Correspondence.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 707, 28 December 1876, Page 3

Correspondence.

(ST Our Correspondence columns being impartially open to all matters of public interest, we cannot he identified with the opinions therein expressed.

Sir, — After reading your report of the debate in the Cambridge Farmer's Club about the holding of a Show in connection with the Club, and particularly Mr Clarkes statements with regard to tho action of the "Te Awamutu people I feel compelled to try to put the case in a fairer and truer light Not that I have any wish to constitute myself an »po)o-gist-gereral for the said "Te Awamutu people" but as one who has been connected with the Central Waikato Agricultural Association i from the commencement, I am quite ready to justify the action taken by the promoters of that Society. Fint then as to Mr Clarks statement an to Ihe "disgrncrf til" conduct of "tho Te Awamutu people' in repudiating the action of their delegates, I must give a little hi»tory of tho affair and I will try not to trespass too much on jour space in doing »o. Thortly after the last Cam* bridge Cat+le Show, a meeting wm called I think by Capt Ruutimun at' Ohaupo for the purpose of constituting a generul Waikato Agricultural Society ; at that meeting it was propoied »o hold shows alternately at Hamilton Cambridge and Te Awamutn. An amendment wai proposed substituting Oliaupo instead of the three places- Although the amendment was carried on the fhow of bands, yet as some gentlemen pr* sent objected strongly to the change, the gentleman who proponed the amendment withdrew it, and proposed to add Alexandra to the other places. It was then agreed thtt the -shows sboald be held at the four plaocs alternately, taken alphabetically, and a Committee was appointed to carry out the wishes of the meeting. I say decidedly that Mr Clarko does not put the matter fairly, when he calls the Committee by the name of delegates. It ua» «. committee appointed for a certain purpose and had no right whatever to make any alteration in the programme decided Oil at the meeting. The difference aroso in this w*y : Some of the Committee thought that as theie had been u sho w at Cam bridge already that the next place by the Alphabetical rule, should be Hamilton. Others thought that this being an entirely new Association that the commencement should be at the beginning and Alexandra should stano> first on the list. It was then proposed by way of getting over the difficulty that the show ehould be held at the town which subscribed the most money. The members of the Committee from Te Awamutu said that they bad no power to mi>ke this alteration, and the matter being carried against them they refused to have anything to do with the affair, and from this differencs arose the "Central Association," and, for my own part, I can so nothing " disgraceful" in the conduct of the Te Awamutu Committeemen. But why should we b»ve to po over this old ground afresh. The Presidents of the old Cambridge AsFOcialion once stated in reply to a question in the newspaper that the difficulty was not one of place at all, but of time. It was Spring t Autumn Well, we hare agreed to the Spring Show, and although it cannot be said to be have been a surcess or anywhere n«ar it. I do not think it wonld be hard to find rea•ons for it, and I will venture to say that should another Show bo held, the experience gained by the last will not be thrown away, and that the second will be a ver;. long way better than the first. With regard to the question under discussion at the Club, it is not for me to speak. The Club has as nouoh right to hold a Cattle Show as it has to have an inspection of farms, but still it does seem to me very inopportune, and a very great pity that it should come just now. After years of disunion it seemed as if there was at lost a chance of uniting and a promising beginning seemed to have been made, which with a little care and forbearance might nt last obliterate tho old breach, but if Cambridge is to have a show to itself, it •c«n fcarcely be expected that the rest of the Waikato will join with it. Bather let the matter be discussed at the Annual Meeting of the Association and if Ohiupo is not the right place! for holding -shows let the right place be then decided on.— l am, &xs, J H. Mandino. Te Awamutu, Dec 23rd, 1876.