THE SPRING SHOW

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 19, 15 October 1937, Page 29 (Supplement)

THE SPRING SHOW

Hawke's Bay A. & P. Society's Record of Progress GR0WN WITH PROVINCE THe Dominion of -New Zealand is nearing its centenary, t and in that spafce of "just under ioo years it has crowded a " truiy remarkable progtess. The Hawke s Bay Agricultural and Pastorai Society - is approaching the three-quarters of a . century mark, having'been. established ir; 1863, and who shall say that "its progress, arid- that of the province it caters for * has not at Jeast been as- great, by comparison, as that of any part of the Dominion.- - , The j Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastorai Society is not only one of the oldest, but it ranks as one of the leading agricultural shows of the Dominion. There are few societies which approach it* in membership, and which have so long and so consistjently remajned in the van of progress. Many of the features e>f all principai agricultural shows in the Dominion to-day were inaugurated.. by the Hawke's Bay Society. ^ The 'Society has always been exceptionally fortunate in its office-bearers and its.ofhcials. Men of vision coupled with courage and initiative on the part of the first, and of outstanding organising ability on the part of the latter. So it has been that the Society has gone on from small successes , to great ones, from small- but representative stock shows to earnivals covering every phase of exhibition, competition* and entertainment; The progress of the shows has typified as well as assisted in the' progress of the province.

AS a stock-raising district the proviuce ranks second to none, wMl© in iruit and tomato-growing it holds an equally high. place. S'or much. of this ' 1 progress the emulation engehdered by tho society's annual shows has been xesponsible. There has practically nevcr "been a year when the Hawke's Bay Spring Show was not a good show as far as the period went, and. over a long span of years it has come.to be regarded as the leading stock show of the Nqrth Island. There are few who will eonsider the tifle undeEerved. " But looking back over the. society's seventy-odd years. of existence one has to admit that no xeal comparison , can be made with the shows of to-,day . and those in the early period of the society's existence. Time has. flown ■ince then, but time has had .many xivals in flying too, and aeroplanes have since girdled the earth}- and even veutured to cross the top of the world at the North Pole. To encouxage i'urther attacks on "time's fli'ght" the society has on* its schedule classes for model acroplanes so that young Hawke's Bay may have further designs' on time teeqrds in. the4 future. • Each step in the march of progress has been taken by men who were tireless in promoting the welfare of the society and the province, and whose pioneering splrit carried, them over all obstacles. ( , Apart from the stock section, which grows yearly fuller, better and "more j mpfirt.au t, the character of shows -has now eo greatly changed that" there is little resemblance between the splendid shows of late years, and those early shows, which even then were recognised as great eyents. It is gratifyipg indeed to find that the stoek section is not in any way allowed to lose its proud preeminence in all-round qnality. Keeent importations and purehases of sheep, cattle of the various breeds, drangiit iiors&3, Welsh ponies, and other stock, all show that the breeders of. the province are determined to 'maintain that high standard of quality which has gjiioed for their flocks and herds- a itputation extendiug to Australia "ixnd heyond. The displays in the iinplement section of the show imiieate to wliat estent mechanisation has altered farming^ and farming methods. No magieian 's wand conld have worked such marveUoue ehanges in all branches of labour as the meehamcal devices of reeent. years have hrought about. and every article. of „interest to the farmer is carefully stndiod and its merits discussed. Motor vehicles of all deseriptions, radio equipment, serve town and tountry-folk in so many ways, that they

have opened a new world to the back-_ conntry settler and removed him from, that isolation which for ip long held 'him a virtual prisoner withio. the boundaries of his own domain. The needlework section is now one of the greatest attractions of- the show, especially to the f air sex, while the splendid displays made each year by the pupils of the. various schools shows how popular thjs part.af a modern show has become, while its value in stimulatiitg the children to excel in pehmanship, drawihg, craftsmanship, ete.^ can hardly be over-estimated. Competitions of various kind3 serve to -mahe the show a real carnival, and it is in that spirit that it is .now regarded, The Hawke's Bay Agricultural dnd Pastorai Society is fortunate in having one of the niost beautifnl, oxtensive and well laid-out showgrounds in the Dominion, with its ample provision for the accommodation of motorcars, its abundanee of shade ' for picnickers, its exeellent accommodation for stock of all kinds, an'd its spacious competitions arena. In reviewing the progress of the society in 'the brief manner we have done it is not possible fully to estimate the value of the work done by those who have from time to time been at the head of affairs, have filled the position of president, and who have m no sipall measure contributed to its progress. To-day the spirit of progress is as strong as ever? the desire for improvement in every direction consistent with progress, and the pride in the achievements of the past is a stimulus to still 'greater aeHievements in the future, and the society's members and those ini teres'ted in the welfare of the society and the province, can look forward with confidence to a still further advance and, it is to be hoped, a still greater prosperity.