The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-One Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1906. THE INTERNATIONAL SHOW.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8054, 12 November 1906, Page 2

The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-One Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1906. THE INTERNATIONAL SHOW.

Tilt many annual fix tares which make the summer .-season in Christchurch so gay, are this year benefiting from the prominence given to them by reason of the great International Exhibition, which is now open in the Cathedral City. It is not surprising therefore to read that the attendance on people's day this year at the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Show, raised for the once to tlie dignity of an International Show, should be higher than it has ever been in the past, reaching more than thirty thousand persons. Certainly such a huge crowd has never before been present at a New Zealand show, and it is probable that many a year will pass before the same number again enters the gates of any show ground in this colony. That the Canterbury Show was this year worthy of the great prominence given it is amply proved by the enconiums of visitors well cjualilied to speak with authority, and by the enthusiastic reports of the pressmen from all parts of the world now in Christehurch. in all these reports appears a reference to a significant fact —the invasion in larger numbers than ever before, of North Island exhibitois. According to the New Zealand Times' representative, the success of the North Island stock at the show created quite a sensation amongst exhibitors' here. Speaking of the invasion t he Press says : " Some of the cattle on view, particularly the North island lot, were considered to be superb, and by far the finest ever seen on the grounds." The Lyttelton Times says : —" Perhaps the jiiost notable feature (in sheep) was a very determined invasion by Nofth Island breeders, whose presence added considerable interest to the competitions. Their success in annexing a substantial share of the awards should guarantee their presence at future gatherings." Of course the exceptional circumstances surrounding this year's Canterbury Show must be taken into ion. lireedeis anxious to win an imeruiitiona' reputation would naturally exhibit at ail international show, while the ordinary Canterbury show would not be of sutheieut importance out-ide Canterbury to warrant them incurring the expense and inconvenience of forwarding stock for exhibition. We hope with the Christehurch papers however, that North Island breeders will continue i to b.c represented in large numbers at the Canterbury thow. and that the noted Canterbury stock breeders will exhibit in the North. A healthy rivalry would spring up between the two Islands, with beneficial results, in these days of close competition with other countries, too important to be neglected. New Zealand is too small a country to be divided in the struggle '•'"uinereial supremacy. With the Argentine swift and sure progress, the development of South .Hi'ica. and the efforts of other countries to capture t!;e British markets, are not wanting indications of menace to the interests of New Zealand, and it behoves her to unite to force her claims upon those who have displayed excessive zeal in voluntary recognising them in the past. No better of uniting the agricultural and pastcitu interests of .the colony could well be devised than interprovincial competition at shows. In inaugurating this the Exhibition show at Christehurch has performed an important service, and it is for the Canterbury A. audi'. Association to arrange such compensating features for the attraction that will be aJjsti,,.. m: f::Mire years, to induce stock raisers in wtj of the colony to retain their places in the catalogue. j THE LOCAL TRAIN* SERVICE. Tin: lack of proper tram uccommodation was severely felt on Friday uuiing the busier portions of the day, *nd it seems to us that by the exercise of a Utile forethought, this might have been avoided. To take one illustration of what we mean: I the ariaugements made provided no train from Kirikiriroa to Hamilton between two and live o'clock, and a large number of people were kept, waiting for over an hour for the goods train, which there -was no cer<

tainty would or would not have pas- i sender accommodation. What arranged in future is for n single ! | carriage with a liglit engine attached ' < to run between Kirikiriroa and L'rankton at intervals of an hour. Perhaps another year may see us provided with a motor train serv ice, ! such as the Railway ! 'epart ment is: showing at the Exhibition. Such a I Kolf-contiimed carriage as this would j be an ideal nutans of travelling fori Hamilton and I lie (listrids round it. It would link up the scattered ! country towns and give fadlities for visiting and returning from Hamilton j in one day such as we have yet to ; hope will be the normal condition of things. As things are. the settlers in the A\ aikato cannot feel that they are being treated with the libeiality tliey deserve from the Railway Depart- | ment, and we shall not be content until we see such a train service hereabouts as will compare favourably with othei similar districts in t he colony. ENGLISH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. Tin: recent elections in England, which have resulted in heavy gains to the Moderates and losses to the Progressives (mainly in London), have been used as a. text to terrify I the simple by some ot the more timid j contemporaries. London, as com- j petent politicians know, is Torv at heart, but, in returning to the .Moderate fold, is not necessarily Tory in municipal affairs. From all parties. Liberal, Conservative and Labour, there have come advanced programmes. which have been adopted by Korough and City Councils. and are the law to-day. The sheer force of events carries the municipal representatives. Every year the great cities present to Parliament Bills giving them wider and wider powers and nothing can stop this progress. The cry that municipal indebtedness is large and growing, is sufficiently met by sayintr that municipal assets are large and growing. The heaviest expenditure these corporations have to face is road construction, drainage, water supply and street improvements. Yet no one proposes to hand over these necessary works to private enterprise. There is a growing disposition among local authorities in England to embark on public works that were bofoie left to private corporations to carry out and to reap the benefit of.