TIMARU AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2904, 14 January 1884, Page 3

TIMARU AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION.

> A meeting; ol' the Committeo-of the Timsru t AgrioultiuMt and Pastoral Association was held i on Saturday afternoon, m thoirefHoe, Maclean • and Stewart's buildings. Thero wero govontesn members present. The President. Mr A. W. Wright, occupied the chair. In calling upon the Secretary to 11 re ßd tho minute*,' ho oxpressed regn-t that he i. must go an far hack a» October to find nny. if Three meeting* had been oallrd einno th[e o Show, but 'they lad all lapsed for want of a V quorum. It showed a" unfortunate degreo Ii of l'nxlt.v df interest^ m tlio buaineee of the j, Association, thht nieinbora did not turn up. Ib Mr MbLarcil >aid 0, mfleting . should be iy called itnuicditttcjly after the Bhow ; if put off )• till JNja.ve'in.bdr .people wero bu»v vjith thdfir if shobf Bird could not fctte'nd. io TliofProiideb't flawed th*t In default of & k, meeting, Im bail autlipri^of) the Secretary to |h pay tU» pris|e nionoyf 1 and all email accounts. ,d This action wai .approved of by the Comk. ralttJee. , . „...-.. ..

A letter w»- read from Mr A. J. Pardons concerning a longstanding account for £4 16s for hotel accommodation for judges at one o the past Show. The olaim bad not beet disputed, but the Committee had refuted ti pay it because Mr Parsona waa Treasurer o; the Licensed Viotunllers' Association, whior Association bad repeatedly promised specia private prizsn that bad never been paid bj them, and that the Committee thought il orly right and fair that these unfulfilled promiees should be ee toff against Mr Parsons' account. Mr Parsona thought otherwise His claim vaa for a debt due to himself, not to the L.V. A., and if it was not paid at onoe, he must sue for it. Aftersome discussion, il «as agreed to pay the account. Tho Seci'etary produced a rough balancefheet, showine that the receipts for the past jvar were £632, and tbe expenditure, when all the prizes and accounts had been paid, would be about £30 leas. Practically, the President remarked, the Association waa m the same position a* nfter the Show of 1882, with an overdraft of £500. A long disoussion took place as to means of reducing this overdraft. Tbe Prerident suggested a call on the •nembers. Mr Moody suggested first, ironically, a bazaar, next that all prizes for next show be raised by Bubncription, nnd all the other receipts devoted to the reduction of the debt. Mr MoLnren suggested a big cup, m imitation of Christoburch. Tbat would draw exhibitors f?ocn far and near, and one big show would clear off the debt. If the 25 mnmbere of the Committee would give £4 each for a big cup for total points, the thing would be done. Mr Elworthy considered it disgraceful that one of tbo oldest Associations of tbe kind m tho colony should be hampered by anch a liability. Mr MeKerrow pointed out that the Ae'ociation had always mado money before, and the overdraft wus due to their having spont about £1000 m improvements to the grounds, which remained a valuable tisot. Mr Ford proposed ro make a syetomatio canvass of all South Canterbury after harvest with a view of raising i>l6o or so for prizes. The disouision then turned largely on Mr McLaren's proposition tbat the outgoing Committee AoiJJ pioo » £100 oup for the neit Sbow, and whether members should be expected to contribute to it equally. Tbere wan a marked difference of opinion on the latter point. It was moved by Mr McLaren, and seconded by Mr Pitt — ''That tlie outgoing Committee guarantee £100 prize money for uoxt year's Show, pro rata" This, on being put, was lost by a considerable majority. It was de rided, however, that the Committee should give a Bubstaatifcl prise, end a subscription lint was at oaoe prepared and passed round, with the result that about £50 was promised io the mom. Mr McKoiroir moved that a sub-Com-mittee be appointed to consider the question of reducing the prosent liability. The motion was rejected, the Committee onntidering that a few members 'could do nothing, if their united wisdom failed. Mr Hlworthy brought un the matter of a reaper nnd binder competition, and moved — '• That a publio t'ial of reapers and binders be hild under the auspices of the Association, prnTidod five different makers' machines, twine-bindera, ore entered for competition j a first prizi of £10 nnd a second prize of £5 to be given j the trial to he held at an early date." This was carried unanimously, as also we* a motion appointing Messrs MeKerrow, Aplir, J. Campbell ond Stevenson to mnka the necaienry arrangements for the compcti'im and tn select judges. Mr Klwortbvv thought when he spoke of the matter .first that it wonli be desirable that wirn binders should compete also. Mr Talbot «aid emphatically "We tlon't want any more wire binders," and this, being evidently the general opinion tbo competition was limited to t.wine binders. Apropos of this subject. Mr MoLnrtn took from hi* pocket a piece of binder wire about 2} inches loop, which bad killed a fine young own of his. The sheep was m very good condition, but ifi liver was thoroughly dieorganised, qnite rotten, and the piece of wire was embedded m it. It had probably worked its w*y through the stomach, and one end iraa pretty eharf.ly pointed ao that it wonld hive rnnde its way with comparatively little difficulty. The ehorp point might be one nnd of a ahenf band as cut, a'alant, at the thrashing machine Mr Henry Ford gave notice of his intention to move at the general meeting of the Association m March — "That a Committee be appointed to oanvaaa tbe country between the Rangitata and Waitski, with a view of raising £160 to be given ia prizes at the Sbow of 1884, to be given as the Managing Committee may direct." The meeting then adjourned.