XXVI 
General  Meeting,  June  24,  1909. 
and  co-operation  which  the  Society  obtained  and  the  cordiality  with  which 
they  were  received  by  the  municipalities  of  the  localities  visited.  They  had 
been  very  fortunate  in  that  respect  in  the  past,  and,  in  his  opinion,  they  had 
nowhere  been  more  fortunate  than  they  had  been  on  the  occasion  of  their 
present  visit  to  the  city  of  Gloucester. 
The  resolution  was  then  put  to  the  meeting,  and  carried  unanimously. 
The  Mayor  of  Gloucester,  in  acknowledging  the  vote,  said  he  would 
assure  the  members  of  the  Society  that  it  was  a very  great  disappointment  to 
his  colleagues  and  himself  that  the  weather  had  not  been  more  favourable  for 
the  Show.  Had  the  Show  been  favoured  with  the  weather  which  Gloucester 
had  in  the  previous  week,  not  one  of  their  umbrellas  would  have  required  to  be 
opened.  (Laughter.)  It  was  a great  satisfaction  to  know  that  the  local 
arrangements  had  met  with  the  approval  of  the  heads  of  the  Society.  After 
paying  a tribute  to  the  splendid  lead  which  Sir  Gilbert  Greenall  had  given  to 
all  connected  with  the  local  arrangements,  the  Mayor  referred  to  the  King’s 
visit,  and  said  he  was  glad  to  hear  Lord  Jersey  remark  that  although  the 
weather  was  wet  it  did  not  damp  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people.  He  hoped 
that  His  Majesty  would  have  a happy  recollection  of  his  visit  to  Gloucester  ; 
the  citizens  on  their  part  would  never  forget  it.  The  Mayor  specially  thanked 
Sir  Gilbert  Greenall  for  his  references  to  Mr.  Blakeway  and  the  officials  of  the 
Corporation,  who  had  done  all  in  their  power  to  help  make  the  Show  a 
success. 
Thanks  to  Local  Committee. 
The  Duke  of  Devonshire  proposed  “ That  the  best  thanks  of  the  Society 
are  due  and  are  hereby  tendered  to  the  Gloucester  Local  Committee  for  their 
exertions  to  promote  the  success  of  the  Show.”  His  Grace  remarked  that 
anyone  who  had  been  accustomed  to  know  something  of  the  work  of  the  Koyal 
Agricultural  Society  would  be  fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  work  of  the 
Local  Committee  was  by  no  means  a sinecure,  and  he  was  quite  sure  that  it  had 
not  been  so  in  the  present  case.  No  work  could  have  been  done  better  or  with 
greater  heart  or  with  more  enthusiasm  than  that  which  had  been  carried  out 
by  the  Gloucester  Local  Committee,  to  whom  the  Society  were  under  very  great 
obligation  for  tbe  warmth  of  their  reception,  and  the  admirable  arrangements 
which  they  had  made.  (Hear,  hear.)  It  was  difficult  in  such  a connection  to 
name  individuals,  but  he  was  sure  he  might  be  allowed  to  mention  one  gentle- 
man, the  Local  Hon.  Treasurer  (Mr.  Samuel  Aitken),  to  whom  the  thanks  of 
the  Society  were  most  especially  due.  (Applause.)  As  Mayor  of  Gloucester  in 
1907,  Mr.  Aitken  took  a most  conspicuous  part  in  arranging  for  the  invitation 
to  be  sent  for  the  Society  to  visit  the  city  in  the  year  1909,  and  a wise  step 
was  taken  by  the  Local  Committee  when  they  succeeded  in  persuading  Mr. 
Aitken  to  accept  the  position  of  Hon.  Treasurer  of  the  Local  Fund.  (Hear, 
hear.)  His  Grace  was  sure  that  a great  deal  of  the  success  of  the  Show  was 
due  to  the  work  Mr.  Aitken  had  done,  and  the  trouble  he  had  taken  to  raise 
the  necessary  funds.  Collecting  subscriptions  was  never  a very  easy  task, 
especially  when,  as  at  the  present  moment,  there  were  “ other  gentlemen  ” who 
were  anxious  to  avail  themselves  of  any  superfluous  cash  which  people  might 
have,  and  with  the  prospect  of  their  still  further  dipping  their  hands  into  other 
people’s  pockets.  (Laughter.)  Under  those  circumstances,  the  task  of  the 
Gloucester  Local  Honorary  Treasurer  must  have  been  an  unusually  severe  and 
arduous  one.  He  was  sure  they  could  most  heartily  congratulate  Mr.  Aitken 
on  the  success  he  had  achieved  in  raising  the  necessary  funds,  and  His  Grace 
hoped  he  would  always  look  back  with  pride  and  satisfaction  on  the  very 
conspicuous  part  he  had  taken  in  connection  with  the  Show.  (Applause.) 
Mr.  Cornwallis,  who  seconded  this  re.solution,  said  few  knew  what  a 
great  tax  the  Show  imposed  upon  the  time  and  leisure  of  the  Members  of  the 
Local  Committee,  and  the  large  amount  of  money  which  had  to  be  raised  to 
give  the  Society  an  adequate  welcome.  The  excellence  of  the  Showground 
was  one  instance  of  the  great  success  which  had  met  the  efforts  of  the  Local 
