ROYAL SHOWS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 11 June 1936, Page 22

ROYAL SHOWS

PROPOSAL TO LIMIT VENUE SUGGESTION TO KEEP TO t TWO CENTRES CANTERBURY’S POSITION UNDER DISCUSSION The proposal that the Royal Show should be held at only two centres in New Zealand—at Christchurch one year and at Palmerston North the next —was discussed at length at yesterday’s meeting of the general committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Although several speakers spoke strongly in support of the proposal, no resolution was carried, the opinion being expressed that such a resolution would not come well from the Canterbury Association, and the proposal was one for breeders and not agricultural and pastoral associations—as interested parties—to support. Reference was made in the discussion to a Press Association report of a meeting in Invercargill in which it had been alleged that Canterbury was playing a big part in the move to have the venues for royal shows limited to the two cities. Several speakers said that the reference was unfortunate and the remarks made in the southern report should have been applied to South Canterbury, which had long publicly advocated the limitation proposal There had been no remit supporting the proposal sent forward from the Canterbury Association, it was stated. Mr D. W. Westenra. who began the discussion, said that it was his considered opinion that the show should be held alternately at Palmerston North and Christchurch. Naturally, be said. Invercargill and Auckland wanted to hold royal shows, but New Zealand was too narrow for exhibitors to travel from one end of one island to the far end of the other. There should be one central site in the North Island and one in the South Island. It was far better that one association in the North Island and one in the South should alternately control the show and do it thoroughly and well, Invercargill might run a show exceedingly weal, but it was at the far end of one island. Mr J. B. Little said that only Palmerston North and Christchurch could give the facilities for stock and accommodation that were expected at a royal show. North Island men he had d trussed the position with had been emphatic that Christchurch was as far •Mth as they eared to go, and South Island exhibitors certainly did not want to go further north than Palmerston North. “Matter lor Exhibitors'* That an expression of opinion on the Wltljnrt would come better from the —than an association was the expressed by Mr B. W. LcchBBl : a MfWpe report from InMBtogOl h*4 gated that tf the royal

show was to be limited to two centres it was the beginning of the end of the show, he said. Invercargill had gone to a great deal of expense, and, by stopping the holding of shows there Southland would certainly have something to growl about. The proposal to limit the show to two centres was a selfish one in many ways. A member: Should it not also be considered that Canterbury has the fewest members of the Royal Society? The secretary, Mr M. E. Lyons, explained the new constitution of the Royal Agricultural Society, which had been put into effect a few years ago. Under this, he said, the Dominion was divided into five district councils, and because three of these were in the North Island and two in the South it could be said that the present position was that there were three northern royal shows to two in the south. Mr Little said that royal shows had in recent years become something of a commercial enterprise, and it might be said, from this viewpoint, that one royal show award was worth two Christchurch awards. If a Christchurch exhibitor had to go to Auckland for a royal show to gain that amount of advertising, such a proposal did not appeaL It might have been satisfactory in the old more or less happy-go-lucky holiday feeling which used to characterise shows, but there was the element of commercial enterprise in modern shows. Present facilities would not tempt exhibitors to go to Invercargill, and from the commercial enterprise aspect Invercargill and Auckland seemed definitely ruled out, he said. Mr Westenra said that he maintained his contention that the royal show could never be a success if it was to be held in more than two centres. He spoke, of course, as an individual and not for the association. No decision was made, nor any resolution put, the chairman, Mr T. Stevenson, stating that there had been nc remit from Canterbury about the proposal and he did not think there should be one. If any action was to be taken it should come from the breeders themselves, or some outside association.