SOUTH CANTERBURY BAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13300, 31 May 1907, Page 3

SOUTH CANTERBURY BAY.

WINDING-UP MEETING. A meeting to receive a statement of accounts in connection with the South Canterbury Bay at the Christchurch Exhibition was. held in the Borough Council Chamber yesterday afternoon. The Mayor of Timaru presided, and there was a good attendance of the committee.'

The secretary read the following statement, of accounts : Receipts Contributions Waimate C.C. £302 12s 6a, (ieraldine CO. £244 3.s 9d, Levels C.C. £2OO 10s, Mackenzie C.C. £9l 10s, Timaru B.C. £lls 10s, Temuka B.C. £l4 19s, Geraldine B.C. £l3 9s, Waimate B.C. £ll 19s 6d, Har-. bour Board £SO, C.F.C.A. £25, Timaru A. and P. Association £25,, Dalgety and Co. £IC 10s, National Mortgage and Agency Co. £lO 10s, Education Board £.7 10t, Acclimatisation Society £5 4s 6d; total contributions. £ll2B 8s 3d. -Salts—-Wool and Sheep Skins £35 4s 7d, grain and shsaves £4, photographs and pictures £l6 13s 9d, timber stands, etc. £7 9s 6d, pottery £9; total sales, £72 7s lOd. Prize money, £6O. Total, £1260 16s Id. (N.B.—Contributions from beyond Timaru are "less exchange.") Expenditure.—Space £307 10--, salaries and wages—secretary £125, caretaker £SO, collecting exhibits £lO 5s 6d, preparing do. £l6-9s, handling do. £7 ss, packing and dismantling £7 Is—£2l6 10s; railage and cartage—general , exhibits (sheaves, itc.) £29, Kakahu clay £7 10s, delivering to and from Exhibition £l9 8s Bd—£ss 18s 8d; erection of. bav—general contract (P. Foster) £290 lis sd, mineral section (D. Smith) £4l 15s Bd, painting £26 3s 6d, grain bower, etc., £25 17s. 6d, small stands and railings £8 15s —£393 3s Id'; photographs and pictures purchased and framed £43 Bs, do. of Bay presented to public bodies £6 14s, seeds, grain and fruit £ls lis lOd, wool and sheep skins £3l 12s 7d, fish (freezing and 'stuffing) £8 17s, making pottery from Kakahu clay £22, cases, sacks and bottles £ll 12s, decorations (pot plants and drapery) £l4 3s Id, replacing damaged exhibits £5 5s sd, lighting of bay £l3 lis lid, .travelling expenses £8 8s 4d, printing, advertising i and stationery £l9 13s Bd, postages and telegrams £6 5s 6d, insurance £26 4s 2d, packing cases £lO 10s 3d, auditor £1 is, sundries £2 12s 4d, balance Bank New Zealand £4O 3s 3d : total, £1260 16s Id. A certificate by Mr K .G. Turner, auditor, was appended. Th> following report by ill.- tewe-tary was .iko read ; The above statement of accounts proves a credit- balance of £49. The smallness of the balance is due to the f:ict that the Exhibition authorities charged a sum of £2O for handling exhibits between the railway siding and the Court. The Exhibition*men did-not handle any of theexhibits on the return journey; the work was done by-the caretaker and a few hands paid out of the funds of the Court. The prize money was also reduced from £63 to £6O after the award was made. A liahii lias bi-cn madij for the £3 deducted, and al.-o for a refund of £l7 10> bdr.g' part of tht-. amount paid under protest for handling the exhibits. Judging from tlij cuirespondence with the general man-tger on the subject, it is evident the amounts can only be recovered through the law Coutrs." The district, courts were judged during the last week in March by MiGeorge Bisset. who awarded the South Canterbury Court the first prize of £63, Auckland being second, North Canterbury Third, the other district courts competing b.ing Ashhiirton, Marlborough, Hauke's 1!.\y,~ Southland, and West Coast. In addition to the court gaining the first prize, it w.'.j also awarded a diploma of gold im dui for a "display as a whole." The house was also awarded a diploma of jrohl medal.| Other nwards were made '< follows: S. Mcßridc. Kakahu pipe eh:y. 11. E. McGowan, H. B. Kirk, J. l'-iri.\ and Harbour Board, gold in'dab: J. ltudcliffe, A. Hope, W. Quhui. Pikst, ami Tioldgate, silver medal" : P. Palh-snii.

W. W. Wade, Miss Durand, Mrs Parr, P. McFarlane,, Mrs Hibbard, and S.C. Dairy Co., highly commended. Some of the stuffed birds and one wallaby, the property or the Acclimatisation Society, were- considerably damaged owing to the caretaker sprinkling them with water when waterin"' the plants in th-' sporting section. Some bottles of • homa-iiiade wine and chutney were stolen liom the court. The success of the court is; due firstly to the local bodies who supplied the necessary iunds,'to the chairman and committee who devoted a. great deal of time and thought to the direction and management, and especially to those farmers and others who 'supplied the exhibits. It is perhaps unwi.ve to mention nanus in a report of ihis kind,, beeau.se so many helped. Milt. H. Rhodes kept the Court supplied with plants and native shrubs, etc., and also gave a special prize for the beotv collection of farm produce exhibited at the Horticultural Society's Show. This prize not only produced some very good, roots, fruit, etc.,.but put me in touch with -those farmers who had suitable produce, which in every case was most willingly given. Mi- H. E. McGowa ncontributed a collection of 150 varieties of potatoes, and a collection of roots and vegetables of all kinds. Owing mainly to' Mr McGowan's assistance, the roots were awarded the maximum number of points. The Canterbury Farmers' Co-operative Association not only supplied the best collection of grain and seeds' seen in the Exliibition (the total number of samples exhibited being about 400), but also contributed £25 cash. The South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society contributed some fine specimens of stuffed birds and fish, and also £5 5* in cash. ] Messrs Dalgety and Co. and the National j Mortgage and Agency Co. gave £lO 10s each in cash. Tha court was built, by Mr P. Fester, • and he and his staff took- a, ! great interest in its welfare. The grain bower was built mainly by Mr J. Rad-, eliffe's foreman, Mr Shields, who carried/ out a most difficult and tiresome piece of work in a very satisfactory way. The grain house was greatly admired and voted one of the best thing;* in the Exhibition. It is a matter lor congratulation to the district that it was awarded the highest; honour in the Exhibition, but it cannot be a surprise to the locjd people when it is taken into consideration that the heartiest support was ; given and .the.-keenest interest taken by all those who had anything directly or indirectly to do wi'.h i •the work, and also that the committee had the best district in New Zpaland to draw the exhibits from.

The Mayor, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, reminded the meeting that it was about sixteen months since the first meeting was held about the Exhibition, and recalled the enthusiasm with; which the project of securing the representation of' South Canterbury at the Exhibition was taken up,' he expressed his pleasure at the ready co-operation, and unity of feeling shown by all parts "of South Canterbury. The committee had been very fortunate? too, in their selection of Mr Orbell as secretary—(applause)— for liis tact in dealing with men and Ms artistic instincts in the designing and fitting up of the Bay. had been great factors in! the success of the Bay. It would have been no use having the best farm products :n the colony, if 'they had not been artistically arranged, as they were. Mr Craigie went on to explain the indebtedness of the committee to the local authorities for their loyal support in providing funds, and he .mentioned.also the several'firms who had assisted with funds and exhibits,, and the Harbour Board for sending a most inter-/ esting model of the harbour, ing a. good donation. He also mentioned Ihe indebtedness of the committee to Mr T. D. Young and Mr John Mill for tlm use of a larye, rforo in which the fiitingfof the Bay were planned and arranged. The thanks of the committee were aI K o due to many people for the readiness with which they' lent pictures and objects for )the Bay and to ,the Press for- the asristance given throughout. There were some photographs of W v aimate scenes taken for the Bay, and he suggested, that these be presented to the Waimate County Council -for their Council Chamber. He also named individuals who had aided very much as- chairmen., of local bodies. Jr conclusion Mr Craigie said the Bay cost them £IOOO. and it was well worth- the money, as the ■bwt advertisement that South Canterbury" could have had. The surplus of £40," he considered, was not worth dividing up among, the contributor:' —even the Timaru Borough Council with its big overdraft would not thank them for its' small share. H-t, suggested, thtrefbre, that the surplus .should b? handed to a small committee for the' purpose of making a suitable ' present to Mr Orbell. who, he \-nderstood. thought of taking v. w/ifo, and that' would be a suitable occasion for making Ihe present-.to him. and a present should also be made .to Mv Bremner. who had been associated with Mr Orbell in designing the Bay.' Mr Talbot seconded the adoption of report and. balance sheet, and after, a few remarks from others in endorsement of the -chairman's comments,, the motion was carried.

Mr Talbot then moved that the surplus be placed in the hands of Messrs Craigie, and Newman, to ,be disposed of in the direction-suggested by the chairman,- and. this was carried. Mr Orbell thanked the committee for the kind things said about him, and lie 'was glad to kam that the work he had done had given satisfaction. It might have been a very difficult task, but the generous help of the chairman and committee had made it a pleasure. He was pleased that the committee had associated Mr remner with him, as he had given a great deal of assistance and good advice. Tire Mayor had provided refreshments, and Mr Talbot proposed the health of the chairman of committee, Mr Craigie, to whose cheerful and abiding optimism, and tact in keeping tUe committee together and their shoulders to the collar, the success' of the South Canterbury Bay was largely due. The Exhibition had cost the public £llOO to £I2OO, and privately it had cost the district- perhaps £40,000' to £50,000, and it waa gratifying to know that the district had the money to spend and could easily afford it. Hs believed k was worth the money. To the young people the Exhibition might- have been chiefly a scene of amusement, but it must have afforded instruction also. Mr Talbot reminded the meeting that the idea of holding an Exhibition originated with the late Mr Seddon, and it had justified his anticipations. He also suggested that the energy and taste displayed in connection with the South Canterbury Bay had stimulated' the North Canterbury and Ashburton people, to putmore work into their Bays. He proposed the health of Mr Craigie, "the chairman who has .seen us through this thing so well."

Mr Crai»ie suitably responded, and then proposed the health of Mr Orbell, the secretary, and this was drunk with enthusiasm.

Mr Orbell responded, and proposed the health of Mr Bremner, for whom Mr Hayes replied. "Old Colonists" was proposed by the chairman and replied to by Mr Howell: " Past and Present Chairmen of thy Harbour Board," proposed by Mr Talbot and replied to by Messrs Craigie and Young. Mr Newman proposed " The Manufacturing Industries," and spoke of the necessity for extending these, and said t he pluck and energy that had been shown in the pastoral and agricultural industries should now be applied to manufactures. Mr H. B. Kirk responded. The "chairman proposed " The Press." u-i;h thanks for full reports and tympa-

I thetic editorials, and in responding the / " Herald" representative reminded the meeting that in 1909 the Jubilee of the arrival of the " Strathallan," tha hrrf ship landing emigrants direct to Timaru, would become due, and there should be some celebration of the fact. A vote of thanks to the chairman closed' a pleasant gathering.