WESTERN DISTRICT A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Western Star, Issue 2118, 29 May 1897, Page 2

WESTERN DISTRICT A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

« —. THE WINTER SHOW A meeting of the committee of the above was held in Mr Foster's hotel Thornbury, on Wednesday afternoon. Present —The President (Mr Linscott, who occupied the chair), and Messrs Offioer, Willett. Play fair, Calder, Turnbull, Baird, Hare, Hannah, Haywood, Frasor, Foster, Walker and P. 0. Mills (secretary). A letter was read from the Gore Farmers Club asking them to co-oper&te in pressing the Government to delay rabbit poisoning. It was decided to 00-operate.

The arrangements in ( oonneotion with the grain and root show to be held on July 7th were then competed. The >rogramm ■ was approved, aatl judges for the various classes appointed. It was decided 'o canvass for special prizes, and > Ivse, although n it appearing on the prbgr imme, would be advertised from time to lime. To house the poultry, it was d oided to get the special wire coops from Dnneuin, and Messrs Willett and Mills were appointi-d a anb-oommittee to arrange about a band The secretary intimated that the ordinary train arrangements would suit.

The following gentlemen were appointed stewards:—Grain and roots; Messrs Turnbull and Hall. Dairy produce: Messrs Fletoher and Willett. Poultry; Messrs Baird and Playfair. Garden praduoe : Mr J Eraser. DISCUSSION ON THB ACTION OF OTAUTAU MBMBBRS. The chairman said . he had read the report of a meeting held at Otautaa reoently, at which a motion was carried to the effect that Otautau amalgamate with Winton for the purpose of holding a show. From a perusal of that it seemed a number of members were inclined to withdraw from the Western Distriot Association on the plea that they had not received justice. He was surprised at those members saying they had not reoei red justice, and he could prove from the reoords of the Association that their statements were absolutely inoorreot. They were misleading th 9 public, and he hoped to be able to clear up any doubt in the matter. There was no motion in the books to the effect tha£ the show was to be beld alternately at Riverton and Otautau. It had simply bien a suggestion that the show shoal J be a rolling one, and there was a difference between a motion and a suggestion. There was a recommendation to the committee that the show be held at Otautau in 1893, and it was held there. The following year it was held at Riverton, and it was a well-known faot that the next year, 1895, when it was understood that the show was to be at Thornbury, the Otautau members, thirteen in number, came down to Thornbury and tried to over-ride them, and take the show to Otautau. 1 Mr Hare objeoted to the use of the word orer-ride. As members they had a perfect right to be present. The chairman did not question their right, and said the minutes justified him in the use of the word. He asked the secretary to read the minutes of the meeting of 1895. They showed that Mr Culder moved, seconded by Mr Brown, that the show be held at Thornbury. Mr Oupples moved as an amendment, seconded by Mr Affleck, that the show be held at Otautau. The amendment was lost and the motion carried. That, said the chairman, was sufficient to back up his statement. If they had not wished to override Thornbury why did they propose an amendment for Otantau, and if they understood that the show was to be a rolling one, why did they wish to take it out of their tu> n ? Otautau wished to make out that the Association had not given them fair-play. The contrary was the case—Otautau had received every consideration. When the show was held at Otautau in 1893, Thornbury collected £67. How muoh did they collfot for Thornbury or Riverton ? * He was glai to notice that there were a fe* members at Otautau, among whom was Mr Walker, who were with the Association, and if the Otautau wished to bo fair they would be oonvinoed by the indisputable logic of faots. Mr Willett said he thought the sore point with Otautau was holding the show twice in succession at Thornbury. The Chairman said that could be explained; what he had endeavored to do in his remarks was to show that there had only been a suggestion that the show should be a rolling one, not a motion.

Mr Playf air said Mi Hare had given notice of motion to the effect that in future the show be a rolling one, and as that would come on for discussion at the annual meeting, it would probably be as well not to discuss the matter now.

Mr Calder said they were only disoussing the statements made at Otautau, and the Chairman said they were bound to show their honesty of purpose in the matter when falsely accused. Mr Hare said he flatly confcradioted every statement made by Mr Oupples at the meeting at Otautau, and said to his mind the whole thing appeared to be this way: The show ought properly to have been held at Otautau last year—-(hear, hear)—but if they had wanted it there, it was necessary that their leading men, men who were willing to colleot subscriptions and undertake the preliminary work, should have attended the general meeting. They did not oome. Probably they objected because the meeting was held at Thornbury,but it must be held somewhere, and if they had taken an interest in the show they would have attended. Before the last genera] meeting, there was a sale at Otautau, and he was there. Thinking that the show should be at Otautau he took the trouble to speak to Mr Cupplesl He said to him " Aro you going to the annual meeting to show you are taking an interest. It's your turn to have the show." He replied, "I am not going. Thornbury wants everything its own way," or words to that effect. He went to Mr Smith and Mr Affleck, and pointed out that if they wanted tho show they would have to attend the meeting, as Kiverton and Thornbury would not run it for them, th«* whole trouble being the collecting of subscriptions, and their reply was similar to that of Mr Oupples. Well, the general meeting was held, and the only Otautau representative was Mr Walker, who Baid he could not guarantee that Otautau would take the trouble to run the show, and then it was carried that it be held at Thornbury, not, he wished to point out, because Thornbury wanted it, but simply because the Thornbury peop'e wex-e prepared to undertake the trouble of collecting the subscriptions. That was the position. Now he understood that the meeting of delegates from Otautau and Winton had met but had not agreed, and he thought an .effort should be made to keep the Western District show intaot and not allow it to collapso simply because one had a little Bpite against Thorabury. If Otautau wished to hold a show by themselves let them, but he would advise the Association to keep its money in the bank, because two sets of canvassers would kill both shows. The Western District As=to"i ition might even consider the question of ..malgamatinc: with Winton, and let them have a rolling show to be held in four contres. Begirding his interrupiion during the Chairman's remarks he would just say that he did not object to the feeling of his speech but the one word* over-ride, which ho thought unfair. With reference to | Mr Affleck's statements, he agreed with hi*

exoept in one point where he referred to packing a meeting. It was not necessary to pack a meeting, but it was necessary, for reisons he had already given, that one or two influential men should ootne down and signify their willingness to undertake the work of getting up the show. Mr Officer said tin mistake hitherto made was in putting the matter to the vote. The whole difficulty would have been obviated had there been a propi r motion in tha fir t instance with regard to the centres at which the show was to be held. Tken, when the time oame, the people in any particular centre would be responsible for the working np of the show. If they displayed lack of interest, then it could not be held that year, and next time would go to the other ceutre in the order of rotation.

Mr Calder said he blamed Mr Cupples for all that had occurred. He noticed that he (Mr Cupples) was a regular attendant at county council meetings making balls for others to fire, but he would not be so successful with the members or the Association. In 1693 he (Mr Calder) took the lead in suggesting that the show should be a rolling on°, aud he still thought it should rotate between the different centres. The fact that they agreed to the show being held at Otaut u in 1893, and that Thornbury worked hird to make it a success, was conclusive proof i hat they had no desire for any other than a rolling show. He had collected more money for it that yea? than most of them; and had ho not bean the time would have obtained was no one who could say that Thornbury had not worked loyally for the success of the show at Otautau. In 1894 the show was held at Riyertori, bat Otautau gave no support beyond £7 coll cted iby Mr Walker, and all that sum did not come from Otantau. If they believed lha show was to be a rolling one, why d:d they not support it that year with the same heartiness as Thornbury had supported it in 1893 when it was at Otautau ? In 1895 it was Thorn' ury'a turn, and even Mr Affleck admitted that, yet Otautan members came down and actually tried to carry the show to Otautau. They believed the show was to be a rolling one, then why did they try to usurp Thornbury's right ? Who broke f-ith ? Why, Otautau.—(Mr Hare s Do the minutes bear you out ?)—Mr Calder said they did, and the seoretary read them. The entry was as follows:—"Moved by Mr Calder, seconded by Mr Brown, that the show be held at Thornbury. Moved as an amendment by Mr Cupples, seconded by Mr Affleck, that tha show be held at Otautau." The amendment

was lost, but why, asked Mr Oalder, was the amendment moved at all when it was Thornbury's turn 1 And now they had the aadaoi ty to say that Thornbury " sat on " them. In moving for Thornbury, it was only a formal matter, and the Otantau members,instead of opposing, should have shown that they had come to-make the Thornbury show the same success as the Otautan cne. Even when their amendment was lost, did they work for Thornbury the same as Thornbnry had done for Otautau,? No; Mr Walker bad to admit that he could scarcely collect a penny in Otautau, and in passing he would say that gentleman deserved credit for what he did. From the

time Otautau had the show there they entirely withdrew from the Association except a few. He now came to 1896. That was

the year for Otautau's turn, and he was in favor of them having it. He had asked certain Otautau members to attend the general meeting, but they did not come, probably ashamed of their previous conduot. Had they attended the meeting the show would have been held at Otautau.. Now, the Association was in this position : either to force a- show upon Otautau or hold it at Thornbury. It was not likely they were going to do, the former—do all the work, collect all the money, and hold the show at Otautan when the people did not show that they wanted it, and that they did not was borne out by what Mr Hare said. Consequently the matter was put to the meeting, and this was the result shown in the minutes :—" Mr Hoporoft moved, seoonded by Mr Hare, That the show be held at Riverton. Mr Officer moved as an amendment that the show be held at Thornbury A further amendment was moved by Mr Walker, seconded by Mr Hall, that it be held at Otautau." The voting was—For Thornbnry 14, Riverton 9, Otautau 4. It was held at Thornbnry and was a complete financial success, the Association being £69 to the good. He had placed the whole fuels before them, and an impartial person would not take long in saying who was to blame. He was still of the opinion that the show should be a rolling one, but they should not let one man who thought himself king of Otautau become king of Thornbury too.

Some discussion took place over the advisablenees of amalgamating with Winton, but the majority disapproved, although a few were agreeable to stand out and let Winton have a show. Ultimately it was decided to defer the discussion until the annual meeting.