THE AUTUMN SHOW.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1915, Page 4

THE AUTUMN SHOW.

The report of tiie proceedings at the meeting of members of the Taranakl Acunltnnil Snooty on Saturday (pub■shrd c •owhere in this issue) will 'be ,M V ! " ,! "• ,i, " l M ">:-'*- T'lie husithl !u" r 'i V ( ' ""-'ol'" 8 wns ::s t0 w,l< - • ;" A "tw? -Show should be eon- | tmnod or abandoned. That the need • i)/ !,:n-a a discussion should have arisen is not fiatlor.:ng to the farming community of the district, especially as the «'H«'e is attributed to apathy. It PQeins "'"•'"It to understand wliy it should >o necessary to spend so much time and labor over enthusing the farmers on a matter in which they would naturally He expected to evince the keenest interest, but it appears that for the last three years there has -been the greatest oWbenlty m keeping up the -membership. Affording to Mr. Watson's statement, there, are about 1750 farmers in the district served iliy the show. A nn .'.ct cii.y !SI ol these iire members of tne society. It would b 0 interesting to know why f „ f,.,, v support the society wliuui nc-.ls a', least fllin financial meni. hers, and should contain a thousand, .-.t 'present nearly one-half the members are not farmers in any shape or form. like every other institution, the Agricull oral Society cannot <*cist without financial support. Especially is this the at tin- present juncture, when ('ie socio! y is faced with a considerable outlay on its new grounds at Waiwakadio, and the committee very properly declines to commit itself to 'an expenditure of some .C-ll'M) under the nresent circumstances. All the speakers appear to have had a feeling- of regret that the Miciely is at such a low ebb. for, in spite of the work 0 f a special canvasser, only -illll memHiers weri- olitained last vi-ar. and twentv-iwo of thes.- have not become linancicL Mr. Oolsoii fittingly voiced (he feeling (hat should exist' in (he district when he .-aid it would 'he a crying shame for tin- Aiilumn Show (o he dropped. 'Che Winter Show, which largely depends on the support of the town, pays its way. and it is a serious refection on the fanners that the Autumn Show should languish for lack of support. Tt is not. as if they bad been enduring the stress of bad seasons, for never have they been so prosperous an of late, and it should be a point of honor with them to make the society share, in the success. Every effort has been made by the committee to ensure the attractiveness of the show, and it has -riven due consideration to every su-gotion made by (he fanners. The present position of affairs is a slur on the district, and it needs expunging. A

suggestion was made that committees should 'be appointed to canvass the variout -parts of the district to raise funds, and eventually the meeting was adjourned for tv.o months to allow of this'noing done. Whether funds for eu'.lipping the new grounds are obtained by donations, i,'ebc:i!::res or menibcrsliiji fees does not matter so long as the necessary money is secured, and it should be without difficulty. There was a eommondable en-thu.-iasni among those present, and that ceuu'is for a {food ileal .f it can be iiiade in:'e.-; ; o"i. There is ; . need for the show. :>.;id farmers should loyally and liierr.'ly -support it, and, as the. money is to lv spent on ground 'belonging to the society, it will be a pood jis-ict. For their o-'-m credit ami in their own inter-e-ts. tin' farmers of the district should s'-e to it that a new life of increased usefulness is given to Hie soeiety, whi.-ll ex'els -for the benefit of the fanners absolutely.