TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13664, 31 March 1908, Page 3

TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

, — •'■■■ :—: — ANNUAL MBEtING. < '!%& adjoufeaed annual meeting of tho Taranaki Agricultural Society was held in the Town Hall last night. Mr Newton King presided. There were about thirty present. REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET.^ The report and balance-sheet, as published \n the HeraW, Fere. read. Mr E£«ng ,aaid the society had now got over, the difficulty of yarding accOmmodationj and could accommodate a good number of stock. If the number* of Stock shown at the last show vroro not an, inorease, the quality w.as an improvement, and that was. a matter for congratulation. The , subscriptions amounted to £337, which was a very groat' advance on the amount of fivb years ago, when it was £70. Ho hoped that next y,ear it would be £-400. The society bad got over the worst of the fight and was novW.in a fair position. They- ,hj*d reduced the overdraft by £40 last yeW and, hopexl to fiu'thef reduce it this year. He had much pleasure in moving the adoption of the. report and balance-sheot.-Mr Stanley Smith seconded. Referring -to outstanding subscriptions he contended that before members received the privileges- they should present their recpipt or their ticket should not be sent, 'the society had an overdraft pf over £400 and could not afford to have subscriptions "outstanding. * . v Mr.vKinss said that in one way no dbub£ J^Tr Smith was right. -. On the other hand, a few years ago they had I*W tjo cater for the society in every, 'way. .No doubt}, if .the society was in a vdry rich positioh what Mr Smith said would be ajl right. Of the forty subscriptions on the balance-sheet as "outstanding," all 'were , absolutely rjghts -^and the sooiety had received half ot. them already. The Jockey £lub had t^e sepra trouble;. It was a question of policy aa to how the society should act n.the matter. M* Sriiith asked .what harm there would b« in a system, by Avhich as soon as a subscription was paid a ticket would x& issned? : '. Mr E. Griffiths usked if the number* forty, would not be reduced when names of msn .who had left the district were leducte^, - • ' . The secretary (Mr E. P. Webster) said ho did not think sdv These forty names were as fiood as. the Bank of England. Ho had only to see them and collect the money* He did;«ot .think for one moment that any one .of the members would accept tickets and not pay for That had., been his oXpefiencOf during his four years as secre-. ca"is".of thtv society. - - Mr Arthur Cliff said the Manawatu and tho Egmcnt Societies sjent out tic-, hots just ac the New Plymouth Society did. . ' The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Sri GERMAIN'S SQUARE. Mr King said that in connection with St. Germain's Square he' thought they should take' advantage of the services of Mr Okey, M.P., to try to get the, right to 'lease it for say 21 years on tho unimproved value. They would get a fairly good rental for- it. , Mr' H. Okey, Ttf .P., thought that it woiild fee wise ta get *. a Bill through gjring power to leas© or to sell. ,A committee: sliould be/«dt «up^ • ' Mr A. Morton "%»ifP*ljb*t at tho last Agricultural Sfrcietie.i*' Conference a BilJ to give power to, agricultural societies to lease their lands -had been put 1 forward and adopted: it had got to the House, but had evidently been pigeon-hpled. AW that was required was to amend th<? Agricultural Societies Act. giving all societies power to lease their lauds. He trusted that Mr Okey would endeavour' 'to see that tho Bill was brought in next session.^ - Me ,0 key said that a private mrinber had not wowei* to bring on a measure of that kind. - , Mt R. C. Hughes- said that, the do.Mrfcd etfpct could 1 fk> obtained by getting ' an amendment to the Local Bodies , Powers Act and bringing the societies within the provisidna of that Act. Mr \V, C. Wpston moved* tftat a .subcommit tyc consisting of Messrs Walter Arabury, G. Ttech, H. Okey, hnd A. Morton should be appointed to considei the master. ' Mr E. Dockrill (Mayor of Now Plymouth) /seconded. The potion was carried. A SHOW OR NOf VAV A SfiOW? Mr r A%. Cliff mentioned an item in the balaneft-ebcet of £6 18s freight on stock rawiriting from fche supplementary show. '. The Society had applied for a sn*c\al coneeseioDj but" had been told tliat the Denartment could not help, a? j thVrajtt»<ni : fas &>t tiWfojt fet.Ml. The spfcakor thought that it was a sliow;> r flic money had been paid, un- j for protest. He moved that Mr Okey, M.P., should be requested to endeavour to obtai^i a rcfund.-r-Carried. THE HORSE. PARADE. Mfßpssiter said that he would like an opinion as to the possibility of im- , proving *t he horse parade.. This was im* joiitant to farmers. < A good deal could >o done, to improve on the last parade He suggested that it, should be a recommendation to. the committee to takp the matter into consideration. • OFI'TOE-BEAREKS. Mr -Tamos Hi II moved that Mr NewKing should be re-elected presidont Mr Kinji .asked fco.be excused as he had the Harbour' Bill and other imDortsnt '-matters alfoady on hand. Mi 8. Smith proposed Mr Walter Ambury. whom b> described as one of the society's beat workers. . Mr. E. f;eoonded and the motion was carried iVfr Aml»ui*y< thanked the stfeiety for the honour. Mr King, mentioned that he would like to nominate Mr H. Okey M.P*, but Mr Okey had assured him that he would be too busy, Messrs Fred Watson, A. Morton, J. Burgess, and W. Birdling were elected vice-presidents. Tho following committee was electod : Messrs A. Cliff, J. S. Contiett, S. J.. Smith, N. ffill, J. Hill, W. Stanley, A. H. Street, J. H. Stroet, H. Linn, JR. Elliott, C. V. Stead, A. K. Mills. H. Okoy. H. King, and F. J. Cornwall* Mr T. O. Kelsey was appointed auditor. ' VOTES OF. THANHS. Mr E. Griffiths, moveS votes o* thanks to tlw Taranakr JoO&ey Club for the use of the ground, and I<o Captajr? Young. — Carriecf. "Mr Ok«y moved a vote of thank* to tho retiring president (Mr Newtor. King), who had been president 'for a number of years, and proposed that he should be elected a patron of thfe society. Mr W. C. Westoii seconded. The motion was. carried amidst applause. Mr King, in thanking the meeting, said that he was. sorry ho was going off the active list, but he would return to it later. . j THE FUTURE. Mr Ambury (the nevrty-elected president) said that the committee would be called 'together at an early date. If members had any suggestions MFor the good of tho society he hoped they would hand them in to tho society or the

speaker* at 'dnce',. and tho suggestions \rould be <iiscusso<i> at rthc next meeting. They did frot want suggestions for the improvement of the society banded in just before the next show. Then it miijht be ts6 late to give them , full cmi'sider-ation ,or to tako -advantage of thera\ • - ~