The Press. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12. 1910. THE SHOW AND THE PEOPLE

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13888, 12 November 1910, Page 8

The Press. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12. 1910. THE SHOW AND THE PEOPLE

I connected with the Shotf should have gone home last night, as did the thousands who visited the ground, full of the satisfaction that comes from participating in the accomplishment of a record under the most pleasant conditions. From first to last, we believe, more than 3",000 people passed through the gates yesterday, and for an hour or two about midday by far the larger proportion of this multitude must have been present at tho one time. It is most gratifying to see the wholesome attractions of this great display not only holding their own against strong competition, but yearly drawing a larger attendance. There are those to whom the Show, especially ''People's Day," represents tho acnio of boredom, who Hit wondering eyebrows at the en- j thusiasm with which other's regard it. It is not given to all, it is true, to take a critical, or oven an intelligent, interest in tho fine points of merinos, or shorthorns, or draught horses; tho rival merits of milking or shearing

machines make no appeal to the multitude of city folk who attend the Show,

and most of them are frankly indifferent to the advantages of one make of [ motor-car over another. Yesterday they were deprived for the first time of the pleasure—for apparently ITused to ho a pleasure—of wandering about among the agricultural machinery, of 1 the uses of which they knew but little ; ami cared loss. In spito of their unabashed ignorance they were interested jin the display—the love of seeing the wheels go round seems in- ; herent in tho most unmechanical of us—and yesterday they missed tlie usual spectacle. The manufacturers and agents must be presumed to know their own business best, but to the outsider it sems strange that they should not take advantage of the greatest gathering that New Zealand sees in the year to advertise their wares, particularly as those present at the Show include such a large proportion of prospective or possible customers. However, if there was littlo machinery to gaze at, there were plenty of other things to claim and receive the attention of the Show-goors. For those to whom neither tho live stock nor the hunting competitions, tho tent exhibits nor the produce, appealed, there was "all the fun of tho fair" provided by the side-shows, which were present in larger numbers and greater variety than usual. And beyond all, there were the people themselves—that great ever-moving throng of well-clad, well-fed Now Zealanders, most of them our own Canterbury folk, among whom one might stroll for hours without Jiotiny a single indication of poverty. The assertion that New Zealand is the paradise of the working man has lately been contradicted with some vehemence. It would probably bo difficult to draw up a definition of Paradise with which any given number of people would agree, bufc the workers whom ono met in hundreds on the Show ground yesterday seemed, ono and all, to have found New Zealand a place where they can live comfortably and enjoy life, and a country in which that is possiblo comes as near to being an earthly paradise as most of us aro likely to -find. There is little to be said of the crowd at Addington on '"People's Day" that has not been said before, except so far as its size is concerned. Year after year it presents the same features, and year after year the loyal New Zealander, especially if he knows what an English crowd looks life, leaves the ground with his pride in his country deepened and strengthened by this glimpse of its eplendid resources of

humanity. Carnival week draws rapidly to its close. So far as wo can judge it has been among the most successful and the gayest of all tho carnival weeks in Canterbury's history. Tho weather, that most potent of factors in the week's enjoyment, has been beyond reproach, though in the general congratulations at the unfailing sunshino and the hopes that it would continuo to confound the weather prophets until after to-day, there have mingled some regrets that neither congratulations nor hopes were shared by the farmers. To-night, however, we can all echo the remark of a country supporter of tho Show, as he left tho grounds last evening, "Now let it rain!" For by Monday Carnival week will have become a memory, and grey clouds and rain will accord well with the resumption of the daily round that has been so severely interrupted during tho last week.