Into The Past

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 144, 20 June 1928, Page 17

Into The Past

IT is always interesting t£ go back to thebegiririing ybf' tMrigs'|ythe secret of a successful undertaking often lies in the manner in which it was founded. . To-day; th- Manawatu and West Goast A ; ah'd.P.'Association is a flourisfiing body, with its future assured, bUtit;wi|s,notallowed to reach its present position, withoutmany. a struggled The way to progress has been paved with difficulties, and it says vmuch f or the calibre of the men who have been at the helm that so-much has been accomplished during,the 42 years in which the association has-been in existence.. . ■'.;... . . . '-.:. ..■..." '';.'.:•/y-.' '„-' -'Y.y;- -jY---.

How the Show has Grown Jl Jffiodest Start . Milestones of Progress

In order to relate the. history: of the Manawatu and West Coast A. .and P. Association it is necessary to go'back to, the' days of 1886. Those were momentous days in .the history of. Palmerston North. Just-si-teen years previously the. opening up- of a' regular means of communication with the port of Foxton had given a grei't: impetus to the.'. little - bush-locked, settlement, and ".the.'first-, real stepsy to.: progress were niade. Each' year saw. the: little band of settlers grow until.in. April of 1876 Palmerston North took upon itself the dignity of a' town district. But the growth continued at such' a pace that less than sixteen months later the petition of residents tljat the town should become a borough, was granted, and in July,- 1877, »he yfirst election of a Mayor and. councillors took place. - Even in-.those far-distantl days,- with- the. population: a' little .over a thousand, citizens :of Palmerston North took a keen- interest in their town and were ever anxious to see it advance. Land, in the Manawatu district was gradually taken up.and farmed, and in 1885 residents of the town and. district began ,to, feel the need for an agricultural show. Historians record that' the first to show: an interest in the movement included Messrs.. J. C. Hanna, G., M. Snelson" (the., .first. Mayor of Palmerston North), A. -E. Russell, J. C. Sly,- F. G. For'ster-Pratt, M. Prendergast, D. Buick (who represented ■ Palmerston North'hT the House. qt Representatives for: a number- of years), and Captain S. Brown. One of the early difficulties which faced the promoters of the scheme was the securing of a suitable location for the show, but fortunately: this problem -Was soon solved. There was situated; in: Cuba, street ah olcl cemetery reserve, and for some time the people ,qf ypalnierslon North had; been anxious 'to .have.'it removed on the score that it" :was too close to the town.' Mr. D. S.,W Arthur; the then representative of the district in Parliament, and the Mayor (Mr; Or. M Snelson) took the matter in hand, and the result was that the area, of ground was vested in trustees as an agricultural reserve. Thus the initial stumbling block was removed,"and the way was paved f orV the holding'of. the ' first show; •'.'■•■-■' :;-■'■.r.--:-:'-. yy' A MOMENTOUP MEETING. The first business meeting, of the executive of the newly formeS Manawatu and West Coast A. and -IJ. Asso- ■ ciation was held in May- s>i i June of 1886—the exact date has been lost in the past. The meeting was he^l in the Commercial Hotel, and;- Mr. D.; Buick presided. Itywas decided then, to, set the machinery in motion: for. the,.holding of the first show,, arid a campaign for members, was. instituted.- ,- This campaign met with -considerable success, considering the small: population of the, district, and sixty members were enrolled. : The response: to the (Campaign was good enough to warrant the: executive completing, the arrangements. for the show, and .this Was held on, Friday, 18th November, 1886. It wa» a red-letter dayyin the Lhistory of the town of Palmerston,North .and,'oi' the Manawatu "district; The show-was but a one-day affair, but it was well patronised, it being recorded that between 1200 and 1500 people paid for> admission. It is interesting to recall the entries which were received for the initial show. They were as follow: Horses 75, cattle 48, sheep 120j,pig8 11. A few hunters were also entered, and there were some' general exhibits.. Now -the total entries received are well in excess of 3000. Little money, was available for prizes, but every effort.

was made to make = the.shojv.,as':attractive as possible -for, exhibitors,^and- it is recorded;that, : the"fpUojWing^rophies were offered: For,,h'orses-4'l, for-icattle and sheep 34, for pigs 10/for^f i-ining and dairying classes 67." "Theh-first- president of the Manawitu;; and" yWest Coast. A.-and P.' A'ssocia'tionywa's -:Sir James Prendergast, and' the yvice-presi* dents were the: Hon. RyiCampbeil,'Mr. (later Sir) J..;G.'.' WUM^.mR'.,: Mr. R. D. M',Arthuri';M.H.-R^ , K. C... Bruce, .M.H.R. , sTheijirs.t^nhonpiary treasurery-was\-Mr.-aJih.-Cl;*c i_ainn»i'«-*nd the chairman, .of ■ the firsfoexecutiye :com»

S..;jP T yAn.i}r'ew > „-,'-, lioto k .- I

mittee was.Mr.^j. .R.'.yForste^ytratt. It 'is riot.'difficulty.t'oyjnjagiiio.;the,"|efe)ings i ofy '■ trepidation; : withy V whicii~t;mem- ;- bers of--'-tiie'':; executive yjJaun.hea'rsthe first.show, h'or ik-at diffijculfcito.imagine the,-feelings''of'satisfactioii.-fwitiiiwhich theyy. Viewed'-. the^ie^.iilt.iyyvriaMw'atu's show- was fairly-launched^ a_4"'th_Svay , y had been'opened fof^biggot Kfcd'jbettcr. things.. .'". „;''-;.■'".-''y.'.-.-Y y-Y !f -.. V A GENEROUS ) ACTION;: y, Encouraged .by"; the success,of -ith^'flrst. effort,,the v assQciationydpcideditoy: hold a- two-day .shdw-;:in.->the:j.oilo.W:Ji)g i}';^l'. and for some:vy.ears!';the^uri_ertakiug continued ta'iflouTish: -"w-Ia 'lß9oV\there Wa:s an 'interbsting development*jk .the history of the' Association. TTiolate'-Mr. . Alex. M'Hardy/ of.Jlawkes' BSJt;''Who _ for many years :ha_';beeri" an exhibitor * of Shorthorn's at Man_watu'show's/saw . the great p.Q,s'sib'il^iie.s.--_:liic.t''''tfi'eVo^i*rere, in the{Manawatii'.district,,'^ri^.-.He^de-' cided to settle thereby.At,>h^';ti_ie,the.: A. and P; Associationi.was [£ eelingi ,-the need for extonsionsytoythßSsJ^o^vgypnnd arid .additional buijding&vtovaccimimodate the. eVer-ihcfe'asingveritries,-.:;?For, some time the show had beehyheld Ori a corner., of the present grounds'.- yA.greeing that extensions were necessary t if tlie show was to progress withtheytown, Mr. M'Hardy offered; to place,:* 5000 at • the; disposal of the as'sbciatibn on particularly' easy terms,, and/afte.. considering the.Jmat'ter.,''.'cAr.e^l^;^in ! , t ,' i '*iiU .' arigles,'.t£e'J executive docide,4.,to .^e'edpt the,.-., offer. ',_.■ on;', theY cpnijjiipit'^ai', Jlr.'' M'Hardy- should; 'fiecomei-prtisiden^.yof ' the association;.;--,.,Tbis .'Mr.'-iM'itairdy consented-.' to' .do, and he.-was.-yduly^in-stalled in the office in April, 1897: With the- money so generouslyadvanced" by Mr. M'Hardy, the association: increased its land by twenty-three' acres/ __<!'necessary additional buildings' were*-erect-* od. • UnfortunatelyY Mr.,-'M'Hi*t(tof <Eed before the '.aß^oc^t;briYwfs''a^.fd.)Te- • pay itsindebtedness to;h'in),-fciilt-lvifr two sons generbiisly,,,decidedY/tpYJhbl4' \ Y't.ho matte'rYopon/';Jand:!.tti'6;.,-^o%^j^.s'vv*aß.,---able to -pay 'off-.-theYni.oneyYby ,15,92. Iri : the -meantime the-■ :.sh'oWs-ha_Y.con- . , i tinued to makp: solid,' progress, ari-d.'in 1901 -adecision.''.was. reached: to extend the-November showrtorthreo days^'This arrangement; has held 'ever sifti2e":yy :- THE WINTER i SHOW; -YY At; the'."beginningyof',the „twentieth.;;■ century proposalswere.' riibote,d vf bi: the . holding of a.'Winter show'at'Palmerston •'North,-.; but at-first -thp.'idM4idy:'"< not arouse much enthusiasm, anrt.ythc^flrst effort-rrstage'd in the;Operai-Hpuse-jAWas a, financialrifailure. "With ithisj effort the 'Ai.-'arid--Pi Association .was--jaot-;as-,-sociated to-'any; extent, but- following; it •'• an-endoavpurwas'mado- toybrihg';_bbut an amalgariiatib'h J6f .'th.'"-various: interests. ":''This -was'; successful^ arid .in April of 1903 .tHo'l-first-,winte¥")jfis^iii%ld' on the showgr'ourids.to.bk place,Yliywas held' under the joint' auspicts,. of, the Manawatu' and We's^. Coast.4. ;ana,:.B. Association, the Manawatu PoulttyYAssociation, the Manawatu Fruitgrowers' Association, and ...tho, Rational; ;J}airy Association, arid such was .thoy'sue'eess, achieved that; iyer. s.ne'Sra.-w4_'te.fc : sh'ow has been an annual, fixture;"; The' -show has enjoyed saveral inariies.':^yhtv-'the> first plac.o-it'was ,-kripwn a's';;tho Wiiter Show -Carnival, then as- the • Iritegjiovincial Dairy Show, and finally ifythe : National Dairy %pw.VY*here:^l|.be no moro fitting name' thantlhp^i^tW;,