UNFAIR JUDGING.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10501, 23 November 1901, Page 3

UNFAIR JUDGING.

TO THE EDITOR. 1 Sir,—While agreeing with the suggestion thrown out in your admirable report of the Show, that the services of ( professional judges should be eecured . for the Home Industries, I think your criticism of the awards made in this . department altogether too mild. Why, sir, there was scarcely a soul who inspected the tasty and,beautiful exhibits but what expressed indignation at the < •scandalous unfairness" shown, by the ] judges,-particularly in sweets and fancy j cakes. According to the catalogue, the j competitions were for the best exhibits ■ of small cakes and home-made sweets, 1 but the general opinion was that the prizes were allotted irrespective of var- , xety, quality,- novelty, or , general , get-up of the, goods shown*. Thai*, , a- miserable little plate of but j two or three mixinga should be given .preference to exhibits- of twenty , and "thirty varieties, and most tastefully done —and beautifully cooked, too ' —is simply outrageous. Surely the J ladies' committee are nob going to allow ' such a flagrant piece ot injustice to pass by without trying to make amends , in- some way to those ladies who have been so harshly treated. Mrs William- , son, as one of the leading spirits, might take the matter up, as she must be fully aware of the very general feoling^of dissatisfaction. The -judging in the sweets was equally at fault, and I know that more than one professional lolly-maker, apart from the public, was surprised at the award made. Another matter that should be rectified is the : manner in which the table decoration competition was carried out. The catalogue numbers should never have been placed on the tables, as the publio knew whose they were voting for —a thing* that they should have beeu kept in. ignorance of-till the awards.were made. These are matters that should receive the attention of the ladies' committee, who must'be chagrined to think that afer all the trouble they *-ook to secure entries there should be so much dissatisfaction. I must apologise for taking up so much of your valuable space, but in. the interests of the public generally, and more- especially those who were wronged, it is as well that these things should be exposed, so as to prevent a repetition; otherwise the ladies will refuse to enter for anything of the kind. Like hundreds of others who consider the awards wrongfully made, I am, etc., DISGUSTED..

I