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Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1917, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL SHOWS IN WAR TIME.

The question of holding agricultural shows during the currency of the war is | exercising the minds of agricultural societies throughout the Dominion, and it has lately been considered by the Taran.aki societies. The Taranaki ami Stratford Associations "discussed the matter on Saturday, and the tone of both meetings was against the proposal. The Egmont Association passed a resolution : strongly recommending the annual mect|ing to postpone the show. We cannot set much is to be gained by postponing the shows, in Taranaki at any rate. They do not monopolise labor that could be more usefully employed at this time, and the country people who attend them do not neglect production, for they perform their work as usual before and after. Shows serve a distinctly useful purpose, in that they tend to the enlightenment of producers as to latest developments in labor-saving machinery and improvements in the breeding of sheep, horses, and cattle, They also serve to make a break for wives and children in a life that is often monotonous and hard. The mere association with other men on such an occasion is productive of benefit to the men on the land. But apart from these considerations 1 there is the point that societies like Stratford and Taranaki have recently embarked on big building and improvement schemes, relying, of course, upon the regular holding of the shows. If the finances were assured it would be a different matter, though we cannot see how the cause of the war, Which all of us believe should be paramount, is in any way promoted by the non-holding of the shows. Indeed, we feel that instead of abandoning them, they should be made more comprehensive and instructive, for, without a doubt, the cost of the war will have to be Borne very. largely by the producers, who therefore should be encouraged in every way possible to improve their methods so as to increase production, without which the burden will be exceedingly heavy. There are many other ways of liberating labor and helping the war, and when they have been fully utilised it will be time to suggest abandoning functions that serve a distinctly useful purpose.