ROYAL SHOW IN WAIKATO

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3894, 26 April 1937, Page 5

ROYAL SHOW IN WAIKATO

IN SPRING OF NEXT YEAR. STRONG SUPPORT FROM DELEGATES. Support for the proposal to hold the 1938 Royal Agricultural and Pastoral Show at the Claudelands Showgrounds was given whole-heartedly in a resolution passed at the annual conference of South Auckland A. and P. Societies held at Morrlnsville last, week. On the motion of Messrs E. James (Cambridge), and K. S. Cox (Putaruru), the following resolution was carried unanimously: SUPPORT FOR IDEA. “This conference of South Auckland A. and ,P. Associations whole-hearted-ly supports the idea of holding the 1938 Royal Show at Claudelands Showgrounds; and assures the Waikato A. and P. Association of the financial support of other Auckland A. and P. Associations, and urges that an application be made immediately for the holding of the 1938 Royal Show in the Waikato,” The chairman, Mr W. J. Aitken (Morrinsville) said that with other members of the Morrinsville executive he had canvassed the Morrinsville district for people who would give their financial support to the Royal Show by undertaking to become members of the Waikato A. and P. Association for 1938, the year that the Royal Show was being held in the Waikato. Without any difficulty about 50 names had been secured. The Morrinsville executive supported him in urging that next year's Royal Show be held in the Waikato. Mr W. L. Ranstead, secretary of the Waikato A. and P. Association, gave details of the financial support required to hold a Royal Show at Claudelands. Additional buildings would have to be provided, and the risk of a loss had to be undertaken. The best way to finance the Royal Show was for the Waikato Association to secure, say, another 1000 members. The Southland Association had secur ed another 1000 members for Royal Show year by putting on a canvasser at a cost of £2OO, but in the Waikato there should be no need for a paid canvassei, as the surrounding A. and F. Associations could canvass their own members. The idea was that the annual Waikato spring show in October, 1938, should be the New Zealand Royal Show.

Mr Aitken said he would be quite prepared to guarantee £5O would be raised in the Morrinsville district as a result of subscriptions. TE AWAMUTU WILL HELP. Messrs Macky and Wynyard said the Te Awamutu Society could also guarantee £4O or £5O in extra subscriptions. Mr Thirlwall said strong support would be forthcoming from Matamata. Mr James said Cambridge members supported the idea of a Royal Show, but no canvass had yet been undertaken. Mr J. Campbell (Tokoroa) said his society was only a small one, but Tokoroa members would contribute what they could. Mr K. S. Cox promised support from Putaruru. Mr Murray (Rotorua) thought Rotorua might contribute up to £2O. Mr Ranstead said it was gratifying to find there was strong support for the Royal Show from the larger surrounding A. and P. Societies, but it ii was not expected that smaller societies, such as Tokoroa, could do the same. MUST BE IN WAIKATO. “If we go in for a Royal Show we want to be unanimous and to feel that we have the support of members throughout the Waikato,” said Mr Ranstead, in explaining why the Waikato Association wanted the support of other A. and P. Associations. Some of the older members of the Waikato Association were rather diffident about the ability of the association to run a Royal Show. Formerly the Government gave a subsidy to the Royai Show, but this had been cut out some years ago. With the improvement in the natio’nal finances there was a possibility of the Government subsidy being resumed again. “There is one thing certain—that the 1938 Royal Show is coming to the north,” said Mr W. H. Miers, a member of the Royal Show Society. “It Waikato does not want it Auckland will certainly take it."

A further resolution was passed stating that the conference accepted the invitation of the Waikato A. and I’. Association to form an advisory committee comprising the president or other representative of each A. and P. Association. This committee will meet at the Claudelands Showgrounds at an early date to see what improvements have to be made and new buildings erected before the Royal Show.