre should have been suggested, having, regard to what obtains in this connection in other parts of New Zealand. In every other province the office of the society is established in the chief town, an>d my Council feels confident that when this fact is made clear, the other two societies will appreciate its viewpoint and agre e to the headquarters being in New Plymouth. In tne event of this being done, it seems that the only step necessary at present is to notify the sub-com-mittee which is drawing up the proI posed rules.

STRATFORD'S REPLY. This letter was considered at the November meeting of t'he Stratford Society, and the following reply was sent: I am instructed to advise you that this Council is of the opinion that all the reasons contained in your letter as to the desirability of having the headquarters situated in New Plymouth, were brought forward and fully discussed at' the meeting fcf delegates held in Stratford on October 31st and that the majority of delegates present were undoubtedly of opinion that 1 the central position Iwas desirable. My Council are of i'opinion that the matter was settled by the delegates. I was further instructed tlo point out to your council' that the fact of other societies in New Zealand haying their headquarters in the provincial centre does not apply to the same extent to the amalgamation of three existing societies, each with a definite area under its control, for the reason that in almost every other case the other societies were first formed in the provincial centre for the particular province, and gradually extended; its operations to embrace other areas (not societies) until the question of boundaries of th e various societies v.'as definitely settled, about four years ago, by Order-in-Council.

MEETING OF DELEGATES. At uhe meeting pf delegjates at New i'lym'outh, on Friday last! there were present four delegates each from the Stratford and Taranaki Societies, and two from the Hawera Society, two of the Hawera delegates apologising for absence. The minutes of the previous delegate meeting were confirming. Mr J'c'hns, chairman of the meeting, brought forward the matter of the headquarters of the iprcposed provincial t'ociety, and stressed the fact that the license-holders in the Taranaki society had advised the Council and the delegates that unless the headquarters of the amalgamated society were situated in New Plymouth they wtould not agree to the amalgamation. General discussion on the matt'er followed the opinion was expressed by Stratford and Hawera delegates that dictation by one body of license-hol'ders at this stage would mean the wrecking (of the proposal. It was pointed out by southern delegates that at the previous delegate meeting the following resolution wag passed: That 1 it be a recommendation. Up the three societies that they be dissolved; that the district boundaries remain as at present; that each district elect a district committee; that these committees appoint each four representatives to form a' provincial council, which shall have full administrative power.

■ieties hold special general meetings of members and put before them the question cf disolution of the societies and the appointment of the delegates t'o the provincial council. In the ca se of the Hawera and Stratford societies this was done, and members agreed to dissolve their respective societies on the basis sug-1-iOsted. From the published report of the larauaki society's meeting it was taken that a similar decision had been reached, but at the second delegate meeting the Taranaki society delegates said they were a committee empowered merely to report back to Hie license-holders. The Hawera and Stratford delegates were of opinion that discussion at this stage of matters which should have been capable of being [ finalised by th e delegates was not in the best interests of the proposed amalgamation. It was therefore decided that no practical end could be served by furthor negotiations and that they be finalised. i The result of this second delegate meeting is that the societies are now back where they were.