The Star. MONDAY, JULY 11, 1921. THE WINTER SHOW.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 11 July 1921, Page 4

The Star.

MONDAY, JULY 11, 1921. THE WINTER SHOW.

Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock Hawera, Manaia, Normanby. OVaiawn, Elttiam, liangatoki, Kaponga, Awatana, Opunake, Otakeho, ManuUhi, Alton, Hur , leyville. Patea, Waverlej.

Saturday marked the close of another' very successful Winter Show, and there' is every reason for the management to feel satisfied with the. continued popularity of the .annual event to which the people.6f South Taranaki look iorw a rct and enjoy so much. Perhaps one of the most important results of the Show is that it brings together as does no other event in the year the people o* the town and the dwellers on the land. It makes a veritable " ries in urbe," which, being liberally interpreted, mean's that the town is practically ruralised for the time being. This has many and far-reaching effects. It has a strong tendency in the direction of breaking down whatever there may be left of the cry that used to be a real power for evil, the cry of "Town v Country" and all the antagonism it once implied. Now it is well to realise it has very largely disappeared,1 and any event such as the Winter Show has a strong influence in dispelling what may still remain. The presence of the people from the land, coupled with the great exhibit of the farm produce of the soil, the show of so many aids to increased fertility of the soil and consequent expansion of productivity, the display of machinery and implements which lighten the labour of the farmer and make him 'better able to intensively cultivate his land, making, as the old saying has it, " two Wades of grass grow where one grew before"—all these inform the town dweller on the work of his brother the farmer. They tend to bring them together, and discussion makes them mutually see i%§ owner's point of view-^a. very valuable state of mind in any community, and specially where there is any tendency for them to be ■seemingly divergent and opposed. It is for the good of all *h a t •there should not be the slightest trace of any such feeling. The farmer's is generally the harder lot, and more as a rule depends on his own efforts. ' Ther e is a possibility of want of sympathy on the part of the town man, and the more he can be 'brought to realise that the interests jjf both are common, the stronger will a bond of good feeling be forged between them that is good for themselves as individuals and good for the community at large. .Hawera may be a manufacturing, an educational, a business centre, but it is well for all to have the fact emphasised that i^ rock foundation is the strength of the farming industry of the province. In proportion to its firmness and solidity is the prosperity of the tow n . For these reasons the. holding of a show is eminently satisfactory from every point of view. wonderful receipts from attendances, considerably in advance of last year, ■which up till then Was a record, is perhaps a timely reminder of the sound condition of the district and will have its useful part in maintaining a healthy confidence in the present and the future of the industry arid1 of the district. The general arrangement of the show was, we think, better than on any previous occasion, and numerous comments on the excellence of the. exhibition were heard among the crowds pf visitors. The buildings were all fully occupied, and many hundreds of Square fret inor« space could -have been allotted to intending exhibitors had it been avail- ; able. The company will hav e t o serii ously consider the question of increasing the floor space if the Show is to make further progress in the next few years. The secretary has made the best possible use of the halls at his disposal, and we cannot see any direction in which any saving of space would be possible. The tea room sect'-on was £oo small to meet the heavy demands on some days, but the accommodation cannot be extended without reducing the space for exhibits, problem facing the company is a difficult one, but the shareholders are keen to progress, and .no doubt as times ibecome more llke normal a forward move will be made. The splendid collection of school children's work deserves special menti o n, and each year finds more and more interest being taken in the ciasses for children. The response made fully justifies the efforts made to attract entries from the schools. The roots collection was particuFa-rly good and gave full evidence of the productivity of the province. Altogether the show was d very good one and reflects great credit upon those who for several years past have been working hard to make it one of the best in i.he Dominion. Whether or not the Show is to continue to grow in size, and popularity rest* very largely with the people of the town -and district. The institution is a valuable asset to South Taranaki. We have no doubt as to the pepole's-willingness .to recognise, it as such, and believe that when the time is considered opportune to spend a substantial sum of money to enlarge it there will not be lacking a ready practical response. The extraaccommodation is urgently required and would be just what is wanted to make the Show take the place it deI serves as representative of one of the best portions of the Dom^ou.