The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1915 AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 137, 12 February 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1915 AGRICUL T URAL SHOWS.

(With which is incorporated The Tai hape Post Vfl3 Wnimarino News.)

In our correspondence columns on Wednesday, “ Agricola” made some very helpful remarks about agricultural shows which may profitably be enlarged upon. Setting aside altogether the axiomatic fact that towns in all rural territories must benefit approximately in proportion to the money earned and brought in by those engaged upon the land in its surroundings, and by coming down to our own practical and almost invariable experience of these exhibitions, or expositions, we cannot; overlook the value and importance of the impetus they occasion to manufacturing and retail business. It is, perhaps, superfluous to say that it is not only exhibitors and competitors who purchase extra to what they ordinarily require, but every visitor, whether his homo is in the district in which the show is held or out of it, must have some needs that involve, a greater or lesser expenditure while at the show. Competitors have often to buy new equipment of one kind or another; dress is required by the ladies; children need partial or wholly outfitting; and in such small matters alone the accumulation of wants, spread .over shopkeepers in a town like this, needs the outlay of a very considerable sum of money. Competing horses require new harness, the family vehicle needs attention, there is a little extra horseshoeing, to say nothing of what will be spent in refreshments, in cigars, tobaccos, and other luxuries of one sort or another. In fact, there, are indeed few businessmen in the town who will not profit more or less from so large" a gathering as the agricultural and pastoral show brings together. It is an occasion for businessmen to advertise themselves, as well as their town; the object of advertising is first, to attract attention from the greatest number of people, and as a town like Tab hapo cannot have any function that will bring so many people into the town, there is nothing of

remember llm Palmerston show when it was but a very small edition of what it is to-day, but Palmerston business people fully realised the possibilities there were for commercial progress, and they strenuously strove by every means in their power to achieve what was possible; they not only worked,.but they contributed with the farming community towards the appointment of ;

permanent secretary and thus laid lire foundation stone of one of the finest exhibitions in the world. Mr. Newman, the member for Rahgitikei, in opening the Marlon Agricultural and Pastoral Show on Wednesday strongly commented upon the fact that another large .show.must, sooner or later,, come into existence hereabout, and he claimed that Marion was Hie most central and suitable locality for the evolution of such a show. Still, he unwittingly disclosed that his mind was obsessed with the dangerous' nearness of two other large shows, Palmerston and Peiiding. That Marton is a centre cannot be denied, but wc believe that its opportunity to become the home of a great, representative. agricultural exhibition departed as Palmerston and Feilding grew in importance and prominence. Then there is only one other place that can offer the peculiar advantages and suitable situation, and that is Taihape, and it rests entirely with Taihape businessmen to determine whether this is to become a large agricultural centre or not. Everything seems to be operating in their favour; the erection of freezing works will furnish assistance that few other districts have, and if our Chamber of Commerce will work in conjunction with the Agricultural and Pastoral Association to that end we cannot believe failure to secure the utmost is possible. Businessmen must bear in mind that all preliminary work towards improvement must not be left to farmers.; they live too far away and too far apart to enable them to successfully organise; this must be realised, and all tin initiatory work, if necessary, inns' be done by business organisers in town. More suitable conditions, or better outlook for the establishment of a large representative show seems impossible; time and tide arc now both favourable to the achievement of almost certain success. A number of small shows arc being held within a limited radius of this town; one of them has to develop into a representative gathering, and it seems quite superlions to say that no place offers such advantages as Taihape, and it only remains for our leading businessmen to institute a vigorous initiative, interesting, and working with, farmers in the movement towards the end that means so much for the commercial status of the ...town and the maintenance of the highest value of our already splendid producing back country. Farmers and paste ralists will realise that every exhibit they put into the show helps to improve the value of their holdings, and likewise that patronising a show in another district detracts from their own, and adds to the value of another. To secure the utmost farmers and pastoralists must he loyal to their own district first, -for most assuredlyjtny want of such loyalty invokes some detriment to their best interests. We hope to see all our leading pastoralists and farmers identifying themselves with a definite movement to make the Tathape Show strongly representative of the whole territory from Marlon to Tanmarunni.