SHOW GROUNDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 894, 18 May 1903, Page 3

SHOW GROUNDS.

ME MAC l-'Alt LANE'S 0 FEE It EEJECTEI).

A special meeting of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society was held in the Masonic Hotel on Saturday afternoon, to consider an ofi'or made by Mr .James Macfiirla.no to sell u portion of his To Hapata property for show grounds. The President said what they had to i- • ,idor was, was it suitable and had they got the money, and what would he the cost of building a grandstand, loose box, etc. The grandstand at the Park cost .£IOOO, and the loose boxes about TOGO. That was wilhout cost ol levelling, etc. Tin: stand would seat from 700 to 000. but was not large enough for the show. They would require a stand to seat about JOOO people, which would cost about XloOO. Altogether they would want about .££ooo. As it was they wanted all the cash they

had now. Also they bad a seven years lease of the hark, two years at -£io. and five years at T£o. At (at. sent it was e'...tiug them X 7 a day to scow, and at the end of two years would cost them Tin. With tin: proposed ground it would .t ;.t least .£OO a day without counting wages of caretaker.

Mr Hood : The matter has be cn before a committee, and a majority favor, d it. Have we come here to hear a report or go into the subject independently ? _

The President said that according to the rules the committee had no power to pur-

eh we a ground. Mr flood : Surely they can recommend us to purchase or not to purchase? The rule was discussed, and it was clear the committee had no power to so use the money without sanction from the general meeting. Hr Hood said that 'no would hl;e to get some recommendation from the commit-

tee. The President : As far ns I remember the committee did not wish to take it on themselves, and thought it advisaule to have a general meeting of members to discuss the matter. Mr Macfurlunc : How do the minutes read ? The Secretary read tho minutes. Mr Hood: Then we understand tho coimnittoo wishes to take the. ground '! The Secretary : Yes, and the secretary is instructed to call a general meeting for the purpose. M r f lowing said that he had made tho proposal, and in doing so there was no thought of starting straigut away with but tings, etc., only to procure the ground win u it was available on easy terms, and make use of it when the lease for the other ground ran out. All they would have to do at present would be to find interest on the .£ kJU. Mr Tuoby : Since 1 live m the country I would hits: to say something in this matter. My opinion is that Ihe ground is not a proper place as far es country people are concerned, and they for their part do

.not approve ol it. If our funds are low to-day, and the annual reipai of the ia.lv ground is only Xls, should wo involve ■uursciv -s in such a large < xpenditure and

pay TOO ■ >r the two days V Tno President said tiio amount would bo .Cull a day.

Mr Tuohv : That makes it worse. (Laughter.) ‘ ll we arc not strong to-day v, . would be insolvent rjien. At all events ground is not suitable. (Hear, hear.) Mr Macfarlaun said that in making Ins oiler he Juid thought it wise for the Society to look'ahead. Thu value ol the laud in Poverty Pay was rapidly improving, and he thought ’he Society should own linit own g.muu U They had had friction with the Park Company ever since that land had been leased. The lease could ho cancelled if they wished. P.V buying this ground they get it at a price which was XlO less th in the real value since ho had made the oiler. Ilis interest therefore was for the .S anely not to take the land, but he had made'the offer for the good of the Society. It they had their own ground nuw and went on prep iring it, it could bo made very suitable. As for moving into the country, those who spoke that way did not kuow vvhat they were talking about. .« A „h ,w to be a sU( cess, must be close to down,” said Mr Mact.udane, whereat Messrs Tuoby and Murphy laughed.

“•) on would slmj out the count! y pern.' ah igetlicr,” said Mr Tuohy. success of our show depends on the attendance of the people,” said Mr MaofiU'iaue. Palmerston was near tlio town, mid so was Christehurun, Master-

A voice: Napier is not close to the *<jO TVU. 1 -ivrrdr Mr Mitct'arlauo a aid it- was™ a .di o cr district, and was close to Hastings., would bo very unwise to move liutl u into the country. 110 was not keen tois. , for, as he had to! : them, ll » had_ an offer for a good deal more than he mulsubmitted it, to the boeicty As k). .>6 .Chairman's '.gores, he consul, red hey wen a good deal out, and that the Obanrn r ‘ ' h” I not £ono into tho matter «is cVU as ho might have done. Ho (the speaker) considered that a stand sidlieicnt Mr ail purposes could bo put up for ±IOOO. •The stockyards as the Park had boon built of unsubstantial timber, and they had never felt equal to putting in totara posts and lasting timber. U they had a ground of their own they could put up substantial .ti.iciuH - • it-,eft Air Slacfarlano

In reply to Mr Hood, Mr slactariano k-iid he thought that the ground would give room for the half-mile trot ant : All I can say about the Park Company is that since I have- been in office t-licrc hao been no friction at hs to the Park —anything I have asked fot I have got. __ . , „

* Mr Tuoby : Hear, hear, and if you ask for more yon will get it. , , As to the vards, continued tne l resiU~n.., bo had from" the start wanted them put up in a substantial way. They bad gut, m o ilio habit of putting the yards up au“ " 111 '- ing them down after ti:e ,how, which ho considered was bad ummigamcnt. Uicj could remove every thing at the „i> lot die tease, so there was no reason on tmit reoie for not putting up substantial bxmres. a L think it would be tne heignt of t >m foolcrv to go from lbs Jbuk to any o u-*r dace," remarked Mr Ihrrell. tie went on to say the i’ark Company mm met tnei in every way, and the railway ueparlm-.i t had used tlie people's money to P>;* P

S«„™r ut tIJ ground in the belief that the show would be held there f «‘ oood many years, If ihev wanted to si. . why did nottheye.d. mrappiieauons . 1 e Vj,, ! t-uit muru suitiiblo buiu th«m t * V. d u-fariane. (l.aug'mer aim applause.) If J.U- Maefarbme warned to be an eh a !_„m. factor to the society why /lid ho not make this offer w!i -n they were moving from MakaraUa. before ail tne expenses had been gone to, when wo land coulu be obtained for much less V

obtained 101 m 00....- , , ... *. ylr iilaeiarlane, eoneUimu Mi J.U; rc l> ■■ has tnaiie vou a very ’.air oiler, i. would not give you mine at the same rate, but cruet t want to i'onw u.. is t. • WV'ii he found out it was such a smtabu place, why did ha Oder it toym. be oro the'change was uuuo trom Makan.ka That was the time for him to come out nml show that, he was going to give you a ctaiid elnu.ee to secure tne trocu.t,.

P Mr Orav, as" one of the minority, who opposed the proposal, contended taut t y notin a position to buy land and erect buildings. They were getting mi very well with the Park Company, am u was better to keep as they were mi tne next seven years. When they wanted 0 make a change they could get nimo suitubio land along tbo railway hue at a P vice that was no higher. Mr Wallace said ho had seconded toe proposal, thinking that as the proper ? was obtainable, it should be submits J to the members. The question tor them was ;,.. r P— lO vote for or against toe sug-

I'lmJst the matter Mr Dewing proposed • '|,ct tiie committee be authorised to purthe land, and Mr Wallace seconded the motion. , A straight-out vote was taken, and the motion was ri jected by a large majoiity, the number in favor being seven.