The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1915. THE SHOW.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 98, 1 December 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1915. THE SHOW.

The Stratford Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s Sixth Annual Show, which opened to-day, is a fixture of more than local interest, for it marks another year’s progress in this fertile district. The Stratford Association, though amongst the youngest of the Agricultural and Pastoral Associations in New Zealand, has, proved its right to existence by its vigorous growth and good work, and by the way in which it has reached the level—and even surpassed the standards of some very old and longestablished sister institutions. The Show is a time-honored means o: awakening emulation in the minds of our farmer friends and encouraging them to friendly rivalry with each other in producing something better and more valuable to the community, than could lie done a lew years hack. The fanning industry is a great onein our country, and wo must omit nothing that will help it forward. Each Show as it comes round serves to remind even these ol us who are not farmers, that the welfare of the Dominion is very largely bound up in the success of the farming industry. More than a year of .strenuous warfare timis the internal prosperity of New Zealand greater than 'it was before the outbreak, figures recently published show that on September 80th last, the value in the increase ol this Dominion's principal exports for the .preceding twelve months was nearly live millions sterling. This sum certainly more than balanced the extra taxation due to the war, though ucfortnnaiely those who have reaped the full benefits have not. in all cases, paid their full share of the necessary taxation. Undoubtedly our exports are Ibe great main stay of the Dominion’:-. increasing wealth and prosperity. and this being so no one ought to realise more fully to-day than the farmers what it means to belong to the British Empire and to receive the protection of the grand old Flag of our fathers. Of course to the farmer tin* Show is supremely interesting, but to townsmen also the lesson of dependence of town on country may be read to some extinct in what is to be seen. Apart from all this there is the merry meeting of old friend-y and a time to be very grateful for. 1