ROYAL SHOWS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 127, 3 June 1929, Page 11

ROYAL SHOWS

A PERMANENT HOME

WHPPiR SHOW PtA#S

mm -excavation job

In Saturday's "Post" appeared an article setting out the general proposals regarding the establishment of a permanent home for the Eoyal Show in "Wellington, either on the Eongotai area or afe the Winter Show Association's ground, John street. Some further points are now given. As was shown in a table giving the assets of the Eoyal Agricultural Society, the organisation is not particularly wealthy. Its assets have increased slowly, but regularly, during the five years in which Soyal Shows have been held, and at the date of the last annual meeting stood at £2264. The society is not a money-making organisation, but works rather towards an ideal, of inducing stock owners of the Dominion to raise the standard of their animals. Nevertheless, ideals in these very matter of fact days are most quickly overhauled when money makes the wheels spin faster. Were the society to decide upon the Eongotai area as the most suitable site for the show home, as stated in the last article, £40,000 to £50,000 would be required for the erection of buildings, shelters, stands, and enclosures, most of which, the City Council would probably insist, should be' removable that a maximum area should remain free of obstruction for sports purposes during the remainder of the year./ It is pretty certain that the City Council, though anxious to see the Eoyal Show established in Wellington, would not be at all anxious to provide these buildings, stands, etc. Bather, after the manner of all- city councils, would it be inclined to drive a stiff tiargain, and say to the society: "You can have free use of the grounds providing the city has free use of all the facilities you provide, except during the show period." Sums like £40,000 or £50,000 take nraeh raising, but it can be done. BIG EXTENSION NECESSARY. The negotiations with the Winter Show people are along quite different lines and, in short, amount to a suggestion that the Winter Show Association should take over the work of the Eoyal Agricultural Society, providing what facilities are required in addition to the present show buildings and grounds, prize money, etc., and devote profits to the purposes of the combined show projects. It has been estimated that the cost of providing the extra facilities would run into perhaps £40,000 by far the greater part for the formation of a big parade ring which amount the Winter Show Association, and not the Eoyal Society, would find. The Winter Show Association is apparently willing to look fully into the problem of finance, but the certainty of success is by no means proved. Plans have been drawn up and construction figures taken out, but there is still much more to be inquired into. The bargaining in this case is botween the Winter Show people and the City Council, and chiefly centres about the conditions under which the council should agree to the inclusion in the association's area of about 17 acres immediately to the south of the present boundary. The land, as all who know the locality will agree, is a particularly wild and woolly portion of the Town Belt; it is stoep and deeply scored with irregular gullies. It is an open space, but is seldom used by anyone, for it is too steep to walk about with any pleas- ' ure and out of the question for the playing of games. Nearby residents most appreciate it, for it forms an admirable common-"hen ranch." So steep is this piece of ground that, according to calculations made, it would be necessary to work over 17 acres.in order to make a 5-acre level space, ridges being cut down to fill in the gullies. That suggests a big excava--150,000 to 170,000 cubic yards. The level would be about three feet below that of the sports oval and cycle track now being formed immediately behind the show buildings, and on the west and south sides of this new area would be two sloping banks upon which seating accommodation could be provided for 70,000 people. This is looking ahead a good long way, for no gathering has yet taken place in Wellington or any other centre in Now Zealand, at which anyth^g like 70,000 people have attended. However, that accommodation could be given when need arises. THS BASIS OF BABOAININa. The level space proposed would be a long oval, nearly 600 yards round and a little under 100 yards across. For show purposes it would constitute a wonderful parade ground and enclosure for the field events, which form so important a part of the programmes of sneh shows, with ideal vantage-points for spectators. On other than show days it would offer another large recreation ground for the city. It is this latter point which figures most in the discussions at the council table. The Show Association may say to the City Council: "We ask you to allow us to include another 17 acres of land which is out of the question for recreation at the present time, and in return will carry out work which will transform hills and gullies into as fine a sports arena as could be found in New Zealand. Can you find anyone else who will do that for you?" And the City Council will no doubt agree that those who are willing to tackle such a task are few and far between, but the council, above all others drives bargains keenly. Therefore it might or might not avail the Show Association to suggest that as impossible land ia to be turned into a fine sports area the council should make some substantial contribution towards the cost.. Unless the council's heart has unexpectedly softened in the matter of bargaining, it would probably be able to make up its mind without retiring to deliberate. The association for its part may argue that it must be worth a good deal to the city to be presented with a level area-largo enough to accommodate three football matches. It is unlikely that the council will consider a monetary contribution towards the work, and the bargaining is more likely to determine on how many days the area should be used for show or • other association purposes, and on how many it should be open for public recreational purposes. ' | GKEAT POSSIBILITIES, BUT If this scheme comes to fruition the enlarged showgrounds will constitute a splendid area, an almost unbelievable change from the condition of the land a few years ago, when that part on which the show buildings stand enjoyed the title of Jam Tin Gully, very appropriately bestowed, moreover, though much besides jam tins went to the city tip. Above the show buildings the sports area and banked cycle track are being steadily formed by heavy filling work. The association is going ahead on this work as funds permit, and it will still be some time before the area and track, with banks of seats on two sides, are ready for use. Considerable revenue is expected from this sports area eventually. It is as well to note that though the Act provides that the association shall have the u«e of tbe groxwidfl and buildJaSB ft» JOB dagn in cadi yeas, the city

having their use during the remaining days, the net revenue from the city's 265 days is applied towards the reduction of the capital sum, and .not paid to the city's general funds. On the level of the ground floor of the buildings will be a third playing area, as yet not completed. When the Winter Show project came forward a condition was made that this area should be set aside as a playground for children, as it was at that time proposed to build a new school on land adjoining. The school has been, for the time being, at any rate, abandoned, but the condition remains in force. It would be •on this flat that horse and cattle enclosures would be placed in the event of,the'Eoyal Show plans being carried out, the pens being made in sections that could be removed to leave the area free for games. Other than the main argument that the carrying out of the big project at John street would provide' the city with a very fine sports area, one of the finest in the Dominion, in fact, the advocates ' of this scheme contend that the estab- i lishment of the Eoyal Show at Eongotai , would have an opposite effect to some extent, as obviously buildings cannot be erected without occupying, a good deal I of ground, and, moreover, show build- j ings are show buildings, and cannot fit in with a park lay-out. Another argu- I ment against Eongotai is that trouble j would be probable enough with stock I housed next door to the city airport, for j the noise of machines overhead might I lead to the animals becoming excited j and knocking themselves about. j Whether the Eoyal Show should go to one site or the other, however, both John street and Eongotai advocates agree, is not so important a matter as bringing about its establishment at Wellington. The financial hurdle' is big, but, they contend, is anything but insuperable.