Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-01-13
THE SHEEP-BREEDERs.
PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING
OF THE ASSOCIATION.

OF THE ASSOCIATION.
The members of the Vermont Merino
Sheep-Breeders' association at their an
nual meeting in the town hall, Middle
bury, on Wednesday, elected substan-
TALLY the old board of officers, fixed the
salary of the secretary at $1,000, with
5000 additional for expenses, and re-
mitted half the annual dues. The attend
ance was good, embracing the principal
breeders of the county and also l.. G..
Mead of Proctor, c. NJ. Winslow of
Brandon. w. Pitt Hall of Pittsford, D..
b. Buell. of Sudbury and Others from
Rutland county.
Mr.. C. p. Crane of Bridport, president
of the association, was i'll and could not
attend, First Vice-President ID. w. Prime
of Brandon was in New York and Sec
ond Vice-President E. E. Stickney of
East Shoreham had not arrived at II
o'clock, 50 Secretary Albert Chapman
called the assemblage to order. Mr.. E..
n. Bissell of East Shoreham was chosen
chairman.
The first business was to hear the re-
port of the secretary, which was as fol-
lows:
REPORT OF SECRETARY.
There were reported at the last annual
meeting 1922 members; during the year
81 new members have been added to the
rolls, 26 have withdrawn and 15S have
bpnp cuSnapIa1 Inv tbn commit foo IN nod
igrees, leaving nominal number of a
little more than thousand, but quite a
large number of these are only technic-
ally connected with the association; a
number are names of deceased members
and some are owners of hocks not ac-
cepted or have as vet failed to furnish all
the evidence necessary to perfect their
records or accept their t1ocks. OF these
some fifty or more will soon be dropped
from the rolls and would have been be-
fore this had there been rules that would
apply especially to their cases. There
are about $40 or $50 members from whom
we may expect strict compliance with
the rules regarding contributions for
memberships or lamb fees, but of these
265 had not paid their membership fees
for 1887 at the close of that year. and 175
had not sent in their lambs for 1887 pre-
vious to the commencement OF the pres
ent year.
When we send out circulars for the
year we have printed therein a note Civ
ing the actlon or the annual meeting IN
relation to the amount of membership
fee to be collected and request that the
amount be sent at once without further
notice, but a large proportion OF our
members wait until personal request Is
sent through the mail for payment, there
by adding large amount of labor in col
Letting bills that seems unnecessary.
There is also over $50 due from men,
bers on lambs sent in without the fees
with them.
1t is perhaps hardly to be expected
that members Will act as promptly and
pay their bills as cheerfully when sheep
are dull and there seems to be but little
demand for our surplus. as when all we
have to spare are in demand at good pay
ing prices, but 1t is very serious ques-
ton whether we would not have better
demand at better prices If we had more
confidence in sheep, pay more attention
to their breeding, keep them better. and
nave them IN better condition instead OF
endeaVorlng to Keep and breed them aS
cheaply as possible ana endeavOr to get
all the dlvldehds ana volumes out OF the
ASSOCIATION at the least possible cost tf
ourselves, instead OF endeavor1ng to keel
our hooks ana the ASSOCIATION IN advance
OF all others, as they nave been IN th'
past.
It, Is certainly not gratifying TO Dc
opllged TO report tnat pursuing TINS poll
cy TOO closely oDllges us TO report fol
the nrst tlme III the history OF the ass0'
cation there Is not cash on hand sum
cient TO pay every dollar OF our liabilities
at once, put instead there was d9e I'M
publishers OF the 81 volume the nrst O
January balance or Sl4l, whlle there II
IN the treasury only S43| 10 pay the same
Leaving S3lo TO De coliected from moneys
que the ASSOCIATION from membership Zee
and Tor lambs TO pay the balance. lher
Is due the ASSOCIATION ABOUT Sf2o, put on
past experience would teach us that W.
snail not realize all OF this sum.
During the past year there mas peel
some demand Tor sheep at paying prices
but there mas been general complain
on the part OF buyers mat sheep wer
III poor cohditioh, showing want