The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 6. WINTER SHOW BUILDINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 257, 6 December 1909, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 6. WINTER SHOW BUILDINGS.

It is a sine qua non that if the winter show to be inaugurated next year by the Taranaki Agricultural Society is to be successfully and permanently established as a provincial institution, permanent and suitable buildings must be provided. For the first show it is proposed to utilise the Drill Hall, augmented possibly by the temporary closing and covering in of Kawau street. Granted that this oilers the best solution of the housing problem from the limited accommodation available, it decs not follcw that the Society should net strive after something more ambitious and in keeping with their .aspirations. This prompts us to ask whether the So cicty has adequately considered the question of erecting suitable buildings on its own excellent site—St. Germain's Square. The area comprises about one and three-quarter acres, enclosed by ElHot, Gill, Molesworth and High street*?, and if necessary might he enlarged by the closing of High street, bringing tin' total area up to nearly two acres, flui that would not be necessary for v«n

many years to come. It does not necessarily follow that because the Manawatu society has its showgrounds contiguous to the winter exhibition buildI mgs it is incumbent on our Society to make similar provision. In the caoe of the Cautcrhny and Otago societies, their monster v. inter shows arc .leld i'l their ohi pcimanent buildings in .lie mart o: the c'ih-s, and certainly do ml, I >'n:br»'ce much more than an acre nf ground space. Competitions are cretin! iy summer show features, and there seems n:i iKW*ity why provision w-vA ever be made for adding lo a -vimor show features that could not be accommodated under cover, or within a comparatively small open space, file poim, therefore, that the Society should rm.'c > seriously consider is whether it would , not be in their very best interests to • conserve St. Germain's Square for the) ' own requirements, instead of leasing tiie I land for building purposes, and then < having to invest in land elscwhero for I the location of the winter show. We > have not the slightest doubt that the ' winter show will be a complete succci< : [ but while no one expects that the i" > augural exhibition will be on such com ' pletc and comar. I'ensive lines as, for in- > stance, Pa utersten >'orth, the oopuhu- > ity of thd sh'JW will only be maintained ! if the original imperfections and cms- > parative primitiveness arc subsequently [ rectified. It is certain, however, no > matter how assiduously the Society > may strive to raise the status of it* * winter show, that its efforts will never be completely successful so long .is makeshift accommodation only is availI able. It" is clearly evident, therefore, » that the first essential requirement of ( the Society is a suitable exhibition buiMi ing, and the question to be considered [ is how best it might be provided, li > wi'l not be disputed that the site avail- > able is the very best that could ?:>«• sihly be procured. The position is not | one, however, that would enable tin > bnildings, or the frontage portions ol > them, to be let to permanent tenant*. > such as would be the case were the > buildings on Devon, or other of the [ streets in the business area. There is. > however, the possibility of arrangements > being made with the Defence DepartI ment, by which the buildings could be > let as a drill hall. The present head- [ quarters of the town companies bas , nearly outlived its usefulness, and is i moreover on land too valuable to be iy- | ing practically unproductive. Vor i some time the volunteer companies have > been on the look-out for a suitable site [ whereon to erect more up-to-date buildi ings, and negotiations have been opened > with the Education Board for the utilisation, under certain conditions, of a portion of St. Michael's Square. Under the new defence proposals, it Is quite apoaront that much more accommodation will be required for the drilling of the , large numbers of youths and men who are to be compuisorily enrolled. It seems to us that the' accommodation available on St. Germain's Square is quite ample for the requirements of the Defence Department for many years to come, and the rental that would be earned by leasing the buildings would go a considerable way towards pavim? interest on the cost of* construction.' We anticipate hut little difficulty would be experienced in raising the" necessary funds on debentures, and were the project taken up enthusiastically by the Society there is no reason why- the I buildings should not be available for flic first show next year. We commend the scheme to the Society for scrmu= cnn s'dfTffUoi], feeling satisfied that bv utilising its own land the Society will eventually, and at an early date,'be in a far stronger position than if it has to seek a site for its permanent establishment elsewhere.