SIXTH ANNUA LEXHIBITION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7820, 12 June 1909, Page 4

SIXTH ANNUA LEXHIBITION.

first day:;

TEE OPENING CEREMONY. -

In formally opening the 'show the Mayor (Mr Hi Davis), said from what ho had seen that day he believed the. show this year was the best held sinfcte the inaugural exhibition m 1904. Mr John L&mbie (Chairman of the County Council) said he would at the outset take the opportunity of congratulating the executive on the fin© industrial exhibition! Some of the sections were particularly good, and ho mado pointed reference to the poultry and to Mr W. T-. Lill's table. Me considered that the olio eniry m the farmers' table class was the finest exhibition of the products of % the farm that had over befih shoWn m Ashburton, and it showed what could actually bo produced on the farm-. Some of the classes showed a fnllilig off, and he regretted to note the absence of the Department of Agriculture's exhibit, which came m for so much admiration last year. Mr Lill's exhibit, the speaker said, was a complete answer to those Who said that luxuries could not be obtained outside of Cathedral Spuare, (applause), and jt \\'A& one of the best object lessons m the entire show. He Hoped it would bo photographed, and thus circulated among thousands who were unable to be present at the show. Mr Lambio then mad© a suggestion to the executive that they should at future shows invite the heads of the various Government Departments to be present, and deliver short addresses on the, subjects m which they wore so proficiently versed. He had attended the last show at. Auckland, and this course had been ■■■ :-»ly adopted by the Northern Association, and had been fully appreciated by the farming community. (Applause). As a country, we expended a largo amount of money annually m maintaining Professorial Chairs at our colleges, and he thought it would bo a Capital idea to ask some of these heads to be present and also deliver a short lecture at the opening of future shows m Asliburton. In conclusion, Mr Lambie said that the success of the show appeared to be assured by the large attendance there that afternoon, and h© trusted this year's exhibition would be the forerunner of many more shows of equally greater importance. (Applause). Mr H. Friedlauder, m a brief speech, said he had been asked at the last moment to represent Mr John Studholme (the president of the Poultry Society), who was unable to be present that day. Mr Friedlander then referred to Mr Studholme's liberality m offering a yearly sum of £200 towards establishing a Chair m Domestic Science at the Canterbury College, which had now been accepted by the University Council at Dunedin. Mr Friedlaudor referred to the great need there was to encourage our young women to become proficient m household work, which he said was almost equal m importance to the question of defence, because a good wife was a boon to any man. He then referred to the credit due to Mr Studhojme for what he had done, and went on to quote figures m support of the progress made by the Combined Executive m their annual exhibitions, and advocated that farmers should endeavour not to overtax their land, but to give it a periodic dressing with superphosphates, and thus keep it m good heart and fertility. The increasing demand for wheat throughout the world had overtaken the supply, and he, therefore, had no hesitation m saying that there was a great future ahead of the wheat-producing countries m the world, and Ashburton m this respect was particularly favoured by Nature. Wheatproducing land would increase m value, and it therefore behoved farmers to put back into the land those chemical properties that had been absorbed by grain-growing. Professor Lovvrie had recently said that land treated to a dressing of superphosphates was better able to resist droughts, and he (the speaker) firmly believed the statement. Mr Thos. Mawson (President of the Ashburton A. and P. Association), spoke on the lines of former speakers, and tendered his thanks to Mr Bullock, Messrs Matson and C 0.," and other Arcade tenants for the .use of the Arcade for holding the show The Mayor then declared the show open. The attendance during the afternoon was satisfactory, and m the evening a large number of townspeople and visitors from a distance attended the show. The Ashburton County Brass Band played a programme m the evening, which tended to considerably enliven the proceedings. The entrances to the Arcade were brilliantly illuminated; as also was the interior. Good progress was made with the judging during the afternoon, and as a result of this, the awards with perhaps ,one or two exceptions were all fixed m position before 6 o'clock. The attendance for the first day exceeded that recorded for the corresponding day last year. For the first day last year the takings were £33 6s 6d, and yesterday the amounted to £37 9s 6d.