MASTERTON SHOW GROUND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 159, 30 March 1908, Page 9

MASTERTON SHOW GROUND.

SOLWAY ADOPTED. i /an Animated meeting : Tho .proposal to sell the Masterton showground >jind.hold tho future shows on-part of V . \ tho Sojwqy Estate,'.' to. bo purchased, about three . miles-out of tho town, was'filially car* V?. riecl' oil., Saturday (telegraphs our .AY'airarapa f '... cofrespsn'de'ufc).y ; T!io ;ineetiiig':atwhich-this i at. was the largest-and , ..V, ! moat ;7 i m porta nt/iV;: and I ' : mg ever lioldm the Wairarapa.- Thegather- ? ■ lug icoqkprlsed the. principal.farmers- jn; Mas--1 terton and Wanarapa; with,a sprinkling from S the-Bush-Districts, and"a 'large l liumtier of .!• . ' townspeople• from; Carterton and' Aiasterton. * TJioro ;:wero fully,.'foi}i'. hundred peoplo vconwas. . ; • iii'Va measilro.iwas one? or town versus country.' Members of ithoAVairarapa A: and; I'. Associationvwbo werd also members of the Mnstorton •i=7.- -i Associationviattoiided m;fairlvifull force; . !tliosov who■ wore ■ in' • favour ot 'amalgamation, i Carterton show.supported;the pro? ; ■ - posal;" whilootlioso/who .wore.:against-,that .cpiirsß' ; v6ted agaiiist'lhe. Solwa^,^lieiiwV'< ; Speeches on thtj aflirmativo sido were dc- ,. livered"by vllessrs.' 3.' M'Gregor-.< (one of the patriarchs of< tho Masterton ,'• 6;' C.'.'Summerelly'j;: Wi-.ifii- MathleSon .. huna) Sykcs, (chairman, Banks' Meat Qom■■i. pany, Wellington); J. 1). Jl'Gregor, J. D. V-, Cruickshank,' and J. MfGregor,- son. Spiakers on' tho.' negative-' sido .included-. Messrs. J. Morris, M Oaselbeig, and H 11. Bunny (Carterton).

Issues at Stake. The following were thq, issues — , • r (l). j roxonsider-thoi recommendation of. ■ ' /, . . .the "GoneraL.Comniittee.of :-the, Associa-.-. ■I: >••• tion- ia«'i follows: - .'."..That ~70 /acres or. ■ .thereabouts of thevSolwgy Estate,.Mas- ■- : terton,- he purohased for the purposes, of j ' thpi.-said-Society;at:the.following:price:— - i ■ 7(l;.'lores-:(more"or..kss) vat'.-tho.',rato,'of I -£60 p(H"-acro,'-and 5-acre-s (more.-0r.1053).:. i ; adjacent to tho railway.: lino.'with build- -■ I . ' ■ .lnggt thereon "for tho .sum of-£700; ... and , .; •/ ya' coii- ;■ fract; to: purchase lands, or-to .. same iwitli:.a compulsory .pur-"'. ceasing-,oiauso ; atsthe-price named.,- < : ' '': (2) To ! pass :tii6i said -recomiifendation.': as a resolution. ■ ■■ (3) To authoriso ' the -comnutt-ee . to v;":carry:,thd^Sai^'.i;e^olution;siiiix);effect,vancl.'■;' . . forj.'thafcpu'rposo. to enter into any ne-; . ■A -} ces.saiy;; cpntracfc' for,';'contracts:; pii-.behalf .- ' ; cf.dm''A'ss9?!atipn^ : ;'.. •' ■' ' (4). To-; authonso'. : tho.;conimitteo; for ; ' tho'purposes'aforesaid to sell tho present : ■ site - of'-iiiho Assocjataoiiy-being'33J,-acres '. (moro: or less), parts.of Sections 2-apd-3, such price and-upon such terms:and con-: , ■-.■ ditions; as . the: committee shallv,deter- " Imine,;aiid jp'jsign-pnVbehalf^'"ofJ;'jhfev-Asr'f'-: scciatlon any. contracts for sale, or trans-feiyof-tho.said, property. g \';, ; v■ji' Thgro: werd' two-.-ballot-s, (One.'paperscorapnsnig>;proposals'l, 2,\;and.3r (which wa-s .tho, authbl-ity to purchase), the 'other comprising! \ : -No.' (w]iith was to'sell'the present, showgrounds). / 1 ' , ?.'':^. \: '. : 'u : .'i :^i<-^ The Speeches. , ' Tlio' cafupaign -'■was opened . by/Mr.., J; D.. v Cruickshanli, v president: of tho - Association, ■" .'i who-moved-the adoption of'tho clauses giving i," authority-to purchase theiSolwayvPark.t (The ■ •'speaker, pointed oub the possibilities opened :. .V -up i \b^shJftiiig::tQ?tlie. t 'Jievy site.'alongside.-the |m6;"aud 'obtaining mi fame one. show for the wholo of Wairarapa.' He hoped that « '• this view- woul4 be'eventually tAkeil by Car--1 terton people. - Outsido npipion was strongly .m fayour. qfthe proposal; wluch, ]t was'con- - - tondedj-would: give 'Wairarapa the. best sliow.r . ground -in the Dominion.- ,lt was held: by-a : . nuipber :of 'Masterton, people that the/ s|nft . Masforton.- • 1 This;.; he: was confident would case/'and'surely members could lioj , : V;:-;'Mr.iGr-.jp;^ufiffi^lI;V^p^3'-tfo' J tootipn;''.'; He • explained why, as a matter" of-business, \'i all'.informatjon.-regarding." the; purchase- of : Solway'by rthe syndicate Porry,' : J.'iStrang," G. -Donaldj -C.' F. ;Yallance; ; R. • C. Cooper) had not :been made . public; " and,, ridiculed ,tho ; statement made . that'.fjicse gentlemen were exploiting tho AssociatiOjj':fori.then-■ own benefit:lt. was.: an ■ v i entirely false taspersjon." ■■ (Leud cries • of .' " Hear^'hoar;- 1 ?)'' What'was wantedWai-. rarapa for/the show-was'a-more central;posi- ", ; f .tion-and proximity tp itlie railway- line; ■■ One ," good: show' \i ; as' better thari'j two';'bad-;ones.: : 1 Thpv .wantcf] more competitiop, so t]iat they could hold-thair,own against, shows, at -Pair ~ ' merston. Norths and Chnstchurch! iMasterton < .town'itself-.would-gain ])y tho change, for, ■ with a'bigger -show /there would be a bigger v. attendance: and bigger spending, power; The Opposition. , — . . .. TliG'-next:fomvspeaHorSj Messrs. D. Guild, 1 . J. iMorns, H.: :IV.-:?Buniiy.- far-rr -•.v i ; mors);- and--j\l. Caselberg (managing director . ~ ,to the 1 Earmors!.-,»Co-operative. -Association),; wore'-strongly-against'the -proposal,; and. wished-for- aHnice ui{til. tho South Wairarapa -: had - decided' if:, it;.-would amalgamato, nvithMasterton at its annual meeting 111 about six ■ v: . weeks' tipie.- . i-. ■-■ , 1 : 1 Mr. D., Guild- said it, could not bo -denied ■: that:, the-- syndicate!: was -composed of very , , good^men,.-who had,a : ycry,good schemo. In fact,'the, scheme was so good that he thought the syndicate-should-have a-real opportunity , .v. of: provingsthe 'worth', of-its;.proposal. -I-lis ■ idea,,,therefore; ;was:,.},lic > substitution, of: a - lease.,withvright of .purchase, in- place,-' of; tho compulsory::purchasing: .'clause.. .Meanwhile, . Masterton . could'-'keepv. its /: present. : sho\y . ground .and : only shift. when - members' were' , satisfied, that the syndicate had properly deyeloped its. scheme./.;: He <moved an amendmont to that effect. s : Mr.: J; Bourlvo.seconded. :- " Idsklists." Mr: -He R.,.Bunny .termed tho members of 1 - the syndicate "idealists," and said the . -.-.•!'it\wm : iinpi»cracVable;, aiid Would;end in.financial disaster, in v.hich every- member- would be involved and would haye to place his.hand in his pocket ; The. Committee s own report condemned the whole financial business.. It meant that the of .be■wiped*.out. .Referring to the:proposed anial- ,-. gamatip^;..M>, .Bunny, coutonded that the committees from the-two Associations, should havo, met and considered .-tho. question.'.-'. In ,! the: present;' it,;lpQked|very'muclv as if Masterton wore going to drop .tho substance for the shadow. ' ' 1

Mr, Morris's-.'Speech,.-/ ~ Mi. with;Mr.iM. Caselberg, was possibly- the • most- streiiuous oppositionist at tlw-.meeting.v Mr.-.. Morns has a -fund of humour, whiph,found vent in several goocj points -for his side. TJjerp been,, lie said, muoh-talk ; {jf ►amalgamation latply m Waiand Mqsterfeon. Ij; hacThcei} rupiourexl that the. two .'A. and. p. Associations and tlio Carterton 1 and Masterton Racing Clubs were goings tp , - pool their grounds, and lipid a:show.and races at Solway which woukU.be ..the best and races in New Zealand,..- , Bol\vay , tfas- bought • merely for amalgamation purposes. Members were asked to buy the place in a week. In-the past five ye<trs, thp Masterton A. and P. Association had shonn a profit of £235 per annum, whilo the committee, in, recommending the' purchaso of Sohvjiy, estimated an annjial profit of only £iO. A lot was talkediof paddocklng.- requirements. : Well, dyina; men would clutch at straws. One would think the syndicate was' going to give 'Solway. wholly to tlio 'Association.': (Laiighter.) > If Solwqy Were taken, it would -leave tho Association 111 'i&420..p0r' nniinni:-i ; 'Xiid for what? To oblige a few'breeders! If breviers wero not satisfied, lot '-.thorn stop away from tho show. ; (Hear, hear ) - He hoped tlio meeting would kill tlio business from: tho start: (Hear,-hear.) R Stcrekeepipg View. , Air..-'M: .Caselberg,! who said'he spoke as a storekeeper endorsed; Mr. Morris's, viowsHo pointed out thnt: tho .business people had supported Masterton. show.- from 'lts.-.inocß- , tion,' aiidffcpiltonded:; thiity'it ■ was • population which'njade a siicCdss of a show. Palmerston North had a population twice that of

Mastevton; and Masterton had a population fpuf'.'times' that of .Carferton.: - The'advantage lay iiv having the,:'slipws. in .the towns. No business man. who wns doing well in a certain busv locality . would move' his,'shop to a backyard. The speaker was not prepared to ?ay that the Masterton 'Association':-would :l>o ruined-by-making a shift-', liv. fact-,''. lie'-voifld bp' inclined, to'; favour tho; sacrifice if tliero was a certainty of amalgamation with Cai - tertoii. There would then bo concojd and .strength. . :■.' An Amendment. . ; With Mr. Guild's approval, ho would.pio r poso an amended amendment;-- 1 . ?"' '.i '.' '.in tlie. opinion pf -' this 1 irib(2t- "■ ■ ?in'g,,' the present' sfow, ground is"-very ;: ' suitable for tho purpose, and that no chango be: mode until tho aulalgaina-. tion -of Wairarapa and Masterton A. aifd,. P. Associations;' furjtjb«f^'thak..this|ine«i(>;:.|.' ■ mg be adjourned for six weeks m.older ",' to. ascfertain' if all amalgamation' miiy-.bo i arranged by the two institutions, anil. ■ that, in tho meantime, tho General Com- :■. mitte'e' bo' empowered to obtain ;a leaso.'of, I. the -proposed .riew show grounds,' with an i-.i option, of purchase." • , . .. I:i .Mr.'. Caselberg, continuing, said that' ho thought, that if tho two associations. amal-. gamat-ed ' wit-h.,;?ombiiicd _ strength; tliero would: then bo. possibly.,nothing to say : against, purchasins .Sohvay. (; - Idealism Defended. t Jfr. : W. B. Matlneson, of. Eketahuna, .doliveretl n- fighting speech, -in, which lie dcr fended ', idealism. ;: Ho ;• congratulated-'-.thp mbmbers'ypf/.thoi Syiadjeat.e on being .idealists, 1 who wc-ro- not after a jncre money return,: but wero looking foj" a big show. (Applauso.) That wils what wo all wanted. (Appjauso.) Tho peoplo: of Wairarapa,- Wanganui, and ptlier places ;qontribiited as. much .to the ?ucr cess of -Palmerston's show as anything elso. Because , a >-town.'had a' big population it did not necessarily follow, tliat .it could bnve a successful',show... : .Wellington could; ljpt .inake a: successful show;- and . neither could . the llovnl Afrncultural Society when it tried to hold -'a; show iin London., . - .*.- .- Mr. J.' D. M-'Gregor also ;supported tho., proposal. lio said the ouestion of amalgamation had boen -talkedover- again . and again by members of iboth bodies,- and now was tho time to giTO somo sort of effect to ' ultimatelyi obtaining 'otto. big', shpjv. by,:shifting to Solway. The t.owns, it was true, had loyally!, supported -'{this'" show^'. but .- shows wero run primarily for . the-, education of: farmers ancl miprpvement in the brooding of anjmals. It had Ijeen stated tliat.-these shows were for tho benefit of tho big - breeders;; ; b.ut t lie'could''..honestly. say; that the small farmers made as-much profit out of tho.' as tlib ijiig, breeders. '..There was;'advarititge in ■hatirifi; the."'shoiv alongside, .tho.',-railway-line,"'.and' thoro would: lie Jess rateS 'fpKpiiddoclijrie.'^,Wfl.s ; Masterton-going' a :;1M,a1,/sh.o-iv-'P j .AmalgaTnatibn; -whjcli-'could iibOiit:';by ■ a',' of j;sites] would,' secure.i bettor support, of Wellington . business: firms. I-Io behoved ? that the W,iirarapa A. and P. ■'Association ,recsiycd 1 more mopey, ip ;cash' and; donations from- Wellington; than- it did. from its own membership, and Masterton was nearly ni itho .samo. position; -.-Wolhngton .'h'ad; -lately stated: ,tliat -tjiey wero ! agiiiiist ! supiibr'ting "two ■ shows', > and.' it was wclP to giye (consideration to'this phase. : , i Jj.:-Falconer, ■ of -Knituna,- ■:esti--loss'of: £14,00(1 on the Sohvay. proicct. '(Much laughter)

Jhe Doyen of the Association.' ,'!•»:• : tho doyen,,of^'.'tJie.-^s^ J o^ ; ciat-ion-'. supported tho proposal in. a most ' qffectivo speech. -Ho spokdm iscathmg terms :of 'the printed 1 statemeiit syndicate - Was exploitingv.the (it?' own;personal gain.; > Llessrs. ::W.; Perrv and ; ' , B--. Grjay, > tbe;. lastAtwo; presidents;;of 'th^':As'sp'ciation;;; were; members'-:'of. ,the - syndicate, 'aiid '-jtwQj-men.'' -iii--ih©?ioti»resß'. v o^'ffiaiv'lVa'd' of. tho, proposal; ' - and .its distrtot 'XiSipiprpyed' value of the liorpugli, 11 b.ero.wa^ocaied 1 tlio" present show ground. Iu a' verv. short tinio the, rates.'.'on;, tho;:p.res'ent;■ Erouiias;.: jv.Q'ul(f ,be : 'as large as tlioso at-s Pnlme'rst-on.'. .'-.The speaker spoke of. tho early History of tho two 'Av: and E. Associations, and.' stated-, that iji v /tho first Car tort.on;.was;. treated'"disgracefully- 1 by-Masterton.: -. Carterton, however,' .turned.' the, Jtables,; later I on'; when :Mas-. . fcrton .proposed: alternate'; shows'..'. J.t; of iio? j'^o^p^pjn , 'g- busiiipssi- • was: .a .requisition 111; favour, of an amalgamation , by. the sta'uh'chestsupporters'-'in. Soiith, .Wairarapa.;, - Ifthe ■ show- ■ grounds ■> were to, Solway, .then thcro was the question of- tho .rajn'. fair. ;:; i mjn' fair 1 ;becausb i ,it ''was iibt?leciatM oiV : a railway;lino. . .Wanganui,'was ; supposdd -to Ijavo; a good >:ram; fair,- with '..JfipO or -1700 - entries. ';; - Masterton .' last;; Febriiory.; ,'hrid "• 2900. Wanjranui had only 'one"lirio, : .but''Ma6fokbri' .had' Lincolns,:.:. ! 'Romnoys,; .'..Sbropshires; "arid: ..other.7breeds,,''aijjl:,with.^^iai,,changp v 'of sites': .there, was a possibility, of holding "the ibiVgo^tram ;fnir, in the .'North .Island.' ': : What a magnifiqent ■ capacity ;.-ther4 was .'for, .Ma'sterr'--•■fcn; now: only in'it's jiifaney 1 : : They mu?t, .however,, nialto for'its•.growth, 1 antl. when everything was considered ;it .should':.be.'','heads: and ; tails for' Solway;-": (Applause.)

Amendment Lost. , -: ■•!'.The - amendment was- then .put and lost •on a show of hands. - 11l sp.ealimg 011 the motion, Mr. C. Darnell said 'he;at first favoured the proposal, 'but.he believed now-.that; the syndicate'was making a mistake. ~. .- v; 1 ..v. ;', v ?.;' r t ■ l . j- ■, Mr.' I. ' Sykes' discounted the arguments of speakorsj who wore looking at the proposal from a'toiYn-business'point. of'vieiv; >..It- ,; ,was the railway Ijno which always brought attendances. 'at shows. Masterton' .'town'-;had not, greatly. supported the.'Masterton' show, otherWise it would close its business doors earlier and oftener, thqii it:did't'Qn shoffi days'.', 'As to Mr. Guild's amendment, it reminded him of a man proposjeg, to a wpman and never intending to marry her.:' (Ijaught-er and 1 applause.) .'. ■ ,' r . Mr. . D. M'Gregor. said, they should be ambitious, and make: theirs' not-;a- local, but,,a national show.:. There might be a bit of 'a pnl| at. the-cpnimeiicemeiit,...but tlie-. 'sohemo was worth tho trouble. ' Eveiitually,'. it; be. an assured-success: l . - "• .

potion Carried, i Members r sl)'e'n recorded their votes by balr. lot. The following .was tho (result '-U -I.Clauses 1, 2, and 3 (authority to'.purchase ' ''. Fpr the proposals. ... -... : 185' Against the proposals 52 ■ InfQrmal .;... . ... ;• •' ... "1 ■ f Majority for tjio ■ proppsal? I^3 • ' Claus9 ,4' (to. sell present, grpupds)rr - .V.;-, For the proposal.'J 187.V:. - Agamst the proposal ...: ... 53 , Informal" 1 . ... ' ... 1 1 Majority for the proposal ... 27 ' , Thus, a' two-thirds majority-: of the total votes, was recorded in .favour of. selling tho present show 'grounds..' It wil} be seon that .tho. motion was. carried by 27 votes—practically votes -'df.South, ,'Wairarapa. niembors, who aro strongly in: favour, of amalgamation. , i .The : meeting dissolved with' three ' cheers for the syndicate. ;

■/Maiiy people. would be. millionaires if they could tml>; say the right thing at tlio right moment',-instead 'of toil-'minute's aftenvq-rds. —"Daily Mirror." • Franco-will not-.allow the unroKt-in Jndo- ■ Gliiiia to, develop the> sairio dangerous symptomsof -opcirrebelliqn against tho civil power as have manifested themselves in British ,India : ..; : If there 1 is-- any open spdition, the tirailleurs .-will deal with it and a few head 3 will fall.—"l'enang -.Gjizottp, ! '- The Frijnch Army has its faults, it is true; so has the German. Until they both learn that their clothing is, from a military point of'view, ridiculous and dangerous, and that, tho 'shooting of their men, compared ;with .that of the Boers,-is extremely bad,--neither tlio French nor German., \rniy cari understand what we havei learned by bitter experience in the field—" Broad Arrow."