THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 878, 7 February 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND.

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST.) Sir, —I have read a long letter in the Lyttelton Times on the subject of the New Zealand Agricultural Society, in which the writer attempts to adduce arguments against j the formation of such a Society. His chief objectionis that the present local Associations do their work equally as well as, if not better than, the more Colonial Society could do it, and he complains bitterly that the affairs of local Societies are to be interfered with. Now, no one will deny that many of the small Societies have well performed their functions, notably the Canterbury, Timaru, North Otago, and Taieri Associations ; but, sir, their shows have been but little better than local events ; for though a few stockowners have taken their cattle to other districts for exhibition, there lias never been anything like a colonial competition. It is with a view of establishing something like a national show, even though peripatetic, that the National Society has been established. How many Canterbury men, I would ask, ever bring any of their stock to Oamaru for exhibition ? None, or nearly so ; and yet much good might be achieved by their doing so, for experience has clearly proved that in some classes at any rate we are far in advance of Canterbury. Then, again, very few of our breeders and stock-owners take their stock to the Metropolitan Show at Christchurch, and even the exhibits that are sent are representatives of special lines. The writer of the letter under review seems to think that the local Society, by bringing together the farmers in their own localities and holding an exhibition annually of the stock within a radius of a few miles, everything is done that it is necessary to do. Such is not the case. The mere comparing of the cows owned by Mr. Brown with those of Mr. Jones, or the sheep of Mr. Thompson with those of Mr. Robinson, is not sufficient to enable farmers to judge of the excellence or otherwise of their possessions. You must seek further afield to learn whether or not the stock of a district is as good as it might be. I profess to know something of the shows of both Canterbury and Otago, and I unhesitatingly assert that everyone of them are capable of claiming excellence for some particular class of exhibits. Why, sir, only at the last Canterbury show residents in this district clearly proved to stock-owners in the North how backward they were in some classes by carrying off the principal prizes in not a few classes. I doubt not that had some of the Canterbury owners of stock brought exhibits to Oamaru they would have shown us that we were lagging behind in many respects. Comparisons may be odious ; but by comparisons only can we arrive at a just and proper estimate of the quality of our live stock, and such comparisons can only be made by fostering a national spirit and the promotion of national shows. Such a spirit and such shows cannot be promoted by local Societies, especially if their management is placed in the hands of such narrow-minded men as the writer of the letter in the Lyttelton Times. In a score of ways can a National Society bring about the results I have mentioned more effectually than can any two of the local Societies combined. In the first place, a national society would have more influence with the Government in any effort to obtain concessions in regard to the carrying of stock intended for exhibition than any local society could hope to possess. I think lam not going too far when I say that the obtaining of such an amount of consideration at the hands of the Government would easily be secured by a national society as would enable stockowners in all parts of the twogreat provincial districts to take their exhibits to any place where the national show might for the time be held. This in itself would beagreatwork. Butit would be nothing when compared with tlio promotion o£ a healthy spirit of rivalry amongst the farmers of all parts of the island. Once having got owners of stock to come out of their shells and look a little beyond their own noses they would speedily come to appreciate the benefits of once a year comparing notes wfth their compeers, in order to see if the work of improvement was progressing as favorably with them as in other directions. The mere fact of being able to gain the National Association's prizes for some particular kind of stock would stir into activity many who arc at present content with allowing things to remain as they arc. An impetus would be given to the improvement of the breed of stock in all directions which could not fail to lead to good results. Everyone would become desirous of obtaining a national instead of a mere local fame for the excellence of his stock, and a national improvement in stock would be the case. Besides this, a national feeling would be created ; farmers in all directions would become better acquainted with each other, and more familiar with different breeds of stock in the island. "Will anyone deny that good would result from such a state of things ? The last, and, indeed, the greater, portion of the letter under review is devoted to a consideration of the matter from .a purely local point of view, and I certainly cannot compliment the writer on the spirit he has displayed. It is mean, selfish, and paltry to a degree befitting a resident in some little Peddlington wrapped up in self-conceit. The writer complains that "It lias never been stated, for instance, whether the grounds of the Canterbury Association are to be used on the occasions of the exhibitions of the new society, and, if so, whether the proceeds arising from the meeting which form so important an item in the revenues of our Association, are to go to the treasury of the Royal Agricultural Society." Dea? pie ! What manner of man is this writer '< Would he begrudge a National Society the use of the Canterbury Association's ground if the National Show were held in Christchurch occasionally in liou of the ordinary local show? What a poor-spirited mortal he must be? Cannot the writer see at a glance of how much more importance it would be to his district to have a national show held in Christchurch than to have one almost entirely limited to exhibits belonging to the district ? If such a local spirit and such local jealousies are permitted to hold sway, deterioration must take the place of improvement. His reference to the proceeds going into the pockets of the National Association are absurd and childish, I was not aware that Agricultural Societies were formed and maintained for tho purpose of reaping a profit out of them. If they are, I should very much like to know where the money goes, for I have never yet heard of any such Society declaring a dividend. This writer of limited vision, circumscribed spirit, and local feeling, altogether omits to take cognisance of the fact that other Societies possess show grounds, that other Societies have had to struggle quite as hard as has the Canterbury Society, and that other Sooieties are now in equally as good a position as the Canterbury Society. "With a plaintive wail the writer alludes to the fact that tho headquarters of the RoyalAssociationwerefixedin Christchurch because there is already a good organisation there, and that in consequence the work could be done at much less cost. Then he almost weeps when he says that it would appear that "Whether or not they intend to use our ground or to take over the proceeds of .the meeting, it is intended to use some portion of our machinery for the new institution." Allow mo to say, sir, that the head-quarters of the Royal Society were fixed at Christchurch out of compliment to the Canterbury Society, as being the foremost in the Colony, and not with a view to the Canterbury Association being burdened with the management of the "new institution" with an "imposing title." I presume that when the Society has been properly organised it will be prepared to pay for its own maintenance, the object being not to injure, but to promote the welfare of every looal Society. The rest of the letter is of so extremely childish a nature that I must let it pass, merely expressing a hope that the i writer is not a fair specimen of the Canterbury farmers, to whom he appeals so imploringly. I am, &c., National Progress*. Oamaru, February 5, 1879.