EGMONT A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 12 June 1925, Page 8

EGMONT A. & P. ASSOCIATION.

STEOLAE MEETING O'E COMMITTEE

ONE-DAY St]O'W NOT FAA'OCUED

In the belie! that a- change to a oneday show would be a benefit finanoiailly .aud increase the attendances, Mt ' (?,. Alc.Ca v (lion, treasurer to* the Egmou-t A. and P. Association) gave notice of motion some time ago to make the change, and the question was set down loir cliscusision at> a special meeting of the cemuuitJteo held yesterday. The result was a pretty lull discussion . and a decisive vote, against making any change. Air. Alc-Ony. formally moved the resolution to make the' change to hold the show on Wednesday, November 18, ]<)2b.

Air. 11. I*2. Johnson said he did not know that lie was altogether in favour, but lie. siad that from the exhiWtfcon*’ point, of 'view there was considerable advantage, and il it were the same for the associacion, then it would boa good tiling. Me seconded the motion in order thai it might he discussed.

Air. I.ankow opposed the motion. Me said that members would: pull out if it, weie rallied unless the .subscription wnisi reduced to ten .shillings. Ido considered it should be a. two da vs show or none at, all. Air. O. 11. Washer also opposed very .strongly, and said lie would rather support- increasing to three day*". He wia.s of opinion that a. change, to one day would badly abort the prestige' ol the. Ilawera show. and stressed liis opinion, that stock winning at Ha,went now would win- almost anywhere in the Dominion. He considered it would be a distinctly retrograde step. The show required to- he .supported strongly by all the leading nieiii in. the district. It had secured great prestige in the .past, and the association ishould endeavour to. ilia,iiitaiiit that position,

Air. F.-Mills, junr., said that if the change, were made, outsiders would put Harwera* down als a “one-horse show.’’ If might- suit- lopal. Imt .not.- visiting exhibitors. As a. .setoff to. the- suggested saving in judges’ expenses, he ‘considered that most- of these, would, be the .siune, ami there could not he a ■saving of JO per cent, as estimated. It would also, lie believed, be. difficult to. get through the work in one day, and exhibitors were .so busy with their stock on the first day they had no time to see the .show or to talk with visiting breeders. He questioned if a larger attendance would be secured, for the- town always closed part- of the da.y on. the Thursday. All tilings considered. he • could not see the advantage of the- change.

Air. 11. S. Richardson believed it would bo necessary to double the number of judges in order to--get through the work. He said he was averse to giving : luncheon tickets to the assist-*; ants of exhibitors. He added that they had to consider the townspeople who supported the show well, and the second day .s-uli.ted them best.

Air. Lankow said they had to consider mostly the outside to whom, the extra day away made no difference, and these were in the majority. He could not see how they •coiilld get through, the house classes in the one day. ■Air. F. Gilla-mlcns said .that from some points of view a one-day show was preferable. It meant lews time away from work for exhibitors, but the change would pot- suit the side-show people, whom, they had to consider. Such a, change would not be. considered by other Taranaki associations, and so long as this was the case, they m.inst continue or lower the status of ‘the show. The townspeople, too, supported the association well with donations, and they would, lie believed, be opposed to .a, change. He believed, too, it would be fount! necesslary to cut down the schedule, as - the judging cionlcl not be clone ,in the one day.

"Air. E. -A. Washer said he had hoped there would be more advocates of the change, bmt lie considered it would have been, better to have reserved the question, for the annual meeting. He belieyed that although farmers were busy at the time of the show they arranged to get away by “swapping” days. They must keep Hawerar in the forefront of the .shows or play into the hands of the opposition.

Mr. A. Hiii inter said that the opponents of the measure had ' nor put forward any strong financial argument, and 'this it is which should decide. He said that the association had big liabilities land 'was making no steady move to reduce them,. Thar was thfe only way to improve the position, and they •should set to work steadily year by year. The treasurer had shown there would be a reduction-in expenses, and this should weigh more' with them than: sentiment. ■ He was not altogether in favour of boosting, believing that any movement that could go without boosting would last. He said bigger si lows were run, on one day, and urged, that better organisation was .required to get through the work. He considered!,the one day show would be harder oil' local, than on visiting exhibitors. There was, in his opinion, not-•much in the contention that- double theg, number of judges' would be required. for only in. the flight- horse class- would there- lie any difficulty. While lie believed the townspeople would prefer the two days, .they were no going to oppose the show if 'altered to one day. It was nonsense to'make comparison.* with other shows. The committee and member.* were not getting to work ah they .should to face the position, and the recent .stock drive had not resulted in securing anything like the amount necessary to be pair! ofl this -year. The position was one that needed to- be laced, auii sacrifice was. necestsary on the part of members if they were going to succeed. He believed that tree lunches should be cut down: to a minimum: ■ Mr. A. It. .Death said that 'if it could be slmwn that the change would mean financial advantages the committee would consider it seriously. He referred to the hand work put in by the stewards, especially the home industries lady stewards, and said that they should not lie expected to lose the privileges now granted. He said ho could not see how it would he possible to do the cattle judging in one day, unless more judges were employed. The ias.socia.tion had spent large sunns on the improvements and now they were practically saying they were not wanted. .Replying to the various speakers, Jlr McCav'said the contention there would be no benefit hud yet to be proved. The lose ou the first day, he considered, was quite sufficient for any committee to have to face and make up on. the second. He believed the only two classes which would give- any trouble in judging on one day would .he the •Jerseys and the horses', and he- advocated holding the parade at 2.80 p.m. and putting on the harness horse judging until after the parade and' the jumping, believing it would he a popular .attraction. He was anxious to see the judging finished in the one day. He was convinced they would get a

larger crowd on the Wednesday afternoon, as the townspeople would turn out in greatacr numbers. Fie sincerely believed there would be a great reduction in judges’ expenses, which was a problem ‘ that had" faced them i«r years. In renly to a question, the secretary (Air AIT C. Crightoii) said that last year there were given oil the first day 190 tickets for lunch and 30 for breakfast. and on the second day 146 and 41 respectively. Resuming his remarks, Air AlcLav said he believed they could get through the schedule, well, perhaps eliminating certain classes which were of no benefit to them and did not compensate for expense incurred. He believed that all farmers would make a special effort to lie there if a one day show were held. He urged, too, that the hoys should he allowed to see the judging, which would serve to foster the educative aspect of the show and make it more valuable.

The president (Air S. C. Tonics) said one feature that appealed to him was the belief tliai the exhibits of stock would he cut clown, because exhibitors would not send up, say, from Wanganui for one day. In regard to the sideshows they would probably lose revenue. and last year these brought in over £133, and there was an offer to pay more for one of them. He was afraid that the townspeople who in the past had supported them well would pot lie inclined to support so much if a one day show were held. In conclusion, he said he considered it would be an unwise policy to ask good hard workers to pay for the privileges now given. The stewards worked very hard, in some cases from 5.30'a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ai r IT. E. - -Johnson said that the question of income was the whole point of argument. There were many good reasons- for the one day show. For daily exhibitors it would he best, but not for horses and outside exhibits.

The motion on being put was lost hv a lar go majority.