The Daily News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4. A WINTER SHOW.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 163, 4 August 1909, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4. A WINTER SHOW.

The Taranaki Agricultural Society is to I be commended for its foresight in emphasising, at its meeting last night, tlmt d a winter show is to be held in ' Plymouth next year, at a date to Ijo r decided on, but between the dates of [ the holding of the Auckland and Mana- j watu shows. The reminder is all the 1 more timely because we notice that < an endeavor is being made to organise j a similar winter exhibition at Hawera, ( and no time should, therefore, be lost ■ in making the Taranaki Society's in- i tentions definitely known. With competitors of the calibre of Hawera in the field, the Ju;al society must recognise that 110 hall-uearted measures will suffice to justify anticipations of success in New Plymouth, and we accordingly impress on the Society the necessity for perfecting, so far as possible at this early date, the preliminary arrangements. Wo have not the slightest hesitation in anticipating success from the outset for a winter show in New Plymouth, tile principal town of the province, but everything depends on the thoroughness with \v!,' h the society or its representatives cany out the necessary arrangements. It must be iceognised at the outset that something ambitious has to be undertaken; at least the arrangements must be sucSi as would not too unfavorably compare wit.i Palmerston North, the show by which all standards must now be set in this island. Such a programme is by no means beyond the capabilities of the society or the town and district, although it must be recognised that in the matter of ready aocommodation we are not in so fortunate a position as the Manawatu people. That difficulty is not insurmountable, however, and with the splendid nucleus of a building in the large drill hall, the closing in and erection of a temporary structure in Kawau Street might offer the best solution, though perhaps somewhat expensive. Undoubtedly the concentration of the I exhibits in adjoining buildings, instead ' of in structures distant one from the other, would be well worth the additional expense involved, always providiflg it wus not prohibitive. There is every reason to believe that the industrial exhibitors, who provide one ot the most attractive icatures ol the Mana watu show, would be very largely represented if given the opportunity of bringing their machinery, etc., under' the notice of the Taranaki farmers. Winter shows afford proprietors and agents of all classes of dairying machinery ur very best opportunity they can "have of advertising their appliances, and no part of New Zealand oilers so good a market for such machinery as Taranaki. Year by year, also, the root crops of Taranaki are increasing in volume and improving in quality, and we are convinced that our up-to-date farmers would be able to send forward exnibiis Mat would not only rclleet lo tlie credit ol Taranaki's productivity, but further prove ail education to those of our farmers who are less up-to-date in their methods. We believe also that at a local show very many more butter and cheese factories in the province would be induced to compete, and that Taranaki 'Would, as it should, provide an exhibition of dairy produce not excelled in the Dominion. In this connection, the Society should consider at an early date the matter of offering | valuable trophies in the dairy produce classes, and lose no time in inakiii" the faet known. Then, again, it has been shown that the Taranaki technical schools' exhibits are of a conspicuous order of merit, and a feature might lie made in this class, as is rightly done at Palmerston, Another and always popular competition—and one that has for years been the leading feature of the Otago winter siiow—is the county bays—each county making a comprehensive exhibit |of practically /evervthijig alt is capabie of producing and manufacturing. Everything considered, we have 110 reason to doubt that a winter show ill New Plymouth would justify its establishment from the outset; it only returns that tile society should rise to the occasion and make the most of the material at its disposal.