MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD Circulation, 3,200 Copies Daily. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1905. THE RIVAL SHOWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8141, 15 November 1905, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD Circulation, 3,200 Copies Daily. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1905. THE RIVAL SHOWS.

The Christehurch Press has published the opinions of a visitor to the Manawatu and Canterbury agricultural and pastoral shows, the object being to indicate how these two fixtures compare with each other, and we hare re-printed the greater portion of the article for the information of our readers. Our contemporary, after pointing out the leading position the Canterbury fixture has held for some years, says " there is no gainsaying the fact, as a visitor to both Shows declared on Friday, that Palmerston North has made wonderful strides in recent years, and the' Hanawatu A. and P. Association is putting forth its best efforts to popularise its Show and make it worthy of the admiration of all who visit it. The aaiue authority is responsible for a few comparisons ' which are deserving of publication. In sheep, Canterbury has naturally advantages that go to malce an exhibit, which, as a whole, no other part of the colony can hope to equal, if reasonable care and prudence are observed by Canterbury pastoralists and the officials of the Association. But in cattle the aforementioned authority maintains that Manawatu has a slight lead. Here, however, Palmcrston has certain natural advantages, just as I Christchurch has in the case of sheep, i which demand large entries if one of I the most important industries in the North Island, i.e., dairying, is to be fairly represented in open competition,

and the.fact, must not be overlooked that certain big exhibitors- like- Archdeacon Williams, of Hawke's Bay, are largely responsible for the quality of many classes in the cattle section. It has often been asserted—and most competent judges would no doubt uphold the statement —that the general quality of the individual, as well as the collective exhibits, is of a very high character. Then he states that the milking strains are a very strong section of the Show, and outclass Canterbury in. this respect. He could not give too, much praise to the exhibit of sheep at the Canterbury Show which, he declared, was really a credit to the whole province. Horses ■were considered to be good, and while Palraerston must yield in the draught classes, it was asserted that the light classes in the "North were somewhat ahead of those entered for competition at the southern show . . . .. ■ Palmerston to quote the authority previously referred to, possesess better buildings-than the Canterbury A. and P. Association. The grand stand is more imposing and commodious, while the produce sheds and permanent stands are much, ahead of anything on the local show grounds. In addition, the Association has recently erected a very fine two-storey building in which the Secretary and his staff are permanently located. On the top floor of the building is a very large lecture hall for the use of members of the Association, which, by the way, now number over 2000. The proximity of the grounds to the centre of the town, of course, allowed of ihis being done." Reference was made to the necessity for increased covered accommodation at the Canterbury showgrounds, and the critic went on to say that he thought the sheep-pens in Palinerston were better constructed than those on the Addington grounds. It was fur. ther pointed out that the bulky catalogue of nearly 300 pages of tho Canterbury show was insufficiently and inaccurately indexed, thereby reducing its value. Our contemporary adds that the cisual visitor rarely bothers about such a trifling thing.as the Press accommodation on the Show ground, and the critic might have said "much in favour of Palmerston North in this respect without in any way doing an injustice to the Canterbury A. and P. Association.