THE AUTUMN SHOW.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11945, 14 July 1904, Page 4

THE AUTUMN SHOW.

Tlw Autumn Show outlined in Mr Staveley's motion at yesterday'ii meeting of tbe Committee of the A. and P. Association was a more ambitious affair than the ono we suggested to the Committee's consideration some weeks ago. The idea we then mooted was that a fat sheep and root show ahould be held during tbe winter in one or other of the big wool stores in the city. Such an exhibition would involve little cost, and might easily form tlie nucleus of a much larger Winter Show. Mr Staveley'a motion contemplated the holding of a_ehow of fat stock, roots, grain, hunters, wool, and bo forth, on the Show, grounds during April or May. The mover was not, it must be confessed, very enthusiastio over bis scheme, his remarks suggesting that it waa put forward because of the newspaper criticisms on the action of the Association in not holding a Winter Show, but he admitted that in this latter respect the Association had been rather weak-kneed, and urged in any cat© the proposed Autumn Show would not commit the Association to any very great expense. The motion was eventually lost by ien votes to eight, and the prospect of the Canterbury Association running any sort of a show in the autumn or winter months may, therefore., he regarded as more dwtarrt than ever. It may be admitted, however, that there was something in Mr Murphy's criticism as to holding tha first Autumn Show rrhen there is a possibility that the mid to ihe Show grounds may be in the hands of the electric tramway contractors, and for that reason it might have Wen advisable to postpone the affair until the year after next-. But we cannot agree that the fact that the Ashburton Association has boldly taken the initiative and held its first winter show is any reason why the Metropolitan Association ehould not do the same. Ashburton holds a show in the spring, but that dors not mar the success of the Novembrr nhow in Christchurch. and there is no ground for believing that a winter show in Christchurch would kill the Ashburton fixture. We are dubious as to the success of such a display as Mr Staveley suggested, at that time of the year and on the Show grounds; and would have preferred to see the Association undertake a small winter show on the lines wo suggested. Either would, however, have been better than no show at all, and we regret that tlie Association had not the courage to make another experiment. However much the circumstances of Canterbury and Otago _iay differ, they afford no reason for believing that Christoliurch could not do what Ashburton has proved to be possible.