THE OPENING DAY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 110, 5 November 1925, Page 21

THE OPENING DAY

ATTENDANCE

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

PALMERSTON N., Wednesday. Palmerston North's Spring Show clashes this year with the General Election, and there is no doubt that the' fact affected the attendance on the opening day. In any case, the first day is not rushed by the public. Besides, the judging is not completed so far as horses, cattle, and sheep are concerned. There is a good deal to see, all the same, and tin's .' year special prominence is , given to the display of motor-cars, to which particular reference is made elsewhere. The judging of pigs, thoroughbreds, trotters, and harness horses took the afternoon and evening. Home industries and school work were disposed, of. by their respective judges. To-morrow there will be more to see and more to see it, for Palmerston itself is in the throes of the elections, and has not much time to spare for the Show. Moreover, the rain fell in gentle showers, after lunch, but no more than sufficient to lay the dust. MOTOR DISPLAY The most interesting feature of the Show, at least on the opening day, prior to the judging of stock, was undoubtedly the splendid exhibition of motor vehicles, cars and lorries, occupy.-. I ing the greater part of the covered area used during the Winter Show for machinery exhibits. Nothing better than the motor display at the Manawatu Spring Show this year has ever beenseen in the. Wellington district. In number and variety of vehicle the last Wellington Olympia held in conjunction with the Wellington Winter Show of 1924 is certainly surpassed at Palmerston this year. There are many new . makes in the field, as well as the latest models of representative types of cars. The visitor will realise that in motors never

RAIN AND ELECTION AFFECT

before has such value • been given for money. Prices have not been increased, and in some cases are even lower than . previously, while experience has led to many minor improvements in power transmission and exterior appearance. From every point of view the motor shows. a steady improvement in detail, while no radical alterations are to be seen. It would be invidious to single out any particular make of car. All appear to be of a standard likely to give complete satisfaction for the moniy. It is, however, notable that tha British car shows unmistakable signs of regaining | much of the ground lost in the New Zealand market since 1914. Most of the old familiar British names are conspicuous again on representative cars. DIVERSION The sideshow's on the Show Ground are aa diversified as they are numerous. Freaks and roundabouts, dart and ring games, and Aunt Sallies, bronco busting, glass-spinning, and reptiles, all ■' strive .for custom, and make plenty of noise about it. The fragrant smell of the popcorn stall alternates with, whiffs of petrol exhaust, and crowds of children throng the stalls and alleyways, getting a tremendous enjoyment out of the displays in front of showmen's tents. ■ , VOTING ON THE GROUND An interesting feature of this year's Show unprecedented in the past history of tho Manawatu A. and P. Association, and never likely to be paralleled in the future, is the provision made for visitors to exercise their votes on the Show Ground as absentees from their home electorates. Never in the past has an election clashed with the Show, and it

is never likely to do so again. The special polling booth held in the Wheeler Memorial Pavilion, was elaborately fitted up, and manned • with a large* staff of poll clerks, enough indeed to cope with the largest ■ number of absentee voters that could be expected. The system worked well and smoothly throughout the clay. A similar provision was made for local polling, no doubt to meet the needs of officials and others unable to leave the Show Ground during the day. Altogether" the' voter had no reason to complain of neglect by the authorities, who looked after him .on a handsome and elaborate scale. . The only stock judged during the day were the pigs. In the Tamworth and Yorkshire classes Bowen and Wilson, of Hastings, were the only exhibitors, and won all the prizes. There was fair competition in Berkshires, the most popular breed of pig in the Dominion. The champion boar was exhibited by the Central Development Farm (Weraroa), and the champion sow by J. A. Russell, of Palmeraton North. First prizes were won by J. A. Russell (four) and by J. Morgan (Weraroa). Bowen and Wilson took several seconds. ■ In harness horses the championship was awarded to Miss J. Guthrie's Digger, with Miss W. Craven's Sheila second. Digger won three firsts in other classes. Other first prizes were won by Mrs. E. H. English (Hastings) with Mona, and Mrs. E. Cobb (Te Matai) with Lorna. The entries were not large, and showed the increasing effect of motor transport on the breeding of good harness horses. RING COMPETITIONS , Ring competitions were held during the afternoon with a fair number of entries. The competition for the^ best lady driver was won* by Mrs. T. V. Morrin, of Hastings, with Miss W. Craven, of Hastings, second. The Maiden Hunters' competition, carrying with it the Ashlea Cup, was won for the year by Mrs. T. V. Morrin with Blazewood, with E. Olsen (Pahiatua) second with Marshal Ney, and A. T. Moore (Taihape) third with Wilg.-i. /There were 29 entries. The competition for the best wire jumper (open) drew nineteen entries. The winner was A. T. Moore, of Taihape, with Wilga, the third-placed horso in the Maiden Hunters' competition. Miss A. Rutherfurd's (Alfredton) Rambler jumped into second place.