AGRICULTURE AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15869, 7 April 1917, Page 9

AGRICULTURE AND THE WAR.

SHOULD A. AND P. SHOWS

BE HELD?

VIEWS OF AN EXPERT BODY

The followig letter has been addressed to the A. and P. Societies of the Dominion by Mr E. C. Jack, secretary of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture:— I am instructed by the executive of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture to bring before, your Society a question that is now agitating the minds of many A. and P. Societies, viz., whether shows should not be held during the currency of the war. My executive has given this matter very careful consideration, and has come to the conclusion that as far as this country is concerned it would bo a great mistake to discontinue the holding of shows for even one year. My executive is aware that the various societies throughout the Dominion are giving serious consideration to the proposal to discontinue the holding of shows while the -Rjar lasts, and are doing so because of their keen desire to do the right thing; because of their wish to help in every possible way to win the war, and of their anxiety to set a good example to tho general public in this respect. My executivo, after having given careful consideration to tho advantages and disadvantages of the stopping of shows, views the question in the following manner:— v The advantages -claimed through no t holding shows are: 1. Tho time that breeders of stud stock spend on getting up their show exhibits would bo saved. 2. Railway traffic taking people and exhibits to and from shows would be saved. 3. The time that people spend in going to show#s might well bo used in carrying on of work in their usual occupation. Considering these points in tho order in 'which they, are stated: — 1. There might be 6ome small saving to stock breeders, in the time and labour spent in getting up their exhibits, but this would not be very great, as all breeders havo to spend,® certain amount of timo and labour in getting up their stock for sale. In the opinion of tho executive, therefore, there is not much in this point. 2. The railway traffic in connexion with shows is almost all local. Tho great bulk of tho people and of tho stock that go 'to shows, only go to one, and that is their local snow. The number of, people and stock that go to more than'one show is limited, and the number that go' to say more 'than two or three shows is very small indeed. Aa far as tho passenger traffic is concerned, this is almost entirely confined to country people going to the local town whore the show is held. , Very 'few townspeople 'travel by train to shows. In most cases fanners take the opportunity of transacting their business while attending the 6how, thus saving at least another 'trip to town. The additional traffic on the railways is, therefore, largely confined to farmers' wives and families. 3. Loss of time through people going to shows. This is practically confined to farmers' wives and famines, and means only the one day, as the attendance on the first day of two-day shows is very small, and generally consists of i little more than judges, owners, and officials. Tho shows are also visited by a large number of townspeople, who do not have to travel any distance 'to attend the show, and they only attend on the afternoon of People's Day. It therefore only means half a day to them, and as in many case® Peoplos Day of the show is held on the weekly half-holiday, and 'townspeople would not be working in any case. The foregoing deals "With, the uissKivantages of holding shows during war time. They appear to my executive to be very trifling, and to be completely outweighed by the, advantages to 'the community of holding shows. This Dominion is almost entirely an agricultural ahd pastoral community. By far the ©-eater portion of its exports are made up of agricultural and pastoral products. Anything, therefore, that tends to tho advancement of the agricultural and pastoral industry is a great benefit to the whole community. Agricultural and pastoral shows are, in the opinion of the executive, by far the most important means wo havo of. bringing agricultural and pastoral education down to tho masses of the people. Visitors to shows, and particularly country visitors, display great interest in the exhibits. It is their opportunity in tho year of seeing and comparing exhibits which are the nearest approach to perfection that tiie country can> produce. 1 hey have displayed before them the b©st that can be obtained in the practice of their daily work. They see, too, at the shows various implements and tools that tnev reouire to uso in their daily, work and the latest appliances of various kinds. They can compare the different makes in a very much more efficient way, and in a very much shorter time than they oould by visiting tho showrooms of the various makers. In many cases the judges give lectures and explain points in connexion with the exhibits before them, and these lectures are attended and listened to with a vast amount of interest by country peopte. There are very few country people that attend their local show without learning a great deal about their daily business. An agricultural college like Lincoln College can by its very nature only educate a comparatively few students at a time. This college may be said to be educating. a proportion of our future agricultural and pastoral leaders, but it is through, the medium of the agricultural and pastoral shows that | the best practice of our agricultural leaders is brought before the mass or the people. At the present time we have within the Dominion no other means of education which oould do this work equally as weu. , .- , . , My executive thinks it would be just as reasonable to propose to close our technical schools as to close our agricultural and pastoral shows. If there ever was a tune in the history of the Dominion when tie best of education in every subject we have to deal with, was wanted, that time is now, and to suspend the work of great educational | organisations like, the A. and P. Soc:ieties would be against the best interests of the Dominion.

(press association* telegram.) CARTERTON, April 5. a meeting of the Wairarapa and East Coast A. and P. Society to-day the following resolution was passed:— ''That in the opinion of this committee it would "bo inimical "to the. best interests of the Dominion and Empire if A. and P. Associations in -New Zealand were to suspend their shows. The motion was moved bv tlie -lion. Sfcr "Walter Buchanan, and carried with one dissentient. There was a very large attendance of members. $