Show  of  1905. 
Ixxiii 
resolution  had  been  complied  with. 
He  found  himself  in  the  unpleasant 
position  of  being  obliged  to  ask  whether, 
if  the  circumstances  should  be  such 
that  nothing  could  be  done  to  guaran- 
tee the  full  expenses  of  the  Show,  xiz., 
up  to  the  10,000/.  named,  they  would 
not  have  to  look  the  facts  in  the  face 
and  abandon  their  Show  for  one  year. 
He  felt  as  deeply  as  any  one  in  the 
Society  their  position  in  connection 
with  breaking  the  continuity  of  the 
Shows.  The  only  occasion  when  such 
a course  had  been  taken  was  at  the 
time  of  the  cattle  plague  in  1866, 
when  no  Show  was  held.  It  seemed 
to  him  a very  sad  state  of  things  that 
they  should  have  to  consider  the 
adoption  of  such  a course  now.  For 
himself,  he  had  no  misgivings  as  to 
the  future  of  the  Society,  if  they  could 
pull  themselves  together.  He  tliought 
there  were  many  whose  minds  would 
be  made  up  in  their  favour,  if  they 
took  a calm  and  dispassionate  view  of 
the  situation. 
He  did  not  propose  to  go  into 
figures  which  had  been  read  and 
discussed  on  former  occasions.  The 
issue  before  them  was  a simple  one ; 
Were  they  or  were  they  not  justified 
in  holding  a Show  next  year  if  the 
conditions  were  not  complied  with  for 
which  the  guarantee  was  asked  ? With 
very  great  reluctance  he  asked  if  the 
Council  were  determined  to  go  forward 
notwithstanding.  He  did  not  intend 
to  propose  any  negative  motion  on 
this  question,  and  he  only  desired  to 
raise  his  voice  against  any  proposals 
to  hold  a Show  next  year  unless  the 
necessary  money  for  the  purpose  could 
be  obtained.  The  Societ}'  must  look 
facts  in  the  face.  He  believed  that  a 
turning-point  in  the  life  of  the  Society 
would  result  from  their  pulling  them- 
selves together,  and  by  giving  effect 
to  alterations  in  their  Charter  so  far 
as  possible.  With  these  feelings  he 
desired  to  enter  a protest  against  going 
forward  with  this  matter,  and  to  ex- 
press his  very  strong  objection  against 
holding  a Show  in  190.5  unless  the 
guarantee  asked  for  by  the  Council 
were  complied  with. 
The  Marquis  of  Granby  said  he 
believed  that  the  course  propo.sed  by 
TiOrd  Derby  was  the  most  practical 
one  to  pursue,  and  he,  for  one,  would 
VOL.  65. 
support  it.  It  was  perfectly  true  that 
it  might  be  said  that  5,000/.  was 
sufficient  to  enable  tlie  Society  to  hold 
a Show  next  year  ; but  if  it  was  not, 
the  terms  of  the  resolution  passed  in 
October  were  specific,  and  the  Council 
ought  to  feel  bound  by  them.  If  the 
Show  should  not  be  held  next  year, 
this,  no  doubt,  would  cause  dissatisfac- 
tion in  some  quarters,  and  the  Society 
might  in  consequence  lose  a certain 
number  of  Members.  He  did  not,  how- 
ever, think  that  this  was  an  absolute 
fact.  On  the  other  hand,  he  believed 
it  would  do  far  more  to  create  a feel- 
ing throughout  the  country  that  the 
Council  were  acting  in  the  very  best 
interests  of  the  Society  by  doing  as 
suggested  and  not  holding  a Show 
next  year.  By  this  means  t'ley  would 
be  able  to  reduce  expenses,  and  prob- 
ably in  the  subsequent  year  they  might 
have  a sufficiency  of  income  to  hold  a 
Show,  quite  irrespective  of  the  fact  of 
whether  it  paid  its  way  or  not.  But 
they  should  not  go  forward  blindly  to 
hold  a Show  next  year  and  afterwards 
find  themselves  more  deeply  in  debt 
than  they  were  at  the  present  moment. 
If  they  abandoned  the  Show  next  year, 
and  placed  themselves  in  a thoroughly 
sound  financial  position,  they  would, 
so  far  fi'om  minimising  the  belief  in 
the  .stability  and  real  value  of  the 
Society,  only  heighten  and  improve 
its  po.sition.  He  desired  to  support 
Lord  Derby's  proposal,  as  he  thought 
it  would  be  the  wisest  course  to  adopt. 
Mr.  Sanday  sympathised  very 
much  with  the  remarks  made  by 
Lord  Derby.  He  did  not  wish  to 
advocate  the  holding  of  a Show  with- 
out a sufficient  guarantee  to  meet  any 
possible  loss ; but  he  believed — and 
there  were  a great  many  others  of 
the  same  opinion— that  in  fixing  the 
sum  of  10,000/.  as  the  guarantee  re- 
quired, they  had  named  too  high  an 
amount.  He  felt  the  great  impoi'- 
tance  to  the  Society  of  holding  a Show 
in  1905,  and  he  himself  would  be 
anxious  to  go  forward  with  the  Show 
if  in  the  course  of  another  month  a 
sufficient  sum  in  the  opinion  of  the 
Council  were  received  to  meet  the 
possible  losses.  He  quite  agreed  that, 
in  view  of  the  resolution  passed  in 
October,  it  would  be  imprudent  with 
oidy  5,000/.,  half  the  sum  named,  to 
HH 
