THE WINTER SHOW.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 54, 13 June 1910, Page 5

THE WINTER SHOW.

THE CLOSING SCENES. VERY LARGE ATTEM)AiNCE. There was a very large attendance at the Winter Show on Saturday afteniooa and evening, and the hall aud anne» I presented an ununited sce;ie. As though . spurred on by the better weather which i had conduced to this very pleasing ftaj lure, the stallholders 'became more active in their business, and more enthusiastic in their explanations. The great revolving canoply in the centre of the main building simn at unwonted speed. The oil and steam engines p-.iffcu and snorted, and "everything in the garden was lovely." Mr. Perry's orchestra, stationed cosily in the midst of the Red Post furniture exhibit, played a programme of capital selections,'and played it well. Mr. Boulton's "Klingsor" and other gramophones, and Mr. Hoffmann's I Aeolian pianola •filled in the gaps. There was quite a run on Mr. C. Carter's cups of tea and Mr. Veale's Fasifern cheese, whilst the crowd pressed closelv round Messrs. Hooker and Co.'s rapidly ru»ning printing machine, and Mr. F. W. Sandford's turning lathe. The crowd at the lathe widened out considerably when a piece of wood fled from under the chisel and caught the Mayor on the most prominent, feature of "his crenial physiognomy. By this time the accumulated dust of three days had softened some of the rough outlines of the crude drawings of the wee children, and blotted out some of the fine lines of the work of the serious; whilst it had wade the cookery exhibits f„r from tempting. The girt auction conducted by Mr S W Shaw went like wildfire." He caught winks which were never intended for lum, and loaves of 'bread and huge pumpkins found unexpecting owners. It was great fun while it lasted, and fun that was profitable to the Agricultural

Jlhere was a break in the business about half-past eight o'clock, when several of the officials mounted the platform. Stentorian veils eventually reduced the buzzing multitude to abject silence. Then Mr. Okev. M.P., told the people, with commendable brevity, that the Taranaki Agricultural Society's first winter show was just about closing, and that, despite wretched weather and a whole lot of other unfavorable things, it was likely to be a financial success— a remark that was greeted with cheers. Mr. Okey thanked the people for their liberal patronage, and then he went on to pay a well merited tribute to Mr. Walter Ambury, the president of the Society, for his "whole hearted energy" m a lot of uphill work. Manv people had said that the show couldn't be a success, and had trotted out the bad season and various other arguments to support the statement. But Mr. Ambury had believed it could bo done— (cheers') —and the success of the show was but a proof of wlnt one man could do when he was at all decently assisted. He called for three cheers for Mr. Ambury, and thev were forthcoming from all parts of the building. Mr. Perry in chirge of the orchestra, caught the'jrumor of the crowd and launched into the strain of "He's a jollv ffood fellow," Mr. Perry leading the singing. Everybody sang heartily, and what did it matter if they could hear the orchestra or the peo,ple on the other side of the hall! They all sang, and finished within a few | seconds of the final note of the drchesitra.

Mr. Ambury stopped forward and told the people that he didn't like this sort of demonstration. Had he knowh it TTOfi coming he'd have been away over at the other side of the town. Biit he thanked them very sincerely all the same. "I have only done my little bit." he said, "towards running this show, and I hope that each one here will do his and her little bit next year as heartily and with as much pleasure as I have dose mine." They had got their "new babr," and he was looking very healthy. (Laughter.) Next year he would be nble to walk right well. He was confident that had they had a hall three times the size it would have been filled, for he knew that, owing to the limited accommodation, they had not had the support of all who would have liked to help and to participate. He was quite sure, too, that if the Mayor and some of the leading men came along with a proposal to put up a big Agricultural Hall the idea would catch on. Mr. Tisch. Mayor of New Plymouth; added 'his tribute of praise to Mr. Ambury and to the Society unon the success of the show, and prophesied a bigger success next year, because .he felt sure that the district and the people would loyally support it.