ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13891, 30 April 1909, Page 2

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. " The annual meeting of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Socety was held in the Sophia Street Hall yesterday afternoon, when there were 60 members present, and the President, Mr J. S. Rutherford, occupied' the chair. At the outset, tho President announced that none but those who had paid their subscriptions would be allowed to vote. The secretary (Mr W. G. Aspinall; called for nominations for new life members, and the following were elected:—Messrs R. Porter, W. Shaw, R. R. Randle, Hope Lewis, and Dr Dryden. Mr H. J. Randrupp and Mr F. Cotter were elected annual members. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report showed that on 31st March, 1908, the credit was £49 10s. The year closes with a credit balance of £2ll Is lid. All liabilities to date have been discharged. The revenue for the year has been £052 lis 6d, made up as follows subscriptions £l4 ss, fishing licenses .-510, lake netting licenses £lO, deer stalking licenses £l3 16s 6d, hut fees 2s, grazing fees, ltangitata £3 3s, proceeds crop, Temuka £1 ss. The expenditure lias been £390 19s Td, of which £39 lis lid was spent iu improvements to the freehold property. The balance was incurred in ordinary working expenses. As compared with the previous year the revenue shows an increase of £55 7s, and the expenditure a decrease of £2ll 14s lid. The number of liccuses issued during the year has been 426 at £l, 69 at 12s 6d, 27 ladies' at ss, 133 boys at ss, and 7 tourists' at L's 6d, being the largest number we have yet issued for any year. More interest is being taken in the affairs of the Society, as during the year 25 new members have joined. The fishing.,,taken on the whole, has not been so'good as in previous years, but early in the season visitors to the Opihi secured some very good baskets on the fly. 'J he Council is at a loss to understand the cause of it, but throughout the South Island the. complaint has been general. As some of the license holders attribute the cause to the stripping operations, it will be for the incoming Council to consider the matter. During the j*eijr the Council received 50,000 fry from Mr Ayson, in exchange for the ova obtained from the Opihi. During the year the Council expended tho sum of £39 lis lid in improvements on the freehold property in the way of planting shrubs and fencing. "We have had no authentic information regarding the Thar and chamois, but it is reported that the latter have been seen in the vicinity of the Hermitage. So far this year no licenses have been applied for, for stalking. The item in the balancesheet, £l3 16s 6d, is for licenses issued last year. An exchange of mallard drakes was eifected with the "Wellington Society. The ranger has been very successful .in rearing broods of these birds, and we have distributed 21 m various parts of the district to men who have undertaken to protect tiiem as far as possible. We have 30 still in stock, which it is proposed not to liberate until after the shooting season closes. As the year 1910 will be a close season, it is hoped by adopting this course that the birds will have a better chance of increasing. The widgeon and pintail duck in stock have shown no disposition to breed. The Council again endeavoured to have the restriction vpon tho shooting of Paradise ducks jemoved, but tho authorities have declined to do so. The Council, in conformity with the resolution passed at the last- annual meeting, stopped paying for shags' heads. Complaints are rife that these birds are now exceedingly numerous, and occasioning great destruction to the fish. There have been only two prosecutions during the year, one for shooting duck out of season, and the other for spearing trout. . In both cases convictions were obtained, and substantial penalties inflicted. In accordance with the recommendation passed at last meeting, the Council considered the question of the cost of ranging, and decided to dispense with the services of the underranger. This was done, and the expenditure under this head was reduced to £l9l Bs, as compared with £265 8s 6d last year, and £340 13s in the previous year. For the incoming year the expenditure will be further reduced, unless temporary rangers are required. The report was signed by the president (Mr J. S. Rutherford), and attached to it was a detailed balancesheet. The chairman moved and Dr Hayes seconded the adoption of the report nd balance-sheet. The President referred with pleasuro to the fact that the Society was in a much better financial position this year than last year and he invited discussion on tho annual report. In reply to Dr Hayes, Mr Sealy said he was convinced that shags worked a lot' of destruction among trout, and these birds were on the increase. He had taken the trouble to get a friend to shoot a number of shags, and ho' found that all had trout in them. On Sunday last he had seen a flight of 30 or 40 shags at the mouth of the Opihi, waiting no doubt for trout. Mr T. Palliser gave similar testimony against the shag from his experience on the Pareora river, where he said these birds were very plentiful and one morning he and a friend had shot 56 on the river named. Mr A. C. Pringle said that the shags were cleaning tlie streams out of trout, and he proposed that the society should pay Is per head for shags. Mr W. Beckingham seconded this, and said he was convinced that the shag was a very great enemy of the trout: Dr Dryden suggested that eggs be bought instead of heads. There would not then be the young birds to feed. They might pay 6d an egg. Mr JF. Palliser said they could not get the eggs. Mr P. O. Allen said his only objection last year was paying for tho whitebreasted shag, which did no harm! Only the heads of black shags should be bought. It was no use paying money away for birds which did no harm. The black shag should be bought at Is- 6d per head, and 2s 6d per dozen for the eggs of these birds. Ono shilling ahead was too little, when it was remembered that each cartridge cost 2d. In 1907 the Society paid over £4O for shags' heads, but fully half this amount was paid for tho heads of white-breasted shags. The secretary asked how he would be able to tell the difference between the eggs of the two kinds of shags, but ou one could tell liim this. Ho said that nearly all the heads he bought came from the interior; a few came from about Orari and the Opihi. The heads wore often in a state of putridity when received and agents would have a difficult and unpleasant job to examine them all; in fact he did not think they could be got to do it. In any case the Society only paid for beaks 1)0"'. Mr D. Pollock suggested that only heads "be bought; the eggs should be left alone. Mr Allen moved as an amendment to Mr Pringle' l ! motion, that Is 6d per head be paid for black shags only. Mr C. Balfour seconded this. Ou a vote being taken Mr Allen's

amendment was carried by 32 to 7 votes. Mr Pollock moved a. further amendment that Is 6d per head bo paid all round, but only a few voted for this and it was lost. The report and balance-sheet were then adopted, and the President, after thanking members for the kindness. expended to him during the year, retired from the chair amid hearty applause. Mr Aspinall presided for the rest of the meeting. THE NEW COUNCIL. Tlio election of tlie Council for the ensuing year occupied considerable time, a ballot having to be taken for members to represent Timaru, and Temuka. The names of the candidates, and the voting were as follows: —For Temuka, Dr Hayes 52, J. Findlay 38, P. Coira 35, G. "Ward 32, D. Pollock 16, Phillips 11, D. Taylor 23, "W. H.Brown 42. For Timaru —P. G. Allen 28, J. H. Raine 28, P. Foster 28, A. C. Pringlo 52, F. Palliser 31, 11. H. Ferguson 24, C. E. Hassall 30, W. Beckingham 22, R. Campbell 21. Five members were required for Timaru, and five for Temuka. As the voting was equal for three of the Tiinaru candidates, and" two of these were required, the chairman gave his casting vote in favour of -the two local men, and he declared those elected for_ Timaru to be —Messrs' Pringle, Palliser, Hassall, Allan and Foster. For Temuka, those declared elected were—Dr Hayes, and Messrs W. H. Brown, Findlay, Coira, and Ward. For Mackenzie County there were only two nominations and Messrs J. S. Rutherford and . E. Schlaep'fer were elected. Mr F. Palliser had to be pressed to stand. He remarked that lie did not think lio should do so after "the slap in the face" he was given at tho previous meeting. NEW RULES. Some little time was spent m considering the new rules, which, the secretary explained, had become necessary through recent legislation. These had been drawn up and printed in leaflet form, and after the meeting had discussed and altered them slightly they were adopted. The chief alterations were altering the general meeting, from April to May, and in fixing upon 25 instead of six as the number of members' to' form a quorum at special or general meetings, Mr Howell strongly advocating this change as he considered it wrong to leave the business in tho hands of six members. Another alteration was ma<le in striking out the Borough of Timaru as part of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation District. '' Mr Sealy suggested that in order to save time' and trouble, at the annual meeting, nominations- for seats on the Council should be in the hands of the secretary net later than three days prior to the annual meeting. Mr Pollock moved and Mr Pollock seconded that the rule remain unaltered, so as to prevent caucus meetings prior to tho annual meeting. Tho mover said he had known such meetings to be held. v . . Mr Sealy said that altering the time for receiving nominations would not prevent caucus meetings-—if sucli meetings were held. ' Mr Sealy's proposal was carried. Mr Howell proposed that in future notices of meetings should be sent out 10 days prior to such meetings. This was seconded by Ml* Ferguson, and carried. ■ _ ' GENERAL. By this time (4 o'clock) a-number of those present had to leave to catcli their trains and the general meeting closed, it being agreed that the proposal to limit the weight of fish to be taken in. one day, which was to have been discussed at tho annual meeting, must bo held over until next meeting. A vote of tlisinks was passed to the outgoing Council and the general meeting closed. „ COUNCIL MEETING. At a meeting of tlie Couucil, Mr JS. Rutherford was unanimously reelected chairman for the ensuing year There were three nominations for tm« position of vice-chairman—Dr Hayes,, and Messrs Palliser and Hassell. lho first ballot resulted in a tic between Messrs Palliser and Hassell; a second ballot was taken and this also resulted in a. tie, and. the result was then decided by the spinning of a com, Mr Hassell winning the toss.