Financial  Position  and  Show  of  1905. 
XI 
Sir  Jacob  Wilson  thought  it 
would  be  premature  for  them  to 
discuss  at  this  stage  the  question  of 
continuing  at  Park  Royal  or  of 
reverting  to  migratory  Shows,  but  in 
regard  to  next  year,  they  had  been 
strengthened  very  much  by  what 
had  occurred  at  the  conferences  on 
the  previous  day,  when  both  bodies 
were  enthusiastic  in  their  expression 
of  opinion  that  there  must  be  a Show 
of  some  sort  next  year.  The  Society's 
Show  was  the  outward  and  visible 
sign  of  the  existence  of  the  Society. 
If  there  were  no  Show,  then  they 
might  say  “good-bye”  to  the  Society. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  was  obvious 
that  they  must  go  to  Park  Royal,  if 
anywhere,  in  1905,  but  the  Society 
must  be  placed  in  a position  which 
would  render  it  entirely  independent 
of  the  gate  money. 
Mr.  Ralph  Palmer  hoped  he 
would  be  forgiven  as  a new  Member 
of  the  Council  for  totally  disagreeing 
with  the  proposition  that  had  been 
made.  They  could  not  expect  any 
financial  support  until  they  were 
reconstituted  under  a new  Charter. 
He  suggested  as  an  alternative,  that 
the  Society  should  abandon  the  Show 
for  one  year,  and  in  the  meantime 
their  finances  would  be  rehabilitated  ; 
also  that  a Committee  be  appointed 
to  consider  their  relations  with  the 
Park  Royal  Company  and  the  Show- 
yard.  This  was  a drastic,  but  an 
honest  course,  and  one  which  was 
sound.  Until  they  had  a new  Charter, 
they  would  be  unable  to  go  before 
the  world  with  a perfectly  clean  slate. 
The  Marquis  of  Granby  said  that 
whilst  they  might  be  able,  by  some 
means  or  other,  to  obtain  sufficient 
money  to  carry  on  the  Show  next 
year,  he  did  not  think  that,  unless 
some  rich  person  came  forward  and 
presented  the  amount  en  hloc,  the 
necessary  sum  would  be  forthcoming. 
In  any  case,  they  would  not  be  one 
whit  more  forward  in  the  direction  of 
relieving  the  Society  from  the  terrible 
condition  of  debt  in  which  they  were  at 
present.  On  the  contrary,  they  would 
be  certainly  in  a worse  position  than 
they  were  now.  Interest  had  to  be  paid 
on  the  money  which  the  Society  had 
borrowed,  and  they  were  at  this 
moment  without  any  further  asset 
to  pledge,  besides  which  they  must 
pay  off  those  gentlemen  who  had  so 
kindly  guaranteed  the  money  to  keep 
them  afloat.  Their  Soeiety  at  the 
present  time  was  short  by  3,0001.  per 
annum  on  the  General  Account,  apart 
from  the  administration  of  the  Show. 
The  Society  needed  to  be  reconstituted 
from  top  to  bottom.  Without  doing 
this,  it  was  proposed  to  face  a Show 
which  cost  20,000?.  at  the  least  for 
one  year  without  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  circumstances  of  their 
present  financial  position.  He  would 
far  ratlier  see  propositions  made  to 
the  Members  by  which  it  might  be 
shown  that  they  were  all  trying  to 
carry  on  their  affairs  on  a very  much 
smaller  basis,  if  necessary,  than  they 
were  at  present,  and  to  take  steps  to 
clear  off  their  present  liabilities  in 
order  to  prevent  the  Society  from 
being  wound  up. 
Mr.  Pell  expressed  his  agreement 
with  Lord  Derby  that  they  could  not 
hold  a Show  at  Park  Royal  in  1905 
unless  a sufficient  guarantee  fund 
was  raised.  They  had  better  settle 
that  question  as  soon  as  possible. 
Mr.  Hornsby  agreed  with  Lord 
Granby  that  they  should  draw  the 
Society  to  a close  and  start  afresh, 
and  he  thought  that  before  any 
decision  was  come  to  with  regard  to 
next  year,  some  plan  ought  to  be 
laid  before  their  Members  as  to  the 
possibility  of  carrying  on  the  Show 
with  some  prospect  of  success. 
Lord  Wenlock  inquired  whether, 
if  it  should  be  decided  to  hold  a Show 
in  1905  upon  a sufficient  sum  being 
guaranteed,  it  was  also  intended  to 
pay  off  their  present  liabilities  as  well 
as  the  expenses  of  next  year’s  Show. 
He  thought  it  desirable  that  they 
should  know  exactly  what  their 
position  was,  and  he  could  not  sup- 
port Lord  Derby’s  proposal  until  it 
was  more  clear  as  to  what  their 
future  position  was  to  be. 
The  Earl  of  Jersey  agreed  with 
Lord  Wenlock  and  Lord  Granby, 
who  had  raised  the  vital  question 
of  the  honour  and  existence  of  the 
Society.  They  were  in  an  awkward 
financial  position,  and  they  were 
not  trying  to  relieve  that  pressure. 
Simply  trying  to  get  a guarantee  to 
hold  another  Show  would  not  help 
