A. AND P. ASSOCIATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1940, Page 7

A. AND P. ASSOCIATION

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING. ROYAL SOCIETY AND SHOWMEN. The monthly meeting of the general committee of the Masterton A. and P. Association was held in the Farmers’ Rooms last night, the president Mr R. E. Gordon Lee presiding over a large attendance of members. It was decided to send letters of sympathy to the relatives of the late Mesdames McGovern and C. M. Perry and Mr F. W. Joblin and to Mr F. R. Garland in connection with the death of his father.

Six new members were elected, and one resignation, owing to a departure from the town, was received. “Only licensed showmen will be allowed at the Masterton A. and P. Association’s summer show,” stated the president in referring to a circular received from the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand concerning the attitude of the New Zealarid Showmen’s Association to licensing. “We are going to stand firmly behind the Royal Society in their action, as there were undesirables who would not take out licenses. All Associations on the summer show circuit must stand together and refuse to allow unlicensed men in the grounds.” He moved that the association fall into line with the Royal Society and allow only licensed men on the show grounds.

Mr J. M. James stated that prior to the recent Royal Show at Invercargill a conference was arranged by the president of the Southland Association with the showmen, but the conference could not come to an agreement. As a result' the showmen boycotted the Gore show. It was unsafe for other showmen to go on the grounds, as one who did was knocked about. The showmen throughout the country were united and would go to any extreme, as the tactics employed by them prior to the Royal Show proved. In reply to a question from Mr W. Kemp, Mr James stated that the gate takings at both the Gore and Royal Shows showed considerable increases on the previous year’s receipts. It was pointed out by the president that the license, which cost £l, could be issued by Associations which sent the fee to the Royal Society. The unanimous opinion of members was that the action of the Royal Society be endorsed.

The circular in question, which carried the caption “More about the Showmen,” dealt in plain language with the actions of the showmen at the recent Gore and Royal Shows, and was sent to the Feilding, Woodville, Horowhenua, Dannevirke, and Masterton Associations for consideration. Mr L. J. Wild, president of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, had endeavoured to arrange a reconciliation with Mr J. L. Baker, chairman of the New Zealand Showmens Association, and made proposals concerning the issuing of licences at the Royal Show. A meeting of showmen was held the following morning, at which heated discussion arose on the licensing issue and terminated in a riot. The majority decided against the proposals as set out in Mr Wild’s letter. The usual tactics were employed, it was stated. Letters were sent to the local Press, the town was circularised with untruths, protest meetings were held, and an opposition show was set up in a paddock. The attendance at the Show was not affected, in fact the gate receipts were £2375 against £1516 last year. There were several better class forms of amusement at the Show, and these did remarkably well, while the others were “frozen out!” If the Associations stood firm in one short season a long way would be gone in the cleaning up of the showgrounds in the interests of the public and of the better class of showmen, and the undesirable element would be got rid of. No useful purpose could be served by further consultation with the New Zealand Showmen’s Association. whose leaders had adopted tactics not calculated to merit sympathy,” the circular concluded. Mr S. S. Timbs, of Wanganui, wrote enclosing several booklets relating to the breeding of tegs for the Home market. It was decided to send a letter of thanks to Mr Timbs for his kind offer.

The report of the finance committee was adopted. It was decided to close the stock entrance from 10 o’clock on both days of the approaching show. The next meeting of the general committee was fixed for 7 o’clock, on February 2, and will be followed by a meeting of stewards at 8 o’clock. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks' to the chair.