OTAGO WINTER SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1458, 5 June 1912, Page 10

OTAGO WINTER SHOW.

OPENED BY Tim I'EIME MINISTER. (Bt TelccrnDh—Press Association.) Ounedin, June i. Tho twentieth winter show of (ho (Hiiro A. and P. Society was officially opened this afternoon by the Prime Jlini.-ter. Last year's record entry.' of 1131 exhibits ha.-; been eclipsed by no fewer than IlflO. in spito oi tho fact that mauy «!\trie* luid lo bo refused for lack of space. Kxliibits arc forward from all parts of Olago, and from as far north as Canterbury, while, in tht) butter sections a number of North Island firms are coiniielini!. The sheep forward arc considered to be the verv finest type of animal yet m'cii at these shows, but the- judging of them does not commence till to-morrow. The town has uoeii crowded with country visitors for somo days past, and many are finding considerable difficulty in securing accommodation. Despite (he extremely rough and wintry weather, the attendance was well up to" that of last year. Tho showis gencrnlly considered to bo the most successful the society has yet held, both in number and quality of exhibits. In the course of a speech, the Piinio Minister said that the year that closed at the end of December showed lessened exports from the Dominion, whilst imports had somewhat increased, the figures being:—Exports imports .£19,550,000. This disclosed an excess of imports over exports of about ,£500,000, nnd the. fact had led some alarmists to view with anxiety New Zealand's position; but if they took the Dominion imports and exports for the past three years there was a balance in their favour of «£5,60i,000, and if they took a period of twenty-one years there was no less than ■£61,500,000 of exports over imports. This difference would pay interest charges for that term. In the butter grading the points were:— Taicri and 'Peninsula' Company, 95.07; Bell Block 'factory, 9MB; Lcpporton Factory, 91.41; Tikorangi Factory. 95.05; Taieri and Peninsula, Oamaru, 93.58; Thames Valley, 93.49; Levin, 93.19; Canterbury Central, 92.5 a. • ' , . ..: The factory cheese prize-takers were:— 'Wright's Hush, Southland, 93.13; Brydone, Southland, 92.(12; Gore, G2.76; Thornbury, 92.61; Itynl Bush, 92.11;' Morton Mains and Stirling, 92.37. . / . Factory butter, three boxes suitable for export:—T. and P. Company, Dunedin, 95V points, 1; Kairanga Dairy Company, 03," 2; Diinnythorpe Dairy Company, 941, 3; Cheltenham, 91, 1. One box,.half a hundredweight, suitable for export.—Cheltenham, 94?r, 1; ICairanga; 91, 1; Bell Block Co-operative, 935, 3. One box, open class.—T. and P., Dunedin, 95, 1; Levin Co-operative, 915, -; Canterbury Central, 91, 3.