ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14452, 26 May 1911, Page 6

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY.

0 ANNUAL MEETING. The fifteenth animal meeting of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation. Society was held Jn the Sonhia StreetHall yesterday afterucon. The Council of the Society held a meeting at the Gro-svenor Hotel in the forenoon,' and transacted some routine "busings. There \ver c nresent at tins meeting Messrs-J. S. Rutherford (in the chair) L'lingle. Coira, Brown, Allen, MeCuHoch, D. Taylor, P. Foster and the secretary (Mr W. G. Asp:n----iill). Apologies were made for Messrs" Cntten and Schlapfer. The chairman reported having put a ranger on Lako Alexandrian. Messrs YV. Trigance. James Curr:e, and Timaru Rhodes, were elected memhers. Mr P Allen rer>orted that as in-* Btructod he and Messrs Beckinghain uud Foster had interviewed Mr Craigie en the subject of the Washdyke LaMr Craigie had done a lot of good in the matter and he would uropose a vote of thanks to him. Th!fi ■was seconded, and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks was accorded to stnd acknowledged by. the retiring chairman. ANNUAL MEETING. At the annual meeting there were Between thirty and forty members present. Mr J. S. Rutherford presided, and moved the adoption, of the repors and balance sheet, copies -of which had been sent to members. The motion *ras seconded, and discussion invited. The s? cretary read the report and balance of the Ashburton Society, pakmg some comparisons of like items in the accounts.

T- Koiagate originated a long d'st-Tission cn tho management of the Opuii mc'atl:;_ho said that anglers on t.lO miudie river (off ICerrrtowii and x imsar.t Point} had liad a very pr,: }T season. and this lip- nnanrsfcooii was attributable to th 3 fact not -enter the rarer. Ho tisked what proportions nf the sesson ttie mouth liad been opened and: Tho balance sheet showed that i:l4 had been spent on opening the mouth: and Mr Holgate urged tnat if necessary a much larger sum world fce justifiablv spent on that work.

The Secretary stated t'hat the riuiger had instructions to open the jjioutii whenever it was closed—if possible. .Often it. was not possible. Members familiar with the river and tho ranger explained that when the river is low aud seas run high, .it is impossible to.keep [the mouth open. During last season, it was stated, there wer-a no high seas, but- south of the band the

i-ifer was persistently low. Mr Nicholas explained that when th-2 rivar low tyil the water percolate* through the shitigle hank and it is impossible to get an open stream. .Then wli-an tin* river r:.ses, it soon banks up and :4c<?qucntly open* u - channel for lit-' .self.

• The secretary added that in February and March the Maoris required the river to he closed for their col : ng season. It was no use spending money on opening the mouth if there was not stream enough to keep it open against the drift of ihingle along the beach. Mr Allen said he had fished in the nvddle jivcr and had had bjiskocs. He averred that the cause of ill luck of members on a certain ■.«ecti'in ni the Onilii, below Pleasant Point, was due to the depletion of the stream by jwachers. He believed tho mouth had been open mure tiiia year tflian ever, becftussj there hud been few or no heavy seas.

* Another reason given for i nsatiflfactory fishin'g was that the :-iver Lad been persistently low, and hero was not feed for the fish. Mr McCulloch mentioned the r sufneinency of the fence about the R:tagitata reserve. As it was i-.ot sheep--proof, sheep got in and ate sH the feed. It was agreed* that this might be remedied. \ Mr Allen offered to supply £OO trees to make good failures in tho Rangitata plantation, and the offer was acoeptod with. thanks. . Report and' balance sheet were adopted.

Three new members, Messrs H. and D. Hayhurst and Bruce Gillies, - were efected.

The election of the Council was then taken. Two Councillors were required for the Mackenzie division nd one. Mr Rutherford, liad been nominated. He was declared elected, and Mr Arthur Hope was chosen na -the second, subject to his consent. For the Timaru diviVon there wer® bix candidates for five seats, and a ballot returned Messrs P. G. Allen, A. Donn, P. Foster, B. Guinness, and A. C. Priugle. For Temuka there were e ! ght candidates, and the ballot selected Messrs Beckingham. Brown, Dr. Davis, Messrs McCulloch and Taylor.

A vote of thanks to the retiring chairman and Council closed the annual meeting. At a subsequent meeting of the new Council Mr J. S. Rutherford was re'elected tfhairman and Mr A. C. vice-chairman, and it was agreed ~to meet as heretofore on the second .Tuesday of each month, the first meetm® to be in July.