The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Tuesday, July 29, 1890. LAMENTABLE APATHY.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 486, 29 July 1890, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, July 29, 1890. LAMENTABLE APATHY.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

Judging by the present appearance of things there is a very poor prospect of anything being done this year in regard to an Agricultural and Pastoral Show, and it seems evident that this standing reproach to the district will be permitted to exist. It would in these days be an insult to intelligent persons to argue that such a Show would be very beneficial, and the plain fact can hardly be questioned that the annual Show was allowed to fall through simply on account of petty differences that ought not to be permitted. If Shows could be successfully held five sr six years ago it fringes on the ridiculous for us to be told that they cannot be equally successful now—assuming of course that there is unanimity among those upon whom the work of organising must directly depend. Perhaps we are mistaken when we say there has been apathy in the matter, an assumption which is founded on the fact that only two gentlemen besides the Secretary (Mr Boylan) attended at the time appointed for the meeting on Saturday last. Though no excuses were sent by absent members, there may have been very good reason for the absence of those gentlemen. The miserably wet afternoon might in itself be considered a sufficient excuse for the non-attendance of more gentlemen from the country. But even when the Committee do meet, the question arises, what can they do ? They will hardly care to take the responsibility on themselves of arranging for a Show, after matters have lain dormant so long. It will be no easy matter for the Committee to try and infuse new life into an organisation whose existence has been unknown to many new settlers, and on the other hand it would be a very arbitrary position to take up if the Committee were to meet and simply arrive at a decision that a Show should not be held. Why not at once call a general meeting under the auspices of the Society?—not merely members of the Committee, or members of the Society, but of everyone in the district who is interested in the matter. Then the subject could be fully discussed, the prospects of success gauged, and the Committee woule be.in a position to know how to act. When horse-racing can flourish so well, and so much encouragement is given to the breeding of a lot of weedy “racers,” surely an Agricultural Show ought to have a good chance of success; but to make the thing sure before it is definitely decided upon, or the proposal rejected, the whole of the settlers in the district ou,’ht to be given an opportunity of expressing their opinions upon the subject. If complete unanimity prevailed such a Show might be organised as would attract many visitors to the district, besides creating a healthy spirit of emulation among farmers and others.