MANAWATU SHOW

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10273, 7 May 1919, Page 8

MANAWATU SHOW

A, & P. ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBEBS.

The annual general meeting of the Manawatu A. and P. Association was hold at Palmerston North on Monday. The president (Mr J. BalsiUie; presided over a good attendance of members. Mr Baisillie, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, referred to the ending of the war and the losses to the association by tue recent epidemic. Considering the shows had been held under war conditions, they had been wonderfuLy satisfactory. lhe speaker also <seait with the increase in admission price, claiming that the increase in the size of the show justified it, and also changes in the programme and exhibits in the show. With regard, to the dispersal of the dog committee, the general committee wa3 prepared to consider its' reinstatement provided sufficient interest was revived in if The speaker also referred to the attendance at the shows.'. Thanks were duo to Mr Nash for organising the soldiers' exhibit, in which great interest was displayed. He also drew attention to the self-sacrificing efforts of Mr John Jarvis and bis fellowcommitteemen of the Manawatu Poultry Association. The. fixture grew annulally in size and importance, and witn the reunion of the various sections of the poultry ■ industry, big things might fairly be anticipated. Strict caution had been the policy of the grounds committee, and had been continued by the speaker as chairman. Mr Baisillie dealt in detail with alterations, repairs, and extensions to outbuildings, etc. A plan' for a permanent sale ring for ram fairs and pedigree cattle had been drawn and accepted. The work would be carried out later. The question of painting generally had to be faced, expensive though it might be. Last year Mr Sutherland had referred to the fact that the • association's friends in Feilding had suggested the removal of the West Coast. ram fair to . that point permanently, and that the committee here would not agree thereto. Since then the JFeilding A. and P. Association had definitely abrogated the agreement between the associations by deciding to hold a ra.m fair annually at Feilding. The committee therefore bad no other option than to make what arrangements they deemed best, and it had been decided to hold an annual ram fair here in connection with the Manawatu Live Stock Auctioneers' Association.

In seconding the adoption of the report, Mr J. M. Johnsion said that as regards the profits, the association's great and only standby had been the magnificent response given to tho call of the association in special donations and trophies. This year these amounted to tho substantial sum of £1282, not the association's maximum, but considering the war they had been faced with for the past five years this was mosi. satisfactory. The profits -this year exceeded the donations by £95. This was the first year since 1918, which was their record year, when the surplus was £IOOO, that the profits had exceeded the donations. This was highly satisfactory. Now that ih© war was over they would revert, he trusted, to a normal situation at an early date, when the men returned from the from, and labour was sufficiently distributed to allow of breeders and exhibitors having the necessary assistance to bring forward their stock for show purposes. He had no hesitation in prophesying that they were on vhe verge of a great future For the association. Palmerston, as a centre, was now asserting itself to such an extent that it was being readily realised throughout the Dominion thai- its central geographical position had no equal, with tho area of very rich agricultural and pastoral land surrounding it, and that it must be the largest and most, important inland i own in the. Dominion. . Even since the war ceased indications of centralisation in Palmerston were numerous. It was necessary, that the Government should realise the magnificent -work that agricultural and pastoral associations were doing. throughout the Dominion, and come to their assistance financially as the Governments did in all other countries. Mr Johnston referred 'to the substantial increase in gate-money, amounting to £292, and he. quoted figures to show that, despite the war, the receipts had risen from £6596 in 1914 to £7llß in 1919, and donations from £BB2 to £1282. The expenditure was praotically the same, being £5768 in 1914 and £5741 for the year ending March 31sv, 1919. On the turnover, including donations, tho profit was 19.84 per cent., or, excluding donations, 1:33 per cent. The cost of administration,. on the official staff, including caretaker, was 11.75 per cent, on ihe turnover. He paid a. tribute to the efficiency of the secretary, Mr W. T. Penny'. Mr T. "Webb questioned the committee's policy in increasing the gate charges. . Mr McKenzie'pointed out that this was necessitated by the high cost of materials and the necessity for the association being self-supporting. , The report and balance-sheet were adopted. . Mr Balsillie then vacated the chair, which was taken by Mr Hugh Akers, the new president. In thanking the meeting for. his election as president, Mr Akers said ho realised the onerous task he had undertaken, but he bore in mind the support given to his predecessors in the chair by fellow-cpmmitteemen. He referred to his long acquaintance with the affairs of the association and its growth. It was largely due to the efforts of the past committees that the association had grown to its present proud position. He also referred to the growth of the show buildings. The association also had a Breeders' Club to build as soon as possible. The money for this would probably be raised from subscriptions,, and should not be a cost to the association. The sum of £2OOO had alreixly been promised towards the building. The association -was to hold n British motor exhibition when Home trade-and shipping reached a reasonably normal condition. Exhibitions of this kind would help to popularise the association, and incidentally aid the exchequer. Tho n&socation had a valuable property, and no opportunity should be lost to .make It pay Its way. H© would do his best to deservo the confidence' which had been reposed in him. (Applause.) It was unanimously decided to vest the funds of tho association in the general committee. . . ■