THE ROYAL SHOW

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 108, 3 November 1937, Page 19

THE ROYAL SHOW

Brief Historical Review

It is again the turn of the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association to control the Royal Show, the premier agricultural and pastoral exhibit of the Dominion. Royal Shows have been held in New Zealand since 1924, when assent was given to the formation of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, and they have proved a remarkable testing ground for the stock of the country, Breeders have given the shows excellent support, and aldiough there have been times when transport difficulties have reduced the entries, generally the standard has been such as to make the winning of a Royal Show award a real achievement. Shows held at Palmerston North have been outstanding ones in the history of the Royal Agricultural Society, and this year the high standard has been fully maintained.

It is fitting in the preseni special number to make some reference to the history of Royal Shows in New Zealand. The Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand came into being on January 17, 1924, when a notice appeared in the "Gazette" that the Royal Assent to its formation had been given. Since its formation the society has endeavoured to pattern itself on the British Society, and no better model could be found. Agricultural shows in Britain have always been the wonder of 'the rest, of the world. The Royal Agricultural Society of Britain was founded in 1838, and the first Royal Show was held at Oxford in the following year. With the exception of 1866, when the ravages of the; disastrous cattle plague made the holding of an exhibition impossible, shows have been held each year in some 7 important agricultural centre in England and Wales. ' MAKING A START. The idea of holding a Royal Show in New Zealand was first mooted in 1907, but it was not until seventeen years later that the ambition of agricultural and pastoral'societies was realised. At the annual conference of the Council of Agriculture held in Wellington in 1907 the following motion from the Canterbury A. and P. Association was adopted: "That the Government be asked to contribute annually to a Nbrthy.and South A. and P. Association,the sum to be added to the prize funds of the association for the. purpose of holding a Royal Show." The Government of those days was apparently very much like the Governments of other days, and the request fell on deaf ears. Nothing further was done until 1911. when at another conference of the Council of Agriculture in Wellington the following motion, this time originating in the Wairarapa, was carried:—"That this conference affirms the desirability of establishing a Royal Society." This move, had* more encouraging results than the first and a representative committee was set up to devise ways and means of inaugurating a Royal Show in the Dominion. The committee made good progress, and a scheme was drawn -up, only to be abandoned on the outbreak of the Great War. It was not until 1921 that the idea was revived, and at the conference iri^that year the following motion was carried: "That the question of a championship show be again approved, and that it be an instruction to,the executive in conjunction with i the^ Council of Agriculture to endea-J your to arrange for an annua] cham-1 pionship show to be held in New Zea-1 land as soon as it is possible to secure Government co-operation." CONCRETE PROPOSALS. Again a representative committee was set up to consider the project, and this made the following recommendations:— 1. "That a Royal Agricultural Show of New Zealand be held alternately in the North and South Island, so that visitors in search of stud stock would be able to see the best of the New Zealand breeds. 2. "That the first show be held in November, 1922, provided the following finance can be arranged:—(a) That the Government be asked to give £1 for £1 subsidy up to £500. (b) That the affiliated societies be appealed to for contributions at the rate of 2 per cent, of the subscriptions of financial members.1 (c) That the breed societies be asked to -donate a sum of money to be distributed in.prizes, (d) The minimum prize-money offered at the Royal Show to be at least £1000 for championship classes. The association applying must satisfy the committee appointed for the purpose that the showgrounds and buildings are fully adequate for the requirements of a Royal Show." It seemed that at last the way was paved for real progress towards the objective of the agricultural and pastoral associations, but again there was disappointment in store. In 1921 New Zealand entered on a depression, and the Government felt that it could not afford to spend money on establishing a Royal Show at that time. A committee of the Council of Agriculture was set up to keep the project alive, and at last in 1924 a Royal Charter was secured. On November 4, 5, and 6 of the same year the first Royal Show was held at Palmerston North, and since then shows have been held regularly in various centres of the Dominion, alternately in each island. Since 1924 there has been considerable agitation to have the Royal Show located alternately in Palmerston North and Christchurch, but supporters of this proposal have not yet been able to secure their way. One of the main reasons behind the idea is the. difficulty In securing fully representative entries when the show is held in Invercargill or Auckland. Distance is an important factor with breeders of. pedigree stock, and some of them have hesitated to send their cattle and sheep from one end of New Zealand to the other. Suggestions have also been made that the Royal Show should be given a permanent home, but they have obtained little support, the authorities preferring to follow the example of the Royal Agricultural Society of Britain of holding peripatetic shows. In any case, the task of selecting a permanent home for the Royal Show would probably prove an impossible one. A PREMIER SHOW CENTRE. The Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which is responsible for the control of the Royal Show this year, has for many years been regarded as. one of the premier associations of the Dominion, and the two shows that are held each year on the up-to-date grounds at Palmerston North have few rivals in the Dominion; The association has been particularly»fortunate in the "men who have guided Us destinies over the year. They have brought their experience and enthusiasm to the task, and the measure of their success may be judged by the progress which the association has made since those far-off days of 1886 which marked the starting point. After years of endeavour to csablish themselves in the land of their adoption, the early settlers of the now-flourish-ing Manawatu district naturally turned to ways and means of improving their stock. What better way of doing this than to establish a show, where the Bettlets could meet on a common

testing ground? There were many difficulties to be overcome, but the men who took their part in establishing the now famous Palmerston North Show were of the right stuff and difficulty after difficulty was surmounted, until on November 19, 1886, the great day of the first spring show in the history of Palmerston North dawned. Settlers and townsfolk united in celebrating the occasion in suitable style, and the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association was well and truly launched. SOME OUTSTANDING PERSONALITIES. Within the compass of the present article it would be impossible to pay tribute to each of the large band of enthusiasts who have made the Manawatu Show what it is today, but it is fitting to mention some of those who have given outstanding service. The first president was the late Sir James Prendergast, and to his wise guidance in those critical early days the association owes much. The membership of the association on the occasion of the opening exhibition was 60, and the entries totalled 300. The extent of the showgrounds was approximately nine acres, as compared with the thirtythree acres or more now In use. Although Sir James and the men associated with him were real enthusiasts, they did not allow their enthusiasm to rob them of their judgment. They were satisfied to make a modest start and to build slowly and soundly. That policy brought its reward, and each year saw the association ■ grow in strength. The n^xt president was the late Sir J. G. Wilson, and he remained at the helm for six years, durinj which time the same sound policy was pursued. Probably the man who did more to build the association than any other was the late Mr. J, M. Johnston, who filled the office of treasurer for 32 years and whose unremitting devotion to duty is probably unequalled in the history' of agricultural and pastoral associations in New Zealand. Few residents of Palmerston North were more esteemed than Mr. Johnston, and the sound position of the Manawatu Association today is a fitting monument to his labours. Probably he would ask no other, for if any man ever performed a labour of love »t was "J.M." Another name indelibly, associated with the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association is that of Mr. W. T. Penny, who held the position of secretary from 1911 until 1934. In the shoy world, in New Zealand the names of Penny and Palmerston North were synonymous; he was the doyen of th; show association secretariat of the Dominion. FIRST WINTER SHOW. Up till June, i 903, the Manawatu Association contented itself with running a spring show, but considerably earlier than that in the association's history there were those who felt that it was time to make another forward step and hold an annual winter exhibition in June. Mr. J. M. Johnston was an ardent advocate of the idea. From 1894 onwards he had been advancing proposals for the holding of a show in the winter, but committees which were set up to examine the idea felt that the difficulties of finance were too great, and the idea was shelved from time to time. Success .which attended the holding of a small dairy show in the old Theatre Royal provided the stimulus that was . needed, .however, and the late Mr. H. Gillies, who was president of the association at the time, pushed the project ahead, with the result that the' association's first winter fixture was opened by the Governor, Lord Hanfurly, in June, 1903. It was a four-day fixture. Today the winter fixture of the Manawatu Association is one of the leading dairy exhibits of the year, and the name which has been bestowed on it—the National Dairy Show—is a fitting one. Not only does it attract Dominion-wide entries, but it provides the location of many important conferences. '

In the progress of the city of Palmerston North, which this year celebrates its sixtieth birthday, the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association has played a big part. As has been well said, the association is not merely an adjunct of the Manawatu but very'definitely part of it.