Page 3 Advertisements Column 3

Southland Times, Issue 1345, 9 December 1870, Page 3

who took occasion to regret that none of the Light Horse Brigade officers were present, as they would have been so much more able to give a suitable reply. He was confident, however, that the arm he had the honor of representing would, should the necessity arise, as in these days of war and conquest, needle guns, &c, it might, be found to be Britons, and fully equal to fight as such. " The Commercial Interest," pithily proposed by Mr A. J. Smyth, was responded to ap-. propriately by Mr Blackwood, who hoped; to see trade here increase considerably ere long, especially that with the inland goldfields, which he was happy to say had lately shown considerable improvement. "The Agricultural and Pastoral Inferests " was given by Mr Kennedy, and replied to by Mr Lyon. who spoke of the inseparable connection between the two, and the room there was in this young country for expansion. " Kindred Societies," by Mr Harvey, was replied to by Mr Duncan M' Arthur, on behalf of the home Associations. He sketched at considerable length the rise and progress of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland — the parent of all such associations — and of the great good which had been achieved by its efforts, changing Scotland from being in the rear to the position of the very first country in agricultural pursuits, and agricultural success. To " The Judges " Messrs Kennedy and Elliot replied, both expressing the-n---selves highly pleased with the result of the day's work, but pointing out certain defects and the means to be taken to remedy them- — chiefly by the importation of fresh blood of the hightest strain in the difterent classes. Mr Kennedy expressed himself as particularly surprised and pleased at the excellence of the show grounds and the perfection of the arrangements, saying he had attended shows in nearly all the districts of the Middle Island, but at none of them had he seen anything in these respects that could compare with what he had seen here. In corroboration of this statement, Mr Dalgliesh announced that an Otago gentleman who had visited the ground during the day, was so! gratified with what he beheld that he gave on the spot a donation of £5 to the funds, and on the company insisting onj the name of the patron, he mentioned Mr David M'Kellar, an announcement which was received with much applause., Mr Butts very neatly proposed the " Successful Competitors," linking to it the name of Mr J. B. Sutton, and that gentleman made a few most practical and useful remarks in reply, especially dwelling on the necessity and importance of care and perseverance in the propagation of stock. "The Unsuccessful Competitors," "The Yard Superintendent and Committee," "The Ladies,"; "The Press," and several others followed, and were befittingly honored and acknowledged. Several of the speakers dwelt regretfully upon the fact that but little support was given the Association by the pastoral interest, and that not because there were not plenty of good grazing stock and sheep in the district, but from other reasons which were less defensible. Mr Elliot, in the course of his remarks, alluded to the fact of several purchases of pure bred sheep having recently been made here by leading flockowners in the North Island, amongst others, the Premier, and the hon. Mr Russell, of Hawke's Bay, who had come down personally to select. He knew that both in shorthorn cattle and merino sheep there was as good blood in the district as could be found in Australia, and yet both of these classes had been almost unrepresented that day. He hoped that on future occasions the owners of good stock would see it not only their interest but their duty to exhibit them, and other- . wise to support a society calculated to do ( so much good to the district. At a seasonable hour the proceedings terminated; with the usual thanks to the chair. - : i