FORECAST OF FUTURE PROGRESS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 80, Issue 7168, 24 February 1950, Page 5

FORECAST OF FUTURE PROGRESS

MANY ENTRIES OF OUTSTANDING QUALITY ATTENDANCE CONSIDERED A RECORD Adequate proof that the Te Awamutu Agricultural, Pastoral, and Horticultural Association’s annual Summer Show is gaining in popularity year by year is contained in the fact that last Wednesday’s attendance at the Show—the twenty-fourth of the series—is considered to be a record. A beautiful day prevailed, enticing out colourful summer frocks* and panama hats for the major local out-door event of the summer, which was made even more notable by the honoured presence of the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Sir Roy Price, together with Lady Price. The presence of the distinguished visitor, who officially opened the Show, and his wife was not only a compliment to the Association, but also to the residents of the town and district generally, who w’ere genuinely pleased to welcome them. From early in the morning judging was carried out among the many different entries, some of which w-ere records in numbers. High standards of quality were reached in several classes, and the laudatory comments of the judges proved that the holding of the Annual Show in this district is amply justified. The culmination of the day’s programme, the Grand Parade, was a tribute, in all its wealth and glamour, to the productivity of the district—-it was a pageant of progress and a happy omen for the future in its entirety. The pride of the President of the Association, the executive, and dozens of officials, stewards, and numerous other helpers, who spent many days planning, organising, and finally successfully presenting the Show’, is more than justified. To the farmers, gardeners, women, and children, without whose entries and exhibits the Show' never could have been held, no word of thanks can be over-expressed.

Without a doubt, it can be said that the annual show in any centre mirrors the district’s productiveness and more, its progress, spirit and realisation that the future lies in the land and how it can be made to give up the major necessity of life, food. The spirit of the district’s farmers, gardeners, housewives and children in placing before the rest of the public the fruits of their toil once a year, for comparison and competition with their fellows, is to be admired. The entries of all the sections were of a high standard and well up to quantity. The only entry which showed a major decrease in numbers was the pig section, which, with the loss to the district of the Te Awamutu Co-oper-ative Dairy Company’s exhibits and the ever-increasing radius of dried milk suppliers, become less each year. The entries altogether, were equal to those of past years, but none of them really constituted a record. Southdown sheep were prominently increased, and ponies, the only possible record entry, were well to the fore, building up the light horse total to compare with other years quite favourably. Hunters and hacks in the light horse section, although well up to standard, were not quite as large in numbers as in the past years. Great interest was taken in the light harness section of the show, however, possibly the result of a license being granted the Te Awamutu Trotting Club which it may exercise in May. The judges were impressed with the quality of the beasts in the various sections, particularly in the Jersey section, where the winning entries were considered excellent types. A good field of Ayrshires and Friesians was also approved of, while the sheep classes were considered good for the district. Ponies an<t draught horses were thought well worthy of their classes, and the jumping and trotting displays as well as the animals themselves, were considered a high average standard. The Grand Parade The premier display of the day was the grand parade in which Jerseys led followed by Masters Knuth and Bray, of Pirongia, respectively with their calves and goats harnessed to small carts. Next in line came the pet lamb section, followed by Mr J- R. Kay’s Polled Angus which were for exhibition only. The sections which followed on were Friesians, Ayrshires, draught horses, light horses and ponies respectively. With the full ring circled by entries, and the light horse section coming up the middle of the field at one stage of the parade, all the entries wearing various coloured ribbons, the attendants in their white coats and riding attire, as the case warranted, the sight was a never-to-be-forgotten one. Sir Roy and Lady Price who were interested spectators from the grandstand must have felt very impressed with the wealth of the district, as represented by the superb entries before them. Another feature of the day was the marching displays given individually, first by the Ascot Girls’ marching team accompanied by the Otorohanga Pipe Band, and secondly by the Rochdale Girls, also accompanied by the 1 Band. Both exhibitions were well < worth coming out to see. Rochdale ■ apologised for not being in their full ■ uniform, their hats are away being fixed up for their new uniform, but that did not detract from the precision and excellence of their display. The Ascots, their first time out at the Te Awamutu Show, credited them- ( selves very well indeed. The Otorohanga Pipe Band, who , also attended the show last year, and who are always pleased to turn out for any occasion, must be thanked sincerely for their generosity. Another feature of the day which drew an admiring audience was the National dancing carried out near to the grandstand and on the back of a large truck. The side-shows, without which no show is absolutely complete, had their many varieties of entertainment at the ready disposal of the public. Some new faces were seen among the showmen, but also some old ones which many of us remember seeing as children on other grounds. They still follow the shows and have come to be looked, on as an institution. With no new vehicles coming into the country in any great quantity, the businessmen were compelled to exhibit most of the same type of implement and vehicle which they had on show last year. The public were still interested in learning the fundamentals of various exhibits on show, however, and the promise of more and newer forms of farm machinery still focusses attention on the retailers. Excellent Organisation One of the biggest jobs of the day, and one which was handled with pre-

cision by stewards aided in the quiet way by the Legion of Frontiersmen, 4 was the parking of the large number of cars which gained admission tq the park. No hitches were experienced in

the smooth flow of traffic, and the parking was carried out so successfully that no jams were experiencedOnly one call was heard for a person to shift their car to allow someone else out. The Legion of Frontiersmen, who devote a large amount of their time to assisting local bodies with many duties, and w r ho nearly always do it so quietly that they go un-noticed, are worthy of the greatest praise. The work which they did at the show r last Wednesday is a criterion of their ability and should not be allowed to go unrecognised. Another body whose humanity and hard work behind the scenes is always deserving of commendation in its highest form, the St John Ambulance, were also in attendance, but luckily, they had no serious cases to attend to. Nurses of the Division were also present. The president of the Show (Mr W. S. Germann), the secretary (Mr L. A. Johnston), the vice-presidents, general committee, stewards, ladies’ committee and all the other hosts of workers are to be congratulated on their team work, co-operating to make an important day a great success. The fact that the organising ability of the executive officials was backed to the hilt and carried out meticulously means a great deal in any organisation, and no praise can be too high for those traits which were indulged in to their full capacity last Wednesday. List of Officers The following is the list of officers to whom the district is indebted for another year’s successful summer show:— Patron: Mr G. F. Sim. M.P. President: Mr W. S- Germann. Vice-Presidents: Messrs A. G. Freeman (Senior), R. P. Mandeno and W. Sanders. General Committee: Messrs J. S. Pattison, A. J. Johnsen, F. L. Johnson, A. S. Wyllie, J. A- Johnson, W. S. Germann, A. A. Law, E. J. Lawry, P. Ray, K. Jones, H. T. Hodgson, H. J. Webber, R. P. Mandeno, E. Storey, W. Sanders, L. A. Truscott, W. McGill, A. G. Freeman, S. M. Thompson, E. H. Melville, H. C. Rainey, L. AKay, E. D. Fraser, S. A. Rhodes, R. R. Baillie, W. S. Macky, T. W. Ray, F. S. Mason, Pat Quinlan, F. J. Ryburn, F. Turner, L. R. Kay, H. P. Duncan, F. N. Pinfold, C. J. Flay, R. W. Greenough, G. C. Mandeno, I. O. Clarke, J- C. Peake, G. R. Lawry, H. G. Baillie and W. Q. McGhie. Early Morning Stewards: Bryce Crow, V. Heslop, Eric Dodd, L. Coker, N. R. Delaney, Knox Clark, F. McManemin, W. H. Benson, J. Dill, C. McDonald, M. Spence, Doug. Picken and H. Starkey.

Ladies’ Committee: Mesdames W’. S. Germann. J. S. Pattison, E. Storey, W. J. Melville, C. H. Empson, J. R. McLeod, T. O’Brien, A. A. Rushbrooke, N. F- Dixon, J. McFall, S. J. McFall, R. J. Weal, A. E. Ray, Scott Macky and Misses E. Weal and C. Macky. Parade Marshall. Mr E. H. Melville. Assistant Parade Marshall: A. A. Law.

Supervisory Steward: Mr J. S. Pattison. Assistant: Mr H. P. Duncan. Accommodation Stewards: Messrs A. Bygrave, Knox Clark and Melville Spence. Announcer: Mr H. Clarkin.