The Horticultural Society

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 81, 16 December 1884, Page 2

The Horticultural Society

♦■ In out report of the proceedings of a meeting of the Committee of the above Society, held on Friday evening last, it was stated by one or two members that this journal, which hitherto upheld the Society, had now turned round and was trying to do it an injury. Now, this statement is entirely wrong, and so absurd that it is hardly worth contradiction ; ye^ if we allowed it to pass without comment a false impression might be left on the minds of some of our readers which would be injurious to ourselves as well as the Society. We have a character for consistency and honesty to maintain, and will never allow anything to pass that affected such in the slightest degree. Our comments on the management at the last exhibition of the Society were almost a verbatim reproduction of outside public opinion. Our object in giving them prominence was to bring forcibly before the members of the Committee, individually and collectively, the fact that as public servants, for the time being, they were in duty bound to perform their functions with courtesy and impartiality. It is a great mistake for any body of persons who are assembled for a public purpose to expect that their actions are beyond the criticism of the Press, more especially when such body is. for the time, the custodian and distributor of moneys the property of the public. We have now, and always will have, the liveliest interest in the success of the Horticultural Society, and it was a hearty desire on our part to prevent it going to the bad altogether that led us to criticise somewhat severely the conduct of the hist Show. It is our hope and belief that the " shoals and quicksands " which have proved so dangerous to the Committee in the past will be avoided at the Autumn Show, and that more liberal views will prevail as regards encouragement given to outside exhibitors. It is our earnest desire to see perfect harmony prevail, for without it nothing can be really well done. Captain Edwin trlegravhs to-day: — Wnrninßs for westerly gales have been sndt to all ftatioos. <