The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1903. THE WANGANUI SHOW.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 1279, 28 November 1903, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1903. THE WANGANUI SHOW.

The officers and members of the Wanganui Agricultural Association have every reason to be well pleased with the Show of 1903. It was certainly the biggest and best Show ever held in the district, and the remarkable succses which characterised it proves, we think, beyond doubt that it) only requires continued enthusiasm and unrelaxed energy on the part of tho members of the Association to ensure the fixture becoming one of the most popular in the colony. The splendid number of entries, considerably exceeding the number catalogued for any other Show, affords a gratifying proof of. the lively interest which the people generally manifest in the event. The aggregate of the entries is, of course, swelled by tihe large number of exhibits which come within the definition of "home industries," but even if we Wave this very important and very attractive feature out of the reckoning it is possible' to make a comparison with Christchurch, Palmerston North, and I Hawke's Bay such as is thoroughly satisfactory to Wnaganui. Thus, if we take tba essentially agricultural sections of the catalogue—the horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs—we find —atJ our total entries wei*e only 228 less than the number recorded at Palmet-'ston North last' week, 240 less ( than Christchurch, and only seven behind Hawke's Bay. In horses we have by far She biggest showing, but a weakness in the other three sections leaves us a little behind in the aggregate. If, however, we include dogs, which find a placet in the catalogues at the other Shows, we find that here again we have the best display, while their totals, added to the others, bring us [within 40 of Christchurch and 97 of Palmersilon, and places us 184 ahead of Hawke's Bay. Then if we add poultry (not included in the Canterbury catalogue) we come to within 48 of the total live stock aggregate of Palmerston, and 433 ahead of Napior. It will thus be seen that, without the home industries section, we have practically come up with the two biggest Shows in the colony. Four years ago the suggestion that we should so soon havei made such remarkable progress as to justify us in entering upon a comparison with Canterbury and Manawatu would have been laughed at. It* is reasonable to-day to suggest that if our farming friends will only put their shoulders to the wheel, and determine to make next .year's Wanganui Show the greatest agricultural and pastoralaFtraction of the year, ':ioy luivo it in their pow«r to do so. !ihey have only to make up their minds to fill the cattle, sheep, and pig pens, and we feel sure they will do it. Had thq entries in these three sections been reasonably representative of the capabilities of the district, we should this year easily have topped the poll. It is unnecessary to dwell upon the great advantages which accrue to the farmers of a district as the outcome of a successful and well-conducted Show, and it ought to be apparent to every farmer, large or small, throughout this and the surrounding districts that) it is to his personal interest to help towards the success of the Wanganui Show. The townspeople have proved their willingness to do their full share, both as exhibitors and patrons, and it only remains for the settlers to do likewise. The comments made by some of the judges in the cattle, shftep, and pig classes clearly indicated that in their opinion the on- [ tries were not what they ought to have been, or what might fairly have been expected from so large and productive a district. The thousands who thronged the grounds amd buildings on both days, and especially the record crowd of Thursday afternoon, testifies to the fact that the Show lias capured public favour and won popular recognition as the big gala went of the year. In this connection we must express our appreciation of the compliment paid us by the people of Marton, in observing a close holiday on account of the Wanganui Show. We can assure them that such neighbourly consideration will not bel forgotten. The general management of the Show calls for a word of commendation. The judging was got through expeditiously, the stewards were attentive to their dutes, and the secretarial staff under Mr Selby Morton's able management coped successfully with the gr«at amount of work and worry which fell fco their lot. Just

here it may not be out of place to men- J tion that the "Chronicle" representatives at the Show learned from judges and other visitors of their complete satisfaction with the courtesy and attention shown them by the officers and secretary of the Association, a detail which tends in no small degree to either make or mar a Show. To the ladies who worked so splendidly a special word of praise is due. They have indeed earned the gratitude of the Association, and they have the satisfaction of knowing that the departments which they so ably superintended were among the most successful arid attractive features of the Show. We hope next year to be able to chronicle an even greater success, and we feel sure thai) it will be our pleasant duty to do so if only the officers and members of the Association continue to manifest (and we are confident? they will) the same lively interest in their work.