xlviii Annual General Meeting , December 9, 1908. 
Smith, Henry Smith, sen., Henry Smith, jun., H. E. Smith, Edwin Smithells, 
T. Stilton, J. M. Sturgess, Garrett Taylor, J. Herbert Taylor, R. Thirlby, 
G. D. Thody, E. Trimen, F. W. Turner, Eldred G. F. Walker, R. Ward, G. P. 
Watkins, F. N. Webb, A. G. Weigall, A. F. T. Westrop, J. M. White, A. de C. 
Wilson, C. E. Wodehouse, George Wood, &c. 
President’s Opening Remarks. 
The President, in opening the proceedings, said that by favour of the 
Royal Agricultural Hall Company, and of the Smithfield Club, they were again 
assembled there, and he could assure those present that it was a source of 
pleasure and satisfaction to him to preside over that meeting at the close of 
what he thought they would all agree had been one of the most successful years 
in the history of the Society. 
The first business on the agenda was the presentation of the Balance-sheet, 
and the accounts were before them of the very successful Show at Newcastle, 
which had resulted in a credit balance of 10,054Z. He felt that he could not 
proceed further without expressing, on behalf of the whole of the Society, their 
great indebtedness to the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, the Local Committee, the 
City of Newcastle, the Duke of Northumberland, and the county generally, to 
whose combined efforts this satisfactory result of the Show was to a large extent 
due. The Council and Members would, he knew, desire to place on record their 
most cordial thanks to Sir Gilbert Greenall, the Society’s indefatigable Honorary 
Director. During the course of the past year his Grace had had many 
opportunities of seeing the work of Sir Gilbert Greenall, and he could only say 
that even if any one had no intention of doing work before, a few hours’ contact 
with Sir Gilbert was sufficient to make that person energetic. Sir Gilbert had 
spared neither time nor effort to make the Show a success, and the result must 
be very gratifying to him. That result was in a large measure due to his 
personal work. He would like also to say how well Sir Gilbert had been 
supported by their Secretary, Mr. McRow, and all the staff. Everything went 
so smoothly now in connection with the “Royal” that some people might 
think there was no work to be done. He had seen something of the inner 
working of the Society, and he knew how big and complicated it was, and the 
smooth working was entirely due to those officials who had rendered such 
excellent and admirable services. 
It would be noticed from the General Meeting Report that during the past 
year the Society had lost by death a very large number of its principal 
supporters, and there had now to be added the names of Mr. John Thornton 
and Mr. George H. Sanday. Mr. Thornton’s sudden death removed a great 
personality from the agricultural world, and Shorthorn breeders especially 
would feel the loss of so eminent an auctioneer, and, in many cases, of a 
personal friend. Mr. Sanday would be remembered by many of his old 
colleagues on the Council for his services as Chairman of the Stock Prizes 
Committee, and as Steward on various occasions of the several departments in 
the Showyard. 
The Seventieth Annual Show of the Society would take place at Gloucester 
from Tuesday, June 22, to Saturday, June 26, 1909. The prize-sheet, to be 
issued early next year, would be on the same comprehensive lines as the 
schedules of the last three Shows, and he took that opportunity of saying how 
generous the Breed Societies had been, as on former occasions, in their 
contributions to the Prize Fund. It was largely due to the interest of the 
Breed Societies, and the practical form that interest had taken, that the Society 
was able to put forward a prize-sheet which would be an attractive one, and 
would, he was sure, continue to be an attractive one in the future. 
As would be observed from the Report, the somewhat large amount of 660Z. 
was offered as prizes for farms of various descriptions in the Counties of 
Gloucester and Wiltshire, and in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, the classifi- 
cation being arranged to meet the special character of the farms in those 
districts. 
