WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1893. AN A. AND P. DISPUTE. j

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2399, 12 April 1893, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1893. AN A. AND P. DISPUTE. j

These was a battle -royal at the annual meeting of tbe Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Assoication on a Bubject which is of intereofc to all similar institutions. It seems that on the second day of last showMr 8. M. Baker, 'Wwner of the wellknown Somnus, removed his horse from the ground, or ratholr would not permit him to be shown. The horse had on the first day been awarded second prize, and we gather that Mr Baker was annoyed. It was alleged that he tore up the second prize card, which was, however, shown to be an , incorrect report ; and it was further alleged that he was discourteous to the committee. In consequence, and w apparently without calling upon Mr c Baker for an explanation, he was 8 disqualified. At the recent meeting l > it was sought to have the disqualificam tion removed, on the ground that Mr \ t Baker acted under a misapprehension, s He had, when forwarding liis entvy, ■i added tne following proviso : " I see r by the NB. at foot hereof that y exhibits may be on the ground on the „ first day, and as I understand they o have to be on the ground tbe second V day as well, I would asK you not to 9 accept this entry unless witd the ® understanding that; lam not required (j to keep all my horses on the ground for the whole days ; hitheito, I have only had to be on the ground one day, but I would not mind showing, indeed lam only too p/eased to do so, if 1 may remove such ones as I require, say, bj 2 p.m. on either day of the show." He understood, and the secretary understood, that the entry was accepted subject to this condition, but members of tbe com. J mittee said the secretary was instructed to write that the entry could not be accepted with, tbe condition. This difference of opinion was not cleared tip. On the other side or the question, Mr Donald Eraser said that i. "Mr Baker had treated the association with contamelv. Tne prize ticket had never been put on the horse <nd Soronus was not brought on the ground the second day. If he, had been awarded the first prize he would have been brought bacu. To remove Mr Baker's disqualification J< and let him exhibit at the next abow' would be no punishment at all — it should he er> forced for a year at leaat " Eventually the issue put to meeting was that if Mr Baker " gives an assurance to the committee tljat tbe horse Somnu.9 was not removed jFrom any feeling of contumely to the committee, but on the bona fide opinion that he was not entitled to remove 'the horse, this meeting recommend* the committee to remove the disqualification, or the maintenance of ''the disqualification.," The latter was accepted on a vote by 31 to 18. give publicity to the matter because it is a subject cf great importance. "We should not like to say that under the circumstances the Manawatu Society would not h?ve been wise to accept the resolutions ; I but oll^he general principle there is no doubt tbat sureties of the kind ought to come down heavily npon disagreeable people who cannot accept, if not with equanimity, at least with respectful behavior whatever fortune comes to them in the prize-ring. Unless societies are firm in insisting ' on it, it will be impossible to get men with any sense of dignity to act as judges or upon