Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-02-10
THE SHEEP-SHEARlNo ASSOCIATION.

THE SHEEP-SHEARiNG ASSOCIATION.
The annual meeting of the Vermont
Merino Sheep-Shearing association, held
at the Addison House on Wednesday, was
well attended. 1t was called to order at
10 80 o'clock by President E. N. Bissell
of East Shoreham. Secretary G. A.
Chapman of Middlebury presented his
report, which was, in effect, that at the
annual shearing in April last IS animals
-15 rams and 43 ewes-were shorn, with
the results set forth in the published
report.
Treasurer Frank G. Dyer made long
and carefully-prepared statement of the
associations financial condition. 1t
opened with a review of his efforts to
collect from the So members, who, he
said, had been more backwards than ever
in paying their dues. Statements of the
urgent need of money and threats of eX-
pulsion had had no effect on the great
majority of the members. He strongly
recommended that delinquents be ex-
PEELED forthwith. Tables appended to
the report showed that 40 members had
paid their assessments in full, % are one
year in arrears, II are two yeaIs behind,
Is have given the association their stock,
the par value of which is $40; while 40
members are owing the assessments of
three or four years past. The total re-
ceipts of the association the past year
were $45, and the expenditures S33.34,
leaving a cash balance of Sll.66. The
debts of the association are about S25.
The whole amount due from members
owing 81 to 50 each is S40-enough to
pay the indebtedness and renew the in
surance on the barn. The most of this
can be collected.
Mr.. Dyer's report was accepted and
adopted and he was given vote of thanks
for his efforts.
Then followed long debate on the
subjects of S. and $25 shares, assess
ments, etc. 1t appeared that subsequent
to the formation of the shearing associa-
ton proper a secondary association was
gotten up for the purpose of erecting the
exhibition building; that stock in the
latter was in S. shares; that those who
took S25 in stock were to be exempt from
assessments and have season tickets to
the county fair in consideration of the
erection of the building on the fair
grounds and its use for fair purposes,
and that after the building was up and
nearly paid for the shearing and building
associations were merged, holders of
stock in the latter organization being
made members of the other. 1t also came
out that more or less of those who took
single shares in the building association
were induced to do so by promises that
they should not be assessed, though as
sessments had regularly been made upon
them and most of them had paid. Among
the speakers were j. j. Crane of Brid-
port, l.. w. Peet and ID. Mathews of
Cornwall, w. p. Hall of Pittsford, Col.
F. II. harrington of Brandon, C. II.
Smith of Addison, Albert Chapman of
Middlebury, and President Bissell. 1t
was finally voted, on motion of Albert
Chapman, that all members who had not
paid their dues for the years prior to 1887
should be dropped "without disgrace"
from the association, the quoted phrase
being added as an amendment at the sug-
gestion of Mr.. Peet, who thought there
was no occasion for harsh usage of those
who didn't choose TO retain their mem
bership.
1t was said by the secretary, in answer
to question, that the association had A
$25, or life, members.
President Bissell stated that the exec
utive board at meeting last April voted
that those who, originally holding s5
shares, wished to become life members
could apply on purchases of new stock
whatever they had paid in assessments.
1t was voted, on motion of Albert
Chapman, that the building be insured
the coming year and that the money for
that purpose be raised by pro-rata as
sessment on all shares of stock in it.
The next matter considered was that
of the shearing. 1t was said by those
who had looked up the record that the
building was to be forfeited to the fair
ground company in case the association
failed for two years in succession to hold
a shearing there. l.. w. Peet moved that
shearing be held the coming spring.
President Bissell opposed the motion.