THE GREAT SHOW

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16811, 1 June 1926, Page 6

THE GREAT SHOW

ALL RECORDS BROKEN WONDERFULLY COMPREHENSIVE OPENED BY PRIME MINISTER

To educate the public, to encourage production and to assist the progress of the Waikato, is the aim of the Waikato Winter Show. This is what the Association when it first entered upon what then was a very doubtful but very ambitious undertaking set out to do, and to ascertain whether it has accomplished its object one need only compare the district now to what*it was at that lime (now getting on for two decades ago) and to visit, the Show which opened to-day. Of course it, is difficult for one who has not followed this progress through the intervening years, or who was nol familiar with the Waikato when the Winler Show tlrst commenced operations, to realise the change that has come about in that time. Sparsely populated, the district was a raw, rough stretch of sodden swamp for the'most part, little and indifferently farmed, which seemingly held but vague prospecls of anything more than a mere existence to anyone foolish enough to go upon the land for a living. But all that lias changed. From out of the wilderness there have grown rich deep pastures, prosperous looking homesteads, compact villages and progressive towns. To the credit of the Winter Show cannot, lie placed all this, for there must be taken info account the indomitable will and pluck of the pioneers, who must had hearts of lions to have tackled what then seemed an almost hopeless task. What the Show has done, however, is to have given these men, aye, and women 100, an encouragement to go on and a hand to win through. It has done this in various ways. It has advertised their land and their produce; it has set them standards to which to work and has given them the opportunity and inducement to display their wares for useful comparison against those of others. 'By sounding their trumpet for them, it has made the result of their labours known and has brought thousands of strangers to the district to sec the results. Many of those who came remained and lent their labours to the general store assisting development and increasing the wealth of the district. Since the Show started it has never looked back, while the Waikato, for which it, has acted as boostcr-in-chicf, has continued to advance until It is now the most talked of district, in Ihc Dominion, the Mecca to which •/armors from all parts of the Dominion are gravilating. These newcomers are finding that the land which once was scoffed al, properly treated, js anongst (he finest in Ihc country, and especially adapted for dairying. So great has its productiveness become that more dairy produce is now wpor'.ed from Waikato than from any oilier part, of the Dominion. The district is, in fact, now generally spoken of as I lie Empire's Dairy Farm. A Marvel of Organisation. Sutlers and townsfolk both have reason to be grateful for all the Winter Show has done. The men who form its chief committees and the women who are ever ready lo lend a useful hand all give their services free, wjth, of course, the exception of the secretary, who devotes his whole time to the work and is paid. Few people not directly associated with the work know what it really entails—the hours of time and amount ot thought. The organisation of an exhibition of such huge dimensions as this "is a b'g undertaking there arc so ma..y things to consider, and the average victor on entering the different halls cramn.ed full of interesting exhibits lithe dreams of all the work that has been necessitated to get them together and to make such a wonderful show possible. Neither do the majority of tnem ponder to think what the Show means to Waikato •\s competition is the life of business, so is it the stimulating factor in an forms of production and manufacture. While the secretary sees to It that the Show is duly heralded throughout the Dominion, the competitors, by the aid they lend in sending forward the best of their produce, are also doing their part in the educating process and in building up the Show. The education which a Show promotes is to be found in many directions. Besults arc always the factors that count, and these in the case of the Waikato are to be found in the increased yields of the root crops, the growth of varieties and the wonderful improvement in quality, particularly of our dairy produce, which means so much to the producers, for ouality is the first object to be aimed at, quantity being a secondary consideration. The Waikato Show has, in fact, been _ responsible foi a general improvement cf the dairy produce of the Dominion, for this S o\\, which is the biggest dairy exhibition in the Dominion, has brought buttci and cheese makers together from all parts of both Islands, all striving "i one or more of the many coveted trophies which the Show offers, these people have in the past sent forward the very best produce which they at the time were capable of manufacturing, and it was only Wey saw and compared their exhibits with others that they realised exactl> where they stood. As a result the following years effort was moro ambitious still, and the stimulus thus given has resulted in a general improvement in the whole industry. m ~ . The Association has every reason to be gratified with the results of the Shew which is in its 20th year. It started in a very small way, but it has gone 8u progressing ever since, until now it has the reputation Of bens? and is in fact, the greatest exhibition of its kind in the Dominion Even shows which are described purely as dairy shows cannot compare with it for number and quality of entries. Take this year fo instance the dairy factory entries alone total over 900, which is double the number at any previous show ever held in this country.. The exhibits in the dairy section come from all parts of the Dominion, from as far north aa Kaitaia and south as Invercargill. From this it will be seen that the Show is a thoroughly representative one. ~„,„,„„ hnvo The root section this year is phenomenally large. Entiics nave poured in to such an extent that the accommodation has had to be extended In many of the classes the entries total over 40, and the majority of them arc of exceptional quality despite the fact that the season,'until about a month ago, was so very dry. A large sloping stand which stretches almost from Ihc roof to the ground in the agricultural hall is filled with roots of various kinds grown in Waikato, and iorms a Ycrv striking display. It affords an excellent idea of what the soil or Waikato is capable of and cannot but impress visitors with the .fertility oi our land. More Space and Better Display. In the past the space allotted to the Home Industries Section has necessitated cramping many of the exhibits, which in consequence have not"been afforded a fair display. This year, however, they have been dven Urn space formerly occupied by the dairy section, at the end ot what used to be the motor hall. Here they are well spaced out and can be seen to better advantage than in former years. We all know of the reputation of the housewives and daughters of Waikato in things domestic, and the samples of needlework and cookery to be found at the Show leave nothing to be said. They are a striking testimonial for their creators and leave the impression that despite all that may be said to the contrary, the art of housekeeping and the love of home life are not dead. The dairv exhibits are to be found at one end of the Motor Olympia, which this-year is open to the public free of charge. Last year, owing to alterations and shortage of room, the poultry section was cut out of the catalogue, but it has been inserted again this year, and the entries are large. . , .... One of the directions in which the Show lunctions as an educative institution is in the encouragement it gives to the school children. Prizes arc offered in all classes of work done in the schools, and children from all parts of the Dominion enter into the competition with zest and enthusiasm. For weeks before the opening of the Show the schools get busy on preparing specimens of their work, and these come in to the Association in thousands. Whole classes, and in some cases almost entire schools, send in entries, and when the scholars of those schools which arc in districts served by the special excursions come to the Show, as they do in whole train loads, there is a general rush to the School Section to sec their work displayed. They are already acquainted with the results, however for the contents of the Waikato Times have before now been eagerly gobbled up. This encouragement of the children to progress by lost-jring a spirit of friendly rivalry is very commendable, and can only result in a general betterment of their work and the development of the show spirit, which is the spirit or sportsmanship. The Show does not, of course, consist merely or competitive exhibits. Knowing of the crowds who visit the exhibition annually, commercial houvs in all parts of the Dominion rush to obtain space to display their for realise what the power of advertisement is. Unfortunately desp'le the 1-20,000 square root of covered space which forms the basis Of tile «how many applications for space have reluctantly had to bo r( .-f ;iK p ( | jnr llie whole of it was sold many months ago. However, the rublic mav look forward In exhibits of exceptional interest and seekers after knowledge will be able lo acquire their Jilt by studying the ins and outs of many new and wonderful devices. , The New Zealand Government has permitted its forestry exhibit, which formed part of the Government Court at the Dunedin Exhibition, to be sent to Hamilton, and this doubtless will be a centre of great interest and will surprise many who little realise Hie class and nature of the limbers grown in Ibis country. Many well-known commercial houses also have brought up their South Sea exhibition stands, and they should prove a source of attraction. The Fun of the Fair. Th-3 entertainment of the public is better catered for this year than ever before Part of the footwalk in Ward Street and the whol- of the lower part of Anglesea Street have been fenced off, and this large space has been given over lo the side-show people. There is. more of this class of entertainment than ever before, and when tired of doing the rounds of the stalls visitors will find themselves well able to fill in the [balance of their time on the different forms of recreation which the amusement part offers. Two orchestras have also been engaged by the Association. these wlil give programmes of music every afternoon and evening, one playing in Ihc main hall and llie other in the motor olympia. Competitions of various kinds will also be held in the concert hall within the buildings, selected concerts being provided each evening at a nominal charge for admission. ... , , This year the ventilation system been greatly improved, and there will be none of that most oppressive stuffiness that was experienced at busy times at former shows. The Plunkct Society lias its rest-room in the. usual place, lo the right on entering the agricultural hall, where ladies, and especially mothers with young children, may lind a convenient haven when tired of tramping round. The post and telegraph office will also be in its usual place, and this visitors will find a source of great convenience. Very adequate provisions in case of fire have been made. There is a complete hose and hydrant system installed, while two electric alarms, communicating direct with the fire station, will bring the brigade helterskelter to the building should it be found necessary to break the glass and press the button. During the daylight hours two permanent firemen will be stationed in the building, and these will be augmented by a couple jnore at night. -