The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 278, 1 October 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1879.

We would be pleased to see the Committee of the coming Pastoral and Agricultural Show endeavor to give it a more commercial character than its predecessors, believing that this is an important elem *nt of success in such undertakings which is apt to be overlooked. The Annual Show should be, in a district like the Wairarapa, an annual fair at which buyers and sellers of stock should be able to- transact business. The catalogue of such a show should, we think, have a sellius price against each entry, with a view to attract purchasers both from our own and neighboring district. The advantage. of adopting such a plan would be that every visitor would know from the catalogue what exhibits could be purchased, and perhaps where one commercial transaction under the old system took place, twenty would be effected under the new one, Another advantage would be that nil sales would have to be effected through the secretary of the Society and the usual commission on such sales would go to the general fund. It has been urged against such a proposal that an exhibitor who did not desire to sell an exhibit ought not be compelled to run a risk by placing a price upon it, This objection, however, can be met by an exhibitor placing a prohibitive price upon it. A man, for instance, may put ,£I,OOO down against a cow as its selling price and rest asmred that the animal will not be sold against his wish. It might occasionally happen that an exhibitor •entered a pen of sheep and fixed their selling value say at £lO. The judges might in their decision give the pen a first prize, and their decision would suddenly raise the value of the pen to a much higher rate. A case ol this kind, however, would be exceptional, and the owner might probably be able, if he wished it, to buy in his o,vn stock. It may also be said that the auction sales in connection with our pastoral shows give the facilities which arc desired for the disposal of stock. In practice, however, auction sales in connection with these shows have proved a decided failure, and it is for this reason we advocate the adoption of another expedient. We have faith ourselves in the Wairarapa being able to support a large and creditable annual show, but we feel convinced that it has not as yet adopted the best means for obtaining such an end, and that till it resorts to them its annual gathering will be but of a very mediocre character.