THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1898. THE SHOW SUE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3436, 18 May 1898, Page 2

THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1898. THE SHOW SUE.

With which are incori&rated the WelMnjwfi Independent, eetabliehed 1845, and the New Zealander.

Yesterday the committee recently appointed to make inquiries with a view to ascertaining which ia the best site for the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Show began its duties by visiting a number of potential sites. Of these there are quite a number, among them being Miramar, the trotting course near Kilbimio, Newtown Park, Island Bay, and tho pretty valley that lies between Mount Victoria and the patent slip. The sites mentioned are, we understand, those which were visited yesterday. The decision of the committee on their respective merits is to be made known at a later stage, when a report is made to the appointing body. In anticipation of that decision, we confidently suggest two conclusions to such an inquiry as has been going on—namely, that if a change of location is to be made Island Bay iu the most suitable new site, but that the difficulty of transport for stock and public is so great that it is not prudently possible at present to make any change. The Hutt site will have to be used, at any rate, for another year or two. There yarding accommodation is provided, and though the ground is unpleasantly distantfromthe railway,,it is ( by comparison, nearer to it than any other site that has been suggested. As against it we have a number of locations which are suitable in themselves but require both fittings and transport. In a case of this kind we have to consider two sections, stockowners and the paying public. The one provides the material of the show, the other supplies the money for carrying it on. Both require expeditious methods of ingress and egress, which, so far as we can see, they would not obtain in connection with any of the sites in the vicinity of the city which have been suggested. The time will come, no doubt, when Island Bay and Miramar will be connected with Wellington by tramway. That is in the future, however. At present they are so disconnected as to be virtually remote places for a purpose of this kind. Stock could not be conveyed there except at inconvenience and expense, and public patronage of the show would be hampered by the lack of cheap, quick methods of travelling to and from the scene of display. Taking these considerations into account, we regard it as unlikely that the committee will find it advisable to propose any deviation from existing at any rata until a. resommendation for a new site is backed by improved transit facilities.