WAIMARINO A.P.H. AND I. ASSOCIATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 31, 6 February 1941, Page 2

WAIMARINO A.P.H. AND I. ASSOCIATION

COMMITTEE MEETING (Own Correspondent). Preparatory arrangements for the 31st. annual Waimarino Show, to be held at Raetihi on Saturday, March 1, were advanced a stage further at a meeting on Friday of the general committee. Mr. Albert Scarrow presided. It was decided to grant to the Country Baby Committee the sole privilege of supplying lunches and afternoon teas on show day. As the baby carnival is being conducted to raise patriotic funds, no charge for the privilege is to be made. The secretary reported that 200 entries for the Raetihi Ram Fair on March 15 had already been received. This figure was considered to be very satisfactory at such a comparatively early stage. Messrs. A. Mclntosh, A. C. Ciegg, T. Keighley and W. E. Russell, senr., were elected as new members of the association. Sideshow Licensing The secretary (Mr. J. A. Mcßride) read voluminous correspondence from the various interested parties concerned in the matter of sideshow licensing. Members considered that the showmen opposing the license had, from the information supplied by them, failed to make out a concrete case against the present license system. The present unsettled state of affairs was to be deplored but it appeared to the committee that a preponderance of justice lay on the side of the licensed showmen. The committee decided to take no action in the matter and to proceed with the enforcing of the license in accordance with the resolution passed in November last. Th? meeting instructed the secretary to approach various well-known judges to act in connection with the annual show. A decision was also made to engage a pipe band to provide music on show day. The question as to what admission fee (if any) to the showgrounds to soldiers in uniform provoked some discussion. It. was finally decided to allow soldiers to enter the showgrounds free of charge and to charge them a fee of Is for the dance to cover supper, orchestra and hall fees. The Raetihi Returned Soldiers’ Association was given permission to sell poppies inside the main gates on show day, but not elsewhere on the grounds. The grounds committee reported that the grass on the oval was to be cut immediately and then grazed by sheep. It was confidently expected that the ground would be in good condition for horse events on show day

Mr. Strange raised the question of changing the order of events as adopted at the last two shows with a view to having to main horse jumping events earlier to avoid the possibility of riders operating in fading light and to present the main spectacular events, viz., horse jumping, steer riding, calf riding and chopping before members of the public left to catch trains, etc. It was pointed out by the horse stewards that no trouble would have been experienced in the past if show official's had received sufficient co-operation from the judges and particularly the competitors themselves. The secretary was directed to submit a draft programme to the next, meeting when the matter will again be considered.