SHOW SITE REMOVAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9052, 30 March 1908, Page 5

SHOW SITE REMOVAL.

MASTERTON A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

GENERAL MEETING OF / MEMBERS. PROPOSALS ADOPTED. The Foresters' Hall was crowded to the doors on Saturday afternoon when a special general meeting of members of the Masterton A. and P. Association was held to discuss a recommendation passed by the General Committee that the present Showgrounds be disposed of, and a new site acquired at Solway. Members from all parts of the district were present, and there was a particularly strong representation of South Wairarapa members. The meeting was presided over by Mr J. D. Cruickshank, President of the Association. The Chairman formally moved the following motion in terms of the General Committee's recommendation : "(1) That 75 acres or thereabouts of the Solway Estate, Masterton, be purchased for the purposes of the Association at the following price:— 70 acres (more or less) at the rate of £6O per acre, and 5 acres (more or less) adjacent to the railway line, with buildings thereon, for the sum of £700; and that the Association enter into a contract to purchase the said lands, or to lease the same with a compulsory purchasing clause at the price named. • "(2) That the Committee carry the same into effect and for that purpose enter into any necessary contract or contracts on behalf of the Associa-* tion.

(3) "That the Committee for the purposes aforesaid, sell the present site of the Association, being 33f acres (more or less), parts of Sections 2 and 3, Small Farm Settlement of Masterton, at such pr,ice and upon such terms and co-ditions as the Committee shall determine, and sign on behalf of 4 the Association any contract or contracts for sale or transfer of the said property. Mr Cruickshank in moving that the recommendation bft given effect to, said he felt that the members would realise that the General Committee were acting in what they considered to be the best interests of the Association. The whole question had' been pretty fully thrashed out, and while there was no question that the present Showgrounds were very suitable in many respects, the site offering at Solway was much preferable, and would so raise the status of the Show that it was hoped Carterton would ultimately see its way to unite with Masterton, and that a Show could be held equal to any in the dominion.

Mr G. C. Summerell seconded the motion, and in the course of his remarks said he wished to reply to the criticisms of a section of the Press, which had accused the Committee of withholding information, which should have been made public. He *elt sure members would understand that in such a transaction it was neces&ary certain facts should be withheld, in the interests both of the Association and the syndicate. (Hear hear!) No more was kept back than was absolutely necessary, and as for the allegation that the siiydicate were out on an exploiting expedition nothing was further frond the truth, and the names of the gentlemen composing the syndicate should be sufficient guarantee against such an allegation. (Hear! hear!) The information had now been made public that a profit of some £3OO which the syndicate were making on the sale of fifteen acres adjoining the Show site was to be handed to the Association, and showed how the members of the syndicate had the interests of the Association at heart. (Applause). Mr D. Guild said he thought the syndicate's idea would be carried out, and the Association's interests also conserved, if the resolution » was altered to read that the Association Jease Solway with an optional purchasing clause, and he moved an amendment to that effect. '

Mr J. Boqrke seconded the amendment.

Mr H. R. Bunny said he gave the syndicate every credit for the best motive, but considered they were idealists, and they overlooked the fact that the whole matter of holding a successful Show at Solway hinged upon finance, and unless it could bef financed the result would be disastrous to the Association. He further pointed out that every member of the Association would be liable if loss occurred, and contended that the scheme condemned itself, as the report of the committee showed that £3,000-odd of assets would be absolutely wiped out.- He thouaht it would have been better if a Committee from both Wairarapa Societies had been set up to discuss amalgamation and one Wairarapa Show before the present proposal was made. He was afraid the Association would be losing the substance for the shadow if they went to Solway.

Mr J. Morris spoke strongly in denunciation of the whole scheme, and twitted the piomoters of the proposal in the General Committee with carrying out their preliminary work in reference to the proposal in an unconstitutional way. He declared the whole business to be nothing but an attempt to pander to a few breeders, and prophesied that instead of a profit of some <£7o accruing yearly, as anticipated by the Committee's report £4OO would be lost annually. He pointed out that the area on which Palmerston North Show was held was already less than the Masterton grounds, and yet the local Association wanted a still bigger site. Mr Morris concluded by remarking that-if tho Show had to be removtd to Sol way to appease outside breeders who were already well catered for it was better to have the Show in Dixqn street, and let those breeders stop away. Mr M. Caselberg said he wished to criticise the scheme as a tradesman, and wished to endorse Mr Morris' remarks. The speaker was one of the founders of the Association, and as such felt proud of its present position, the Show all along having the I loyal support of the business people of Masterton. Comparing the Masterton Show with the Palmerston North one he said that it was obvious that it was the situation of Palmerston's Showground -4-right in the heart of the town —which made it so successful, and therefore, it would be unwise for Masterton* to

remove its Show from the centre of population. The only thing which might make a Solway Show a success was the co-operation of the South Wairarapa Society. He moved as a further amendment that the meeting be postponed for six weeks in orderto see what would be the result of the motion to come before the Carterton Association on the 7th of next month, which had for its object the discussion of amalgamation with Masterton. After some discussion the following compounded amendment was substituted for both Mr Caselberg's andi Mr Guild's, these gentlemen being; the mover and seconder respectively of the new amendments: "That in the opinion of this meeting the Solway site is very suitable for a Showground, but that no change be made until amalgamation with the Wairarapa P. and A. Society is assured that this meeting adjourn for six. weeks to see if amalgamation can be accomplished, and that in the meantime the Committee have power to obtain the option of a lease of with the right to purchase." Mr Matheson said that as for the syndicate being termed idealists,. New Zealand was sick fcr idealists. The question now being discussed was not one of mere money, but whether the Association and district should have a provincial or alocal Show, and in holding up the centrality of Palmerston Showgroundsaa an argument in favour of that Show's success the fact was overlooked that trainload after trainloadl arrived from the north and south. That was what would almost certainly be the case at Solway, (Hear! hear!) .

Mr D. McGregor,' jun., said there had been some talk about the present scheme being engineered by breeders, but some of the most enthusiastic supporters and promoters of the scheme on the General Committee were not breeders at all.

Anyhow, who but the big breeders had put time, money, and energy into the work of the Association? Mr Morris: For benefit.

Mr McGregor said he would not admit that. The farmer all round 1 had profited very greatly from the Show and its lessons. (Hear! hear!) As for the gate money, the present takings were not nearly commensurate with the quality of the Show,, and, further, Palmierston from its position as a town must always command a Success any other Show in tha island was unlikely to

achieve. The Wellington and outside subscribers to the two Wairarapa

Societies ' — and . they contributed

easily the greatest revenue from any individual source—protested strongly, against having to support two

Shows, and if they took up a strong

<*tand on the point it might be disastrous for the two Associations.

Mr W. L. Falconer t proceeded to move a further amendmeint that the present site be retained, on the

ground that the report had seriously over-estimated the revenue likely to be derived on the sale of the present grounds. The speaker was not accorded a complete hearing, as applause arid interruption were so pronounced that he sal down. Mr J. McGregor, in the course of,a powerful speech in favour of the motion for removal, said he wished to state, in reference to newspaper : criticisms that the syndicate were out on an exploiting expedition, that nothing more unfair and unjust could

have appeared in public print. (Hear T hear!) He felt very strongly over the assertion, as he had known most of the members comprising the syndicate fur many years—some since .they were born. Two were past Presidents of the Association, and had been devoted workers throughout their connection with it, and as for accusing them of exploiting the Associaton, it was, he repeated, most Unfair. \Mr McGregor then adduced numerous weighty arguments in favour of the removal of the Show to Solway, laying particular stress on the impetus it would give to the Ram Fair, which, he said, was - now cribbed and hampered by being located where it was. Mr C. E. Daniell spoke in opposition to the motion,' believing that the Association would make a mistake if it went to Solway. Mr I. Sykes spoke in favour of the motion and on the point of distance from the town to Solway said ,that other great provincial Shows in v New Zealand and elsewhere ; were held even further away from centres of population than Solway. The tradespeople of Masterton were not, he contended, so greatly entitled to consideration as they appeared to demand, as out of £540 subscribed in donations last year £64 only had come from them. If the business people were so enthusiastic about the Show why, he asked, did they not do as Palmerston did, and declare one whole day holiday? From some 'of, the arguments adduced by opponents to a Solway Show it seemed that tradespeople wanted the people; to come to the town even if the Show was a dummy affair. He characterised Mr Guild's suggestion regarding an option of lease with an option of purchase as being on the lines of a man proposing to a woman and never, intending to marry her. (Roars of laughter). If the worst came to the worst, he said, it had just been proved that the Association had sufficient reliable members who would pay up, if occasion arose, any loss which might result as aniouteome of a removal to Solway. . Mr D. McGregor, sen., also spoke in support of the motion. A show of hands was then taken on the amendment, which was lost. A ballot was then held on the motion, the result being that 187 voted for and 53 against the part of the motion referring to the purchase of Solway (which needed a bare majority only), while I£s voted for and 52 against, the part of the motion referring to the sale of the present Showgrounds, for which'a two-thirds majo"ity was required. The chairman declared both proposals carried by a large majority. The enthusiasm /of the supporters of the motion Was given vent to after the result was announced, the syndicate coming in for a round of lusty cheers.