METROPOLITAN SHOW.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13910, 8 December 1910, Page 8

METROPOLITAN SHOW.

THE GOVERNOR'S APPRECIATION

INTERIM BALANCE-SHEET

At the meeting of tho general committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association yesterday, the following letter from his Excellency the Governor, addressed to the President of.the Association, and dated November 12th,

•was read:—

'Dear Mr Stevenson,—l desire to convey to you and your colleagues of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association my great appreciation of the courtesy and attention afforded to mc and my" staff on the occasion of our visit to this year's show. All that .1 had an opportunity of seeing, both in regard to exhibits and genera) organisation of the Show, has greatly lmX>rcssed mc, and now enables mc to appreciate in the most practical way the high position that the Canterbury Show "has attained in the Southern Hemisphere. lam glad to see from the newspapers this morning that the attendance at the Show on Peoples Day was a record one in the annals ot its "history. This testifies in riie most satisfactory manner to the high position your Association has attained. I shall be glad if you will convey to your committee my best thanks and those of her Excellency lor enabling us to witness' the" Show under such agreeable conditions. —Islington." The following interim balance-sheet in connection with the last held Metropolitan Show was submitted : — Expenditure.—Money prizes £1210 2s; private prizes, £177 Ss; prize niedaN, £791; judges' expenses. £lli; printing and advertising, £109 1-Js; class stewards, watchmen, treasurersstaff, clerical assistance, and general labour, £237 0-s lid; sundry expenses, £'119 2s Id; credit balance, £rf4l 0s lOd. Total, £2980 12s lOd. Receipts.—Entry lees, £957 14s 3d; booths and catalogues, £125 2s (id; takings at gates, £1715 Ss Id; private ■prizes, £17/ K>; sundry receipts, £5. Total, £2980 12s lOd.

In moving the adoption of the bal-ance-sheet, Mr E. G. Staveley (chairman of the Finance Committee) stated that the financial results of the Show were very satisfactory, the balance to credit being £b_, a.s compared with £(320 the previous year. The prize money paid by the Association this year totalled £1210, as compared with £1218 last year; and the private prizes this year totalled £177, as compared with £194 tho previous year. The balance-sheet was adopted. At a latter stage the Committee unanimously accorded hearty votes of thanks to_ the judges, those who gave special prizes, and to the marshals. A lengthy letter was read from Mr J. W. Blair, one of the judges of the draught horses at the Show, with reference to certain comments and statements in the "New Zealand Times," of November 14th, regarding the services of a referee liaving been called in by Mr Blair, who wroto to the effect that the comment was unfair and that many of the statements were grossly inaccurate.

The chairman (Mr Jas. Stevenson) Baid that he was responsible for calling in the referee, and that neither Mr Blair nor Mr Mitchell (.the other judge) had gone round with Mr Andrew (the referee called in) when he judged the class (three-year-olds), in regard to which the judges were unable to agree. Whilst the referee was doing his judging Messrs Blair and Mitchell were sitting on a form with Mr Stevenson, and talking to him. He (Mr Stovenson), after reading the statements complained of had come to the conclusion "that they were the re-echo of remarks made by an exhibitor's disappointed manager. He moved-.— "That the secretary be authorised to reply to the statements in the "Now Zealand Times," and to correct the inaccuracies • and that Mr Blair and Mr Andrew be written t*» and informed that the statements made by tho newspaper were incorrect." Mr H. E. Peryman seconded tho motion. '

Mr J. Henderson remarked that the general opinion of the public was that tho judging of the draught horses this year was tho worst ever seen ou the ground. The motion was agreed to. Regarding tho criticisms in "Tho Press" of tho parade of stock (which Mr Stevenson read), Mr H. E. Peryman said that they could agree with one or the other and some could agree with both. This year was tho first in which the Parade Committee had met and drawn up a scheme. It was said that "in the multitude of councillors there is wisdom," but he did not think that was so in the present instance. He, hLnself, was disappointed to some extent, and felt inclined to' move to the effect that next year Mr Reid manage the parade himself. The Chairman said that it was reported to him that various firms wero allowed to write their own comments on their exhibits. This, he thought, was most unfair, especially if it was the case, as stated to him, that all matter exceeding two inches in length was paid for. If comment on exhibits was advertising matter it should appear in the advertising columns. It was also most unfair that a firm that did not exhibit at all should receive space. They welcomed fair criticism because it did them good, and none of them resented it, but • when criticism was not fair, it was time for them to criticise the Press.

Mr C. H. Ensor said that at the Show he was approached by numbers who complained that there wero no exhibits of implements on the ground. Nearly all tho farmers attended the Show to see tho display of implements m well as tho stock shown. He admitted that the committee as well as the implement makers wero to blame. The committee must get the makers to exhibit: he did not think that they had treated th© implement makers fairly. In stock they offered competitive prizes, whilst they charged ground fees to exhibitors of agricultural implements, who ought to be on tho same footing as exhibitors of stock. The Chairman said that it waa not the fault of the Association that competitive pria*es were not offered for implements: it was the implement makers who had asked the Association to do away with them. No one regretted more than he did that the implement makers did not see fit to show, bat he had it on the authority of some of the large manufacturers that they will show next year. He believed that the whole thine would- blow over by next year,, and that they would see them all at the Show.