MASTERTON AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL SOCIETY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2112, 5 October 1885, Page 2

MASTERTON AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL SOCIETY.

The following circular has been issued A by the Masterton Agricultural and Pas- jH toml Association Sir—l am directedflfflj by the Executive Committee to invite youH to become a member and' supporter of 188 this Association, and in doing so I have VI to lay before you the conditions under jH which it has been formed. What is now B the Wairarapa and East Coast Pastoral fl and Agricultural Society held a meeting H fn 1876 at Tauherenikau, and in 1877 at fi Masterton. In 1878, at a meetjlggj?sub- 1 scribers to the Society, held at.psterton, 1 it was resolved"to'hold the show at Car- 1 terton. At that time the railway was not open to Masterton. The committee then purchased the land at Carterton on which the show is now held, and a debt of £I2OO was incurred, which, at a meeting recently held, the Treasurer of the Society affirmed to be reduced by one-half, and to be now £6OO only, though it was stated that promises of money, and by which part of the reduction was to be effected, would be withdrawn if the show were to be moved. The effect of this debt was no doubt seriously to cripple the Society, while the gate money and the subscriptions by no means afforded sufficient funds to make up for the 'drain of intere it. Considerable discontent arose as to the nature of the rewards to the successful competitors, and in view of the altered position of affairs in the Valley the Masterton Farmers' Club came, on the 30th of May, 1885, came to the conclusion that a new society should , be formed and the show held at Master- S ton. Before, however, taking definite # stops to organise a new association, it was felt that, considering that the show had been located at Carterton, and the debt (however unwisely) incurred with the passive assent of the settlers throughout the Counties, it was only proper to try and meet the existing Society and accept a fair share of the responsibility • for the debt, on condition always that the show should be moved to Masterton. This offer was made by deputation and put into writing, and it is impossible to maintain that our Association has acted otherwise than with the greatest consideration to the existing Society. The reply received seems, to our Association, nothing short of an unqualified rejection to these amicable advances, and as it relies for this rejection on a claim to tl;« absolute permanent irrevocability of the decision arrived at at the before-men-tioned Masterton meeting in 1878, the Committee of the Masterton Association feol that it is not only useless, to discuss the matter further, but that the rejection of the offer to bear half the debt, and the assertion of so unreasonable a. claim, relieves this Association, in common with all North County settlers, from all further responsibility to the old Society or itg obligations, It must, we t 1$ clear to you, as it to our Association, , that Masterton has become the ohiof 1 town in the Valley; that it has already a § large population,which is rapidly increasing; that its trade is established on a solid and permanent-basis, resting on a wide oxtent of rich land, settled and unsettled, the development and settlement of which is steadily progressing; and that its attractions are such as to secure what is essential to the success of agricultural and pastoral shows—large gate money. In these elements of success, they feel that Carterton is almost entirely wanting. The Committee most unwillingly are compelled tq refer tq ana ' point; statements have been assiduously made that this Association is the outcome of political wire pulling.' TheCommitteo emphatically deny this, and point to the constitution of the Committees and to the names of the officers of the Association an a complete refutation of such worthless statements, We trust that you will support the Association and assist it to succeed in what it has undertaken.' If at first it is necessarily supported chiefly by the North Cuunty settlers, the Committee is convinced that ultimately the'Soufclj County settlors wjll see that, the A B W a ," tion has not aptccj without * just' With tho settlers and flock-owners of the South County our Association has had no quarrel, They will at all times receive a cordial wolcome at the Masterton annual shows, and will eventually, it is confidently hoped, throw in their lot with us."