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Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17972, 18 March 1930, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE STORY OF A VISIT TO LAST YEAR’S WAIKATO WINTER SHOW AND INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION AS TOLD OVER THE WIRELESS BY J. BALL, ESQ., EDITOR-ANNOUNCER OF 2YA.

Now that you have heard the singing of the opening ode of sixty-seven years ago, originally sung at the opening of the International Exhibition, Crystal Palace, in 1862, the speeches of welcome by the President, the Mayor of Hamilton, the Member for Hamilton and the representative of His Majesty’s Government in New Zealand, the Hon. J. G- Cobbe. Minister of Industries and Commerce, let us follow the Honourable Minister as he and his party is conducted round the greatest Winter Show of all time by the President, Mr A. K. Alexander, the Secretary, IMr W. H. Paul, and some of the chief executive officers. But before doing so, let me tell you of the alms and objects of the Waikato Winter Show Association. To educate the public, to encourage production, both primary and secondary, and to assist the Auckland Province generally, is the aim and object of that Association, which has worked so hard during the last 23 years. Various ExhibitsThe original purpose of providing a competitive exhibition has been extended by the development of a trading fair on the lines of those of the great European cities. Farm and dairy machinery form an important part of the show, but various traders who have prospects of winning the farmers’ custom, seize the opportunity of placing their novelties before those who make Show week in Hamilton the occasion of their great town outing. Motor cars of numerous makes fill a large space. Musical instruments and new- building devices have also been conspicuous among the many articles of commerce exhibited. The central purpose of the exhibition is si ill, however, to serve the community by showing the best products of dairy farming, ami lo encourage healthy rivalry amongst producers. Other products of farm, orchard, and apiary, make a worthy show. The opportunity of revealing model farming methods lens of thousands who visit the Show, is seized by the department of Agriculture and Forestry, and Jhere too, is the finest railway advertising exhibit, yet produced in the country. The old home industries competitions have grown exceedingly, and Ibis year’s function in that particular respect is no exception to the rule. The science and arts have not been forgotten. The Waikato Winter Exhibition has had a remarkably rapid growth, and fulfils with great success the provinces’ opportunities and bringing city, town and country people together for their mutual gain. With this object in view, in collaboration with the chief executive, the railway department are running special excursion trains daily from all parts of the Auckland Province- Settlers and townsfolk both have reason lo be grateful for all the winter exhibition is doing, and has done. The men who form its chief committees, and the women who are ever ready to lend a useful hand, all give their services freely. Few people, not directly associated with the work, know what, it really entails—the hours of time, and the amount of thought. Tiie organisation of an exhibition of such huge nimensions as this is a big undertaking. The Show itself covers nearly three acres of ground, all under cover, and there are approximately three miles of streets under its many roofs. Each of these avenues are hives of industry, working models are to be seen on every hand. There are so many things to consider, and the average visitor on entering the different hails crammed full of interesting exhibits little dreams of all the work that, iias been necessitated lo get them together, and to make such a wonderful Show possible. Neither do the majority of lliosc that are wandering about ponder to think what the Show means to the city of Auckland, and Hie towns scattered throughout the grca ( S and fertile South Auckland Province. As competition is the life of business, so it is the stimulating factor in all forms of production, and manufacture. The education which this Show promotes is to be found in innumerable directions, and results are always factors that count. One of the directions in which the Exhibition functions as an educational institution is the encouragement it gives to the school children. School CompetitionsPrizes are offered in all classes of work done in the schools, and competitions are entered into with zest and enthusiasm- For weeks before the opening to-day, the various schools in the South Auckland districts, and even further afield, have been busy preparing specimens of their work. Whole classes, and in some cases, almost entire schools have sent, in entries and when the scholars of those schools, and of others which are not competing, visit the exhibition in their thousands, there is a rush to the school section to see the work displayed. This encouragement of the children to progress by fostering a spirit of friendly rivalry is most commendable and can only result in a general betterment of their work, and in the development of the show spirit, which, after all, is the true spirit of sportsmanship. Some Wonderful Displays. And now we have arrived at, Ihe dairy factory division; here is lo be seen the greatest display of dairy produce under one roof in the whole world, Canada not excepted. As the ministerial parly moves down the central isle, score upon score ot motor cars of all make:; are passed by; now we arc at the home industries’ section, and it is here Ihe Honourable 'Minister’s opening remarks are vividly brought home to us, when he said “ When one visits Ihe home industries or cookery section, one is reminded of Ihe old saying that (he way to keep a man in a good humour is to “ feed l.he brute.” And judging by Ihe number of entries, and Ihe high qualities of Ihe cookery exhibits to be seen here, one can only come lo Ihe conclusion that the. men of Hie Waikato must all be good humoured, because with cookery such as this, no man can have any excuse for being bad tempered. And look over there, right in the centre of this huge building, what a display of rool crops; why. there arc pumpkins as big as a house, and mangolds which look as if they could reach down to the waters under the "earth: and those turnips—what, huge things they arc, twice as big as a big man’s head. Truly, it is an exhibition of root crops which has to be seen to be appreciated. What a country of productiveness this Waikato really is. Now we are moving onwards toward the exhibits of the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry, and Railways- Look there—models of up-to-date dairy farms with milking sheds equipped with modern machinery. And there, the model pig sty, with little toy pigs squeaking and grunting about their eld mother- There, too, are model haystacks, and all the most modern machinery working at top. Now we are in a railway carriage, and although It is standing still the scenery on the countryside is whizzing past us, and we are seeing some of the wonderful farming 'lands of the South Auckland Province. Now we pass the trees grown by the Forestry Department, There is the planting station over there, and various kinds of trees can be seen in their different stages of growth, till finally we come to the model house built from New Zealand’s own grown timber. What is that nurse doing over there?—Why. she is demonstrating in the Department of Health’s exhibit, and telling people how to keep themselves fit. Here can be seen charts giving much statistical information regarding the health of the people of this Dominion. But Hie party is moving on, they are eager to sec the many different kinds of milking machines and other working models in operation. The chug chug of the oil engine can lie plainly heard. And oh! look, is that actually milk being discharged from that receiver into that tank? What, a wonderful thing the modern milking machine is. And so we go on, wanting to see everything, but it will take the whole six days and nights during which this greatest of all exhibitions is open lo see everything, and even then many and many would be the exhibits to which a fleeting glance could only be given.