The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, DEC. 21, 1912.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3711, 21 December 1912, Page 6

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, DEC. 21, 1912.

There is every prospect that at a meeting of the committee of the A. and P. Association today the question of holding a''Winter Show every year will ho revived. When the matter was under consideration some weeks ago, it may bo recalled, it was decided that the project would have to be dropped on account, of the fact that it did not seem at all likely that the Agricultural Department would he able to provide a State exhibit which is always a. great attraction at displays of the kind. "What was pointed out in this regard by the Government was that on account of Gisborne not being linked up with tho other railways of the Dominion the cost of sending snch a large display to this portion of the Dominion would

A Sjjisndid Offer by Die Government.

be very considerable. The Department felt therefore that- it would have no option but to decline the request. It is now learned on good authority, however, that the Government has, in response to further representations,' carefully reviewed the whole matter. According to the Hon. the Prime Minister (who is also Minister for Agriculture) the general position as regards the S||ree exhibits is that owing to the Jmcreasing number oi applioatinnsjjfor displays under the auspices of<®no. Department, the expense has b vim growing out of hand and he-, comhnl disproportionate to the beneddSTtand that if the efforts of the Government in this direction became Jnore and more scattered it must have militated against the educative nature and attractiveness of the various displays. The outcome of the new situation that arose was -that it was decided, therefore, to strictly limit the number of State displays at Winter Shows to two in each Island. As far as the North Island was concerned one display is now held alternately at Palmerston North and Auckland, whilst the other is held in rotation at four or five of the more important smaller towns. Gisborne was not considered among the towns at which one of tiiese displays should be made in rotation as up till that time no winter show bad been held here. Now, however, that a Winter Show is proposed for Poverty Bay the Department will (it is understood) endeavor to assist the promoters provided that the suggested show is not to lie an isolated attempt dependent for its success on its novelty, but that it is considered that the progress of the district in agricultural and pastoral matters has now reached such a stage as to warrant from an educational point of view the holding of regular Winter •Shows in the future, p or our own part we do not think that the A. and P. Association should have much difficulty in satisfying the Department on both these points. In these circumstances, we have authority for saying, the Department would make an exception to the rule laid down and would make a comprehensive exhibit in order that the initial show ma\ he as successful as possible. This will doubtless he considered good news by the committee of the Association, and it will, indeed, come as a great surprise if the splendid offer which will come before the committee to-day is not accepted and matters put in train for holding a special show, which, it is beyond the shadow of a doubt, would, if properly conducted, be a striking success.