FIFTY YEARS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 19

FIFTY YEARS

Turning Back the Pages

* HISTORY OF THE SHOW ASSOCIATION

REFERENCE to the importance and significance of this year's spring show to the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural anu Pastoral Association would bs incomplete -without some mention in these columns of the history of the organisation, and ..what it means to the Manawatu district. To trace all the events in the life of the association would mean the filling of several volumes. It is not the purpose of this retrospective review to delve deeply into the past; it would be necessary to go far beyond the limits imposed .to accomplish that, and in any event it /would be to transgress the special efforts made by the association to provide on this occasion an official history in some detail. But what can be done is to endeavour to deal with some of the more salient features in the fifty years that have gone by since a start was made, and in a more or less general way place on record the achievements of an organisation whose enterprise, expansion, and progress are part and, parcel of the growth of the Manawatu and a monument to the district.

It is.a far cry to 1886, but it is to that year that the pages of history have to be ■ turned back to reach the starting point. It was only natural that the settlers from the Old Land should turn their attention to pastoral pursuits. Their task was no easy one, but these early pioneers were men of great heart and courage. They stuck to their task and in the years that followed, where once there was nothing but thick bush, farm lands appeared. Having'done .this it was only, natural j too, that attention should be given to the question of the improvement of stock, and ' one can' well imagine the conception and thereafter the gradual development of the idea of holding some sort of exhibition. No doubt after much discussion and "thought the idea, in 1886, took a more practical form, and men such as Messrs. J. Pratt, D. Buick, M. Prendergast, and G. M. Smelson .were among the enthusiasts

who took a leading part in events leading up to the holding of the first show. The names of these gentlemen are mentioned not because they may have done more towards the development of the idea than others, but more particularly as they are mentioned in a copy of an old letter the Show Association has on record. The letter not only contains the names of these gentlemen and that of its writer, Mr. John McLennan, but it also shows that the question of holding a show was being talked about in June -of 1886. The text of the letter is as follows: — Oroua Downs, June 24, 1886. Manawatu. To Messrs. Pratt, Buick, Prendergast, and Smelson, Dear Sirs, — I received your circular dated. 18th. I am very sorry that I cannot attend your meeting on the Ist July,

as I require to be in Wellington on s> that day. You can enter my name si as a member of the association. T One thing, I would suggest that you 11 get the rules of another society for U your guidance, say, for instance, c Christchurch, which is the leading P society in New Zealand. P I would also advise you to get a y large number of members before you ii go into any great expense. s Wishing you every success in your c undertaking.—l am, *' Dear, sirs, yours faithfully, JOHN McLENNAN. f It is abundantly plain that the men v behind the movement were men of a ability and vision, and the very title s of the association implies that those x who launched it did not have in mind > purely a local exhibition but ultimate- r ly something very much more comprehensive. They sowed healthy seeds. f and how well those seeds have grown s is apparent today. c A GREAT DAY. At last, after, all the planning and consideration that must have been ' given to the project, the great day ' dawned —the day on which the first . show was held. That was on Novem- ; ber 19, 1886. Ten, twenty, thirty, ' forty—fifty years have rolled by since ' then, and the association —like many : another institution in this young : country—which had a humble beginning, lives .on. But today.it is a vast enterprise with spacious grounds, splendid accommodation for stpck of all kinds, and big halls for the display of industrial exhibits. Moreover, it sets a standard, a very high standard, and it has a record and reputation of which any organisation might justly be proud. It requires no great flight of imagination to picture, fi;om what is known of the early history of the association, the scene on the occasion of the first show. It was a "winner," and in the years that followed the association and its spring show marched hand in hand with the expansion of the district. One can imagine what an event in each year the show became and with what eagernessit was looked forward to; how the old grey mare was groomed up, the trap given a good polish, and the dash mother, dad, and family cut when they set out for the show. Harness and sleek horseflesh shone in the sun in those days, and the harness jingled. Today that scene has gone. The coach and trap have given way to the motor-car, the jingle of harness to the sound of motor-horns. It certainly j is a far cry to those old days in the early life of the association. j EARLY OFFICIALS. The late Sir James Prendergast was the fS^Spresident; the honorary trea-

| surer was Mr. J. C. Hanna, and the secretary the late Mr. Alfred Clarke. The membership of the association on the occasion of the opening exhibition is given as 60 and the entries 300: The extent of the show grounds was approximately nine acres. These figures provide a strong basis for comparison with the position as it is today. Having made a'start, the association went steadily ahead, due principally to the class of men who had been attracted to the movement, their hard work, enterprise, determination, and, above all, their long vision and faith in the future. They did not rush blindly or wildly into the show world. Instead, a modest beginning was made. They saw to it that the foundations were well and ' truly laid, so that, in the years to come, there was something rocklike to build upon. The first show was held on ground which, shortly before this, was covered with logs and stumps, and these had not all been cleared when the show opened. The late Sir J. G. Wilson succeeded the late Sir James Prendergast as president in 1887, and he remained in the office for six years—important years in the life of the young association. In 1896, eleyea years after the association was • launclMl. the late Mr. F. Pirani was at tha helm, with the late Mr. J. M. Johnston ts honorary treasurer and Mr. C. C. Miles as secretary. Mr. Miles had taken over the secretaryship in '. 1889, and the late Mr. J. M. Johnston \ had been appointed treasurer in 1895. Mr. Johnston was destined to hold I office as treasurer for'many years; in j fact, no one has held the position [ longer. He was treasurer from 1895 Ito 1915 .without a break. In the next , three years the late Mr. H. M. ' McKnight held office, but in 1919 and until 1930. when the present treai surer, Mr. T. R. Hodder, took over, the late Mr. Johnston was in I office again. Thus the late Mr. John- , ston was treasurer for 32 years. Prior j to the late Mr. Johnston taking office I for his second term as treasurer, Mr. W. T. Penny, who came to be known \ as the doyen of the show association t secretariat of New Zealand,' had be- , ; come secretary. Mr. Penny was ap- \ pointed secretary in 1911 and he held i this position until 1934—a period of 24 t, years. . END OF A DECADE. c s To revert to 1896, when the first de- -■ cade in the life of the Manawatu and o West Coast A. and P. Association had o been completed, the membership in y this period had grown from 60 to 343. c The entries for the spring show that year totalled nearly 1600 and the gate receipts amounted to £475. By 1906, when Mr. P. A. McHardy was the preis sident. the membership had grown to i- 1444, the entries for the spring fixture

to 2530, and the gate receipts to £1291. oi By this time a winter show had been Ti launched by the association", and today ai this fixture, known as the National b Dairy Show, claims ■ the attention of 11 those engaged in dairying all over the a: Dominion. The late Mr. J. M. John- c: ston, a man of great persistence, was prominently identified with this new venture, which was destined to add to fj the prestige gained already by the as- .] sociation. From about 1894 he had " been advancing proposals for a winter a fixture. Sub-committees were appoint- n ed at various times to go into the guess tion, but the bogey of finance was. set v up, and for a time it proved a barrier a to the efforts of those men to promote l a winter fixture under the management ° of the association. Eventually, how- a ever, a stimulus was given to the as- c sociation, largely, it would appear. £ from the success of a small dairy show c organised by Mr. C. R. Beattie and held in the meantime in the old Theatre Royal. The late Mr. H. Gillies was president of the association at that time, t and he was one of a sub-committee ap- j pointed whose recommendations and report led ultimately to the then ( Governor-General, Lord Ranfurly, , opening the association's first winter . exhibition, a four-day fixture, in June ] of 1903. j By 1916, when the late Mr. Johnston | was in office as president, the member- ! ship stood at 1590; the entries for the • winter show were 2936; and gate re- J ceipts £865; and the entries for the ' spring show 3260 and gate receipts £804. In 1926, another ten years on, the figures were: Membership 21G5, , entries and gate receipts winter show, ' 3065 and £1582; entries and gate receipts spring show, 2974 and £1184. TRYING TIMES. There comes now the last decade in the fifty years of the association's history, and with the change that came about in economic conditions —a cold arctic blast —the association in this period, more particularly in the latter years, has experienced, in common with other organisations, some very trying times. The association, however, exacting though conditions have been, has adopted oo policy of submission; rather has it made the occasion one for renewed effort, and earlier this year, at the winter fixture in June, there was evidence of this expansion of endeavours and of a definite movement to bring methods of display right up to date and at the same time cater for the entertainment of all patrons. The patronage accorded the winter show indicated also that evidence of enterprise and a policy designed to cater for the public, consistent, of course, with prudent administration strikes a responsive chord so far as residents in the district are concerned. What was' done when father was a boy will not always do today, and this seems to 'be realised by the executive

officers of the association. It is believed now that the economic blizzard at last shows signs of having just about blown itself out, and that, provided there are no further obstacles, the association is on the way again to the enjoyment of better times. As tne Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association has advanced through the year so have the area of its grounds and the nature of its appointments improved. Mentiori:was made earlier that when the first spring show was held the size of the grounds was roughly nine acres. The original area has been expanded until today the association has some 33 acres. Not only has additional ground been acquired; the appointments have been extended and improved, the showgrounds of today being splendidly equipped. ROYAL SHOWS. Among other Important events in, 1 the history of the association was the ', holding of the first Royal Show on its ■ grounds in 1924. The decision to have 1 this big fixture at Palmerston North ; was not only a compliment to the association and a recognition of the ! high standard built up by it, but also a compliment to the town of Palmersi ton North. The entries in the stock . section in 1924 constituted a record, as » also were the gate and other receipts. I In 1928 the Royal Show was again'held , on the association's grounds, and in j 1932 also. :' Much more could be written of the \' show association and the fixtures it ' has conducted, but suffice it to say that :" the association has a splendid record of achievement, and that those who have held the executive position down through the years have ably fulfilled II the aims and aspirations of the >" pioneers. The president this year is c Mr; J. Batchelar; Mr. T. R. Hodder, d who was elected to the position in 1930, s the treasurer, and Mr. H. E. Kissling, r successor to Mr. Penny, is doing good n work as the secretary. It is particularly y fitting that Mr. Batchelar should be the ■'" president in this, the jubilee year of c the association, and that Mr. David > Collis should be the immediate past n i president. Mr. Batchelar's father, the is late Mr. J. O. Batchelar, occupied the E. office of president before him, being n the president in 1901, and both the c- present president and Mr. Collis have rt had a long association with the show :r organisation and the shows held by s. it. ;r if Today the Manawatu and West Coast so A. and P. Association means much to sf Palmerston North, that thriving centre in of a fertile district, and to the Manaii- watu generally. It has played a d. splendid part, and as has been said a i previously, it is not merely an adjunct is |of the Manawatu, but very definitely ,'c 1 part of it. •