TUAPEKA AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXV, Issue XXXV, 18 January 1902, Page 3

TUAPEKA AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Tbe nsual monthly meeting of the Tuapeka Agricultural Society was held in tbe. Borough Council Chambers on Thursday afternoon ; there waa a very good attendance of members, the President (Mr Jas. Boberteon) in the chair. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. In reply to questions the secretary explained that a sum of £117 2* was to be divided as prize money between 84 successful exhibitors at the late show. The prize winners oame from a wide area and represented many outside districts, including Dunedin, Balciutha, Tokomairiro and, other places. The entries were more numerous and the gate money a little more than in the previous year — the latter perhaps £4 or £5. Bpeaking approximately they were financially in something like. the same position as last year,' their banking account being in credit to the extent of about £30. He did not think there woold be a profit from the^ show at there wsb lome extra expense incurred in the purchase of •mall bird poison etc., which would tywe to bf token into aooount. There wen

very few outstanding liabilities on members' tickets ftnd he found no difficulty in collecting them. Nona of the members were hi arrear for last year ftnd very few this year. Of course ho should be understood in those matters he bad touched on as speaking approximately as he bad not yet had time to prepare a complete statement of account*. Mr Jfts. Fahey said as members must be aware tbe work itnpoaed on the secretary by the business of tbe Sooiety was very heavy and was increasing year by year and he did not think the compensation given was at all what it should be for such a man as Mr Browne. — __ (Hear, hear.) He was aware that Mr' Browne was very frequently engaged in the work of the Sooiety when be Bhould be attending to his own private affairs and he thought the time was come 1 when the Society should" take into consideration the justice of increasing his remuneration. — (Hear hear). Mr Drysdalo cordially agreed with the recommendation and suggested that tbe matter should be brought up at the annual meeting. Tbe Chairman said from what he bad beard both in tbe district and outside of it they had every reason to be satisfied with their last exhibition and they would agree with him that they got a very good show for their money. He was quite certain thst everyone worked well for the advancement ot the Society and he was only too pleased to know that tbey were in a position to be .able to square accounts on the right side of the ledger. The show had clearly come to stay and if tbey bad only been favored with good weather on the morning of the show and the preceding evening, he was quite satisfied the attendance would have been increased by a few hundred more people and that Che sbow would have been' a record one. He was satisfied the stock shown were a great improvement on what they had been and not only that but he had authority for saying tbat they bore very favorable comparison with the stock at such shows as the Taieri, Balclutba and other leading country shows. There was one thing, he desired to call attention to with the. view of the necessary steps being taken to prevent its recurrence on another occasion, he referred to the delay caused through having to wait for the train carrying stock from Tokomairiro. Owing to that circumstance they lost an hour or an hour and arquarter in starting and it was only through the officers of the Society throwing themselves into the work with such energy that they were able to get through their duties as they did. They should have a special train on future occasions so that slock might be landed in Lawrence at 11 o'clock so as to enable them to commence business at 12 o'clock. — (Applause.) Mr Drysdale agreed with the remarks of the chairman and said he had heard the same expression of opinion from a great many others, He had been himself at a good many shows and he thought their local show was as good as any be had seen. But for all that it was not perfect. He thought they should request the stewards by motion to take noies as regards anything in connection with the proceedings that, struck them as being wrong or oub of plaoe. He had himself seen that some things could be put right if every other section was also brought in. He suggested that by next meeting the stewards should be prepared with notes pointing out what they considered was undesirable or wrong and required amendment, as if left until the next show such matters might be forgotten or overlooked.—(Hear, hear.) The Chairman said his remarks were applicable to what Mr Drysdale had re? ferred to and be agreed that the stewards should take notes as suggested so tbat they might guard against the repetition of past mistakes. He would be only too pleased to see them bring up suggestions for the advancement of the Society as a whole or in any particular section. — (Hear, hear.) ' Mr Cameron thought the programme should be discussed for next year at their next meeting. Mr M.Fotts thought the matter should be gone into at once, as there may be some members present who could not be present at next meeting. Mr Cameron was of opinion that there should be a special meeting for dealing with the programme. The matter was of sufficient importance to warrant dealing with it in tbat manner. He would move : " That a special meeting of the Society be held to consider and carry out the work of arranging the programme, and that the date of next ordinary meeting be fixed for that purpose." Seconded by Mr Drysdale and carried. Mr Fahey said as nothing bad come up for discussion nothing should be taken for granted, and especially nothing should be taken on hearsay. There ! shonld be proof for any statement made Mr Cameron moved : " That the secretary be instructed to pay all accounts of cash prizes except those protested against." Seconded by Mr J, Stuart and carried. Mr Geo. Smith said that though he did not want to do anything that might be thought personal or that would be likely to cause animosity, yet he thought it his duty to draw attention to what he considered was an unfair proceeding in connection with the show. There was a young horse entered in the thoroughbred class and he took second prige. The same horse was also entered in the light borße olass and took second prise. There was no more justification for a proceeding of that kind than there would be in showing a crossbred cow or sheep in a purebred class. He thought tbat in such a case they should not pay out in the second prize. He referred to Claßs 54. Mr Grunn asked whether it was the duty of the olass stewards or the judge to order such an animal out of the ring? The Chairman replied that the duty of the judge was simply to judge what was brought before him and if anything was thought to be wrong the secretary should be authorised to stop the payment afterwards. Mr Gunn asked if an animal was placed in a class that he bad no right to be in was it not the judge's duty to tell the class stewards and warn them of the matter P The Chairman : No; it was not. If a thoroughbred was exhibited as a light horse a note should be taken of the fact and the matter afterwards dealt with, Mr Christie paid the judge had power to order the horse out of the ring. The Chairman replied that that was a very common occurrence. ~ Mr Brook said he was an attending member and he did not consider it his place to interfere in suoh a matter, and if a beast had been misplaced he would not consider he bad any authority in the matter. He thought the judge was to judge the horses and if, for instance, he was to judge a 1 5c Wt horse he should see that" the horse was what he was represented to be. Jb was impossible that the class stewards could keep in their memory every borse that oame into th« ring, He contended that the responsibility rested solely on the judge and not on the olass stewards. The Chairman repeated that it was the duty of tbe class stewards to take a no'e of the matter and afterwards call attention to it. Mr Cameron said the only course to adopt now was to refuse to pay, ftnd if the other horse was found to be entitled to it he should certainly have ib. The Secretary Baid the borße took ft prize in two separate classes ftnd was therefore clearly debarred. The protest to be valid should, however, have been I lodged two hours afterwftrda. He did not see th*t it w»s their business to take notice of it now. He thought the course.

to take was to pass a motion that the money be not paid. Suppose the man came to him for his money and on his demurring, he produced the ticket that bad been given him what could he do under suoh circumstances ? He did not think the Sooiety now should take any action. The Chairman said, as President of the Sooiety, he would allow no rule to be broken and he was prepared to stand or fall by tbe result. It was' their duty j to see that justice was done to everyone. He moved:' "That the money be not paid over and that the secretary be instructed to retain same." Seoonded by Mr Drysdale and carried. In answer to a question from Mr Christie the Chairman Baid he did not say that it was the duty of the class stewards to put a horse ou* of the ring. The matter was a very difficult one to deal with and it was not easy to have any hard and fast rnle in connection with it, especially in oountry shows. It was besides a very difficult matter to define thoroughbred or crossbred. Mr M. Potts called attention to the fact that tbe names of jndges appointed to large shows were always advertised. But in connection with their show the names were kept secret as if it were possible to " get at " them. The Chairman said the names of judges were advertised in every other country show. However, he was accountable for the fact that it was not done here as he had recomraeuded the secretary to adopt that course in the early stages of the Society and it bad been adhered to. Mr Drysdale suggested that in future they staonH b? advertised. The Chairman said the majority of judges were above being swayed by mercenary influences. '1 here may be an isolated exception but the majority were thoroughly reliable. The suggestion would be considered at the right time. GERMAN SLANDERS, Mr T. E. Williams called attention to the slanders of the Press and people of Germany against the British Empire and its soldiers. Their slaaders were a diflgrace to any civilised nation. Ib was their duty to boycott the goods of that nation. Mr Drysdale thought the Farmers' Union was the proper place for discussing such a subject. Mr Fahey said he had always thought ib was only in Ireland that the boycott was put in force.-^(Laughfcer.) The Chairman said they should steer clear of such things here. They were an agricultural society and it hardly concerned them. Mr Williams said they bonght German rubbish and as an agricultural society it was their duty to boycott .them. He would never Bpend another penny on German goods. The Chairman, as Preside ut of the Society, said he was not in favor of boy* cotting in any form. While he was in that position he would stick to the fact that they were an agricultural society and would not under any circumstances depart from it. If any man oould pub brummagem goods on to him he gave him credit for it. He was a freetrader and believed in reciprocity among nations and he did not believe in boyootting anything, though he considered himself a loyal subject. Mr Williams said they should stand up for their nation. Look at the disgraceful treatment they nad received and the insults offered to their soldiers and sailors. As long as he oould remember he had heard of the bravery of their soldiers and sailors. They should protest against such insults. He would move : "That the Society protest against this German backbiting." Mr Dalgiel said it was a matter that should be left to the Governments of Britain and Germany to deal with. The Chairman said it was altogether out of place and he would nob enoourage the Society to take it up. The matter was then allowed to drop. COMPLIMENTARY. Mr Cameron moved : " That the thanks of the Sooiety be given to Mr Ballance, the local stationmaster, and his staff for the way they discharged their duties on the day of the sbow." There was a great rush at the station on show day and thongh Mr Ballance was an entire stranger to him he found him very courteous and obliging and he was prepared to go to any trouble to facilitate the landing of stock from the trucks. In fact he did go to some trouble in getting the trucks into a convenient place, so that stock coming for exhibition might be quickly got ont and they were thankful both to him and his staff. Seconded by Mr Geo. Smith and carried unanimously. Mr Fraser, who spoke in complimentary terms of the manner in which the officers of the Society carried out their duties on the show ground, moved a hearty vote of thanks to the class stewards and officers of the Society, which was seconded by Mr Baxter and carried by acclamation . Mr Geo. Smith moved a hearty vote of thanks to the Tuapeka Times for the very favorable criticisms and the amount of space devoted to the interests of the show. The Chairman said thai) everything that was fair and reasonable was done and the affairs of the Sooiety were brought in a very judicious way before the public-rrCarried unanimously. In answer to a question the Secretary said tbe fee of the judges was 30s each. Mr O. Potts called atteution to the conduct of a disappointed exhibitor who was very abusive in his his language to one of the judges. He considered they should protect the judges from such annoyance. — (Hear, hear.) Mr Cameron said there was a clause making provision for such conduct. The Chairman said he did not hear the language complained of, but he believed it was anything but Parliamentary, and be thought it was only right that the judges should be protected from such insulting conduct. In this particular instance if he had heard it he would have taken measures to Bee that the judge was protected at once. They, should show that they would not sanction anything of that kind. Mr Walker said in a matter of that kind a meeting of the stewards should be called at once and the affair settled right away. Mr Fraser said the object of the Society was to encourage the breed of stock in the district which could be done only by interesting all those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits. It was five years now in existence and tbe question was whether the stock of the district had improved as they might be expeoted to do. They should en courage prize stock to come here so that people might have an opportunity of buying them after tbe show. If, for instance, they enoouraged a class of Ayrshire cattle for competition to begin with it would be a great advantage to the settlers who would have an opportunity of securing them after the show. Mr Cameron said the Society had taken that matter in hand long ago. They had brought entire horses here. But to go further, as Mr Fraser suggested, was a very difficult matter. The prices asked by breeders would be found to be very stiff, very mnoh stiffer than the average settler could listen to. And as for sending such stock to Lawrence, it is oat of the question ; breeders would not do it. In Dunedin such stock were bought in the ring and those who want to buy them will have to go there, and they will also have to take a very large purse with them. He had gone to the Dunedin show three years in succession to bny a shorthorn ball so that he had a very good idea of what such a speculation meant. The, whole thing I was impracticable. -

The Chairman was very- much of the same opinion and' thought that any such animals coming here and taking a prize would have a very stiff price put on him.

Mr Cameron would like to say, as one of those who took an aotive part in the Society at its initiation and since that time, that he was pleased to say that exhibitors in this district had gone to a neighboring show and had been very successful. That, at all events, should be encouraging to them to know and he thought if they went to Tokomairiro or Balclutba they might also be able to hold their own.

The Chairman said he had been present at six different shows during the season and he oould say from personal knowledge that they had no sheep or cattle superior to whab had been exhibited at their late show, and he was satisfied they could hold their own in the Taieri or other more settled districts unless it oame to shorthorns. In Bheep or oattle they could hold their own in most of the oountry shows. The improvement, he was glad to say, was very satisfactory. H« had heard the judge at Tokomairiro say there were as good sheep and oattle here as he had seen in any part of the country. This concluded the business.