THE HAWKE'S BAY A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 427, 9 February 1909, Page 2

THE HAWKE'S BAY A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

ITS PRESENT SHOW CRO'UND CONDITIONS. ; It has been suggested (writes our travelling representative] that .the Hawke's Bay. A. and P. Association should. take ,steps to secure its own show ground, "instfead of as at present utilising the Hastings', Racecoiirse ! for shcw-ground purposes. On the first view the. idea, of a properly . constituted .show "ground; for such' an important organisation as the' Hawke's Bay A. and P. Association seems to ; be a good one.' In these days the coinpeti-. tioli; among the various A; and P. associations in the North Island is particularly keen, I and 'ground and. building' improvements ior . the further convenience and safety of valu- | able stock become year by year.a more necessary feature of show enterprise. . It. appears, • j however, .that: the Hawke's Bay A. and P. iAssociation has already fully considered the . matter, and ..that'; as a result. ■of .its delibera-' , tions_ -it has been;; informally debided.' that, nothing will be done for possibly' many years' in the shape, of ; providing -a separate'.-shovr I ground which wilr bo the association's • own property.'At the.present.time' the Hastings Racecourse is leased to the Hnwko's Bay A. and P. A ssociation j for•; shows for a period of 90 years,' some 30' of which. have already: expired. The association owr.s 20 acres of.the Hastings Racecourse . Reserve; property , and this .vvul .revert to.the' association at the expiration. of the tenure. : The ■'association; is now 1 practically'making, a. profit of r£SOO . per an-.' num■ and it is - contended";that in?'tfiis';way the organisation will; have'a very"- solid-fund 1° PP^ j®; when the time.;comes: for. the ntting up of a new; show ground.: The question; of the housing of ;sUow stock, sheep, and cattle on the present site .has' been considered, and it is held that the;cheapest wayof doing t-his is to haVb the buildings of',a' teni-: .porary .nature, .with skeleton frames, ;so" that 1 they can be re-erected each year as -post .of . this outlay would -not be more than £100 per annum; whereas if :the'/association were put to-the • : cost;, of a. new show: ground, the, yearly interest' would. more 'than ® profit. - There is no. doubt that' the . Hawke's Bay A. and.-P.': Association--is' proceeding oil very sound linos, hut' it'-is' 1 a question if ; it- will not progress "wilh, such leaps and .bounds that the.-rhatter of--re-orga-nisatibnmay bccome ah urgent nfecessity. In a large and prosperous district like Hawke's' Bay the .association ;is .certain '.' to go: ahead with the inereas of population and settlement';: and 'with' the "rivalry which will in afew-;year(i exist:'among" the! Manawatn,: Mastertbn, and Wairaraba-- Associations,•'"< it will never do for the .Hawke's Bay Jo'rganisa-: tion . to Tag ■;behind." ; In.'.this respect 1 , it; was manifestly clea.r;th'at at'the big'ri«n held on .the Hastings Racecour.se thera was a; lack'of: some of ithose, things which cater for-the-interest;ahd convenience .of in- , tending buyers. ; •/.