SMOKE CONCERT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 74, 7 March 1913, Page 1

SMOKE CONCERT.

Franklin A. and P. Society. A Successful Function. This year the Franklin A. ar.d P. Societv introduced a new social feature in connection with its Show —a smoke concert. Other societies have found this function very useful iu gett ng officialjud.es ard exhibitors together for m itual enjoyment and instruction. The gathering in the Pukekohe Oddfellows' Hall on Friday evening Kai hurriedly arranged and imperfectly announced, but tne attendance was big r.ev.rtheless mid th? table accommodation was quite tilled. Mr J. Wyiie, President <>f the Society, was in the chair and opened the proceeding* by proposing the loyal toaet, Mr A. M. Barriball followed by proposing "The Governor," and Mr J. Schlaspfer proposed "Parliam nt." Mr Hurold Booth, of Carterton, nrcposed th?: Franklin A ar.d P. ociety, whom he congratulated upon having such splendid exhibits in many classes. Mr Booth, it will be remtmbered, was a judge in certain cattle and sheep classes. The Shorthorns, he said, were a very gcod lot indeed. Ihe cows were a splendid lot, and it was only after occupying about twice as long as most judg s would that he was ab 1.• to arrive at a decision that plea.-ed him and, lie hrped, most of the exhibitors In the sheep classes the aged Rcmney ram which got the championship was a very fine shctp indeed, carrying a line fleece for its age. Theaim was to get sheep that would held their wool for a long time, and the trouble was rams after 6tonth pot very, verv thin in the fi-:ece, the wool droppina out, But this ram bad beautifully fine and dense wool all over. In the Romneys the 1 rnba al o were well covered arid of a nice ever, tyre. Mr laylor's yearling Shorthorn heifer v. as a very fine typ :i a d it wai i.ot often, with ever so littla competition, that o t; was ablu to take a championship with a yearling. Mr Johnstone's two-year-. Id heifer was a fine animal on the fat s de; bdt there might be tic.uble i.i getting lur in calf. Referring to the Sbosgrau'.d, Mr Hooth s-iid it was a capital one. He t nquirtd ai d found that the population was something over 1200; he hep-d they would, still have the ground w! en the popu lation was over 12.000. It would bs a great pity when they had a natural ampitheatre not to stick to it.

In icplying to the toast Mr Wylie >aid the SocLty had Matted fro.n very small begin irgs. Progress had been made, but this year they had increased the membership by 200

and the entries by slightly o"er 300. ■ii:d th-v belie" d now that they could triage the S c:ety I re (if the bes? in ttic Auckland province, even i■. New Zeah nl. ,(A|iplaei=c) Mr Wylie pr.iyu-ed " Ihe .Ju Iges, "

and eongritulated them jpoa the ?pit-nd d work they ha J rlone. He h.pifi they would always ctme bark. Mr S. R. Lancaster, in reply, spise of the of the Society, in the earlier days th; Jersey cattle wrre good, hut they had very much improved iow. '"He had, ' he said, "so far seen nothing tint ne could tea h them concerning the running of a Show,"

In responding to the toast of " i h'r; Exhibitors," Mr Grant said tnat at ie Show ha took firtt and champion. but with the same animal he was lucky lo git a "highly commended" to-day But he v,o ild !-ay that the man who judged araight horses tc-uay was second to none in New Zealand. ! He paid a tribute to tha Secretary, i Mr Baxter, who had done everything ! in hid p,wer (or the exhibitors, and | the success of tha Shnw hnd a good i deal to do with the Secretary. (Ap- | plause). Mr Grant concluded by jsaying that he had fully made up his mind to visit Franklin Show on 1 every occasion he could. ! Mr Ihomfon, of Waiuku, said it i was the best show of Ayrshires he I had ever seen in Pukekohe, and was a great improvement upon ar.vtbing they had had in the pasi. In proposing "The President ' Mr H. Booth eulogized the work that Mr Wylie had done, and emphasised the long weeks of worry and hard work that preceded Show Week. Mr Lancaster, in supporting the toast, said: "Keep your P:esident!" Mr Lancaster took the opportunity of leiriarKing that at the Show he was much struck by tie grade Jersey cattle being led our. He had never setn that before; noc at Feihing or evan at Paimerston North. Mr LacasUr pror.ose"Th t.ry" in eulogi-tic ;erms, retiring to the (are and hard work he h-:d put i .t j the Sho«. Mr L:axter suitably responded. In replying on his own behalf, Mr Wylie ta:d he had tried to do his best since he had been put into ths high position of Pnsident Mr Wylie was loudly appiauded. and any deprecatory icmarks he made about himself were enthusiastically pioiested against. Daring ih> evening so gs weie by Messrs W. Jones and A, Young, and Mr Hose, of Onehunga, recit-d.