Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 209
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| Year | 1940 |
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406 PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. only express the hope that in Edinburgh the present site would be available when the Show was due to return in eight years' time. Might he say that he hoped also by that time the tramway line would be extended as far as the entrance gate. Sir Samuel Strang Steel of Philiphaugh, Bt., Selkirk, seconded, and the motion was cordially adopted. Lord Provost Steele, in replying, said that the City was always ready and willing to receive strangers in their midst, and was ready to offer hospitality— even to provide water free. As to the question of the site, the Corporation might keep it altogether for the Society if they promised to hold the Show in Edinburgh every year. He did not know, however, that that would be acceptable to Scotland as a whole, and lie thou ht it was only right that they should take that great Show all over Scotland. 0 could promise this, that there would be a. site for the Show in Edinburgh when the Society decided to hold it there again. The Lord Provost concluded by expressing best wishes for the continued success of the Societ . Sir {loshua Ross-Taylor, Mungoswalls, Duns, proposed a vote of thanks to Major R. F. Brebner, Convener, and the members of the Local Committee of Management for the efficient manner in which they had carried out the arrange- ments for the Show. That vote of thanks, he said, was always received with a great deal of acclaim, and he thought Major Brebner and his Committee merited even greater acclaim, because they had helped the Directors to stage a very fine and large Show. The Committee carried out their duties on the previous day expeditiously, and the judging had been practically all completed before lunch-time. A great deal of the credit lay with the Convener of the Committee, Major Brebner. His motto was “ Efficiency,” and he had carried out his motto to the extreme on that occasion. Major R. W. Sharpe of The Park, Earlston, in seconding, said that a Show which moved from place to place like theirs was very dependent on the members of the Local Committee, who helped them as attending members every year. The motion was unanimously passed. . . Major Brebner, in reply, said that that vote of thanks was rather a tradition than a reality. At one time the Local Committee in the various districts had a great deal of work to do in carrying out the arrangements for the Show, but now the duties were comparatively light. He was fortunate in being Chairman of the Commit-tee of Directors which selected the Local Committee, and he had managed to “pack the jury ” with a considerable number of the President’s tenants, knowing them to be gentlemen of leisure, because they had not to work hard to pay the moderate rent which his lordship charged. A thought that had struck him within the last ten days in watching the growth of this Show was the enormous amount of money involved in it. He saw it described in the Press that day as “a million pound Show.” When one considered that this money had to be paid for by agriculture, it made one realise the enormous size and importance of the industry. A fellow Director remarked to himpn the previous day, in considering the cost of the Show, what might it be if agriculture was really in a prosperous condition. That was a point that was not noticed sufi'iciently by the country as a whole—the enormous benefit it would be to the country if agriculture was really in a prosperous condition. _ Mr R. Scott Aiton, Legerwood, Earlston, moved that the Society express its appreciation of the satisfactory arrangements made by the railway and transport companies for the expeditious transport of stock, implements, and ViSitors to the Show. Lord Rosebery, he said, had remarked that the arrangements for the Show had gone 03 without a hitch. He could assure them that that remark applied especially to the work of the railway and transport companies, and he felt they were due them a specially hearty vote of thanks. Mr W. I. Elliot, Middletoun, Stow, seconded the motion, which was adopted. Mr A. E. Sewell, Goods Manager of the Scottish area, L.N.E.R., who acknow— ledged the vote of thanks, said that, speaking on behalf of the railway companies and of transport generally, they felt honoured that that motion had been passed. It was not often nowadays that the transport industry received thanks for per- forming duties of that sort, and he was pleased to learn that they had, on this occasion, carried out their duties so satisfactorily. In the old days practically all the transport was in the hands of the railway companies, but now their road transport friends had brought in and would take away a good deal of the traffic from the Show. With regard to the “ square deal " campaign of the railway companies, he said that by that campaign they wanted more money, but they were not unmindful of the claims of their customers. They were not unmindful of the claims of agriculture or of the particular needs of Scotland, and they were conscious all the time that they themselves could not be prosperous unless their customers were prosperous. They must work together in this, and he hoped PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 407 that within the next few years the parties in the merchandise transport world would get together and put their house in order, so that they might be able to improve upon the services they were now giving. The Earl of Home, K.T., Treasurer of the Society, moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman for the great honour he conferred upon them in being their President, for presiding at that Meeting, and for the great interest he and Lady Rosebery were taking in that Show. They would like to thank him for “ Blue Peter," and also for Major Brebner, who was an invaluable help to the Society. Lord Rosebery, in reply, said that it had been a very lucky year indeed for him, what with “ Blue Peter ” and the success of his Aberdeen-Angus herd. He owed a. great deal to Major Brebner and cordially endorsed all that Lord Home had said about him. ANNIVERSARY GENERAL MEETING, 3RD JANUARY 1940. THE EARL 0F ROSEBERY, D.S.O., M.C., Former President of the Society, in the Chair. Annual Report. Major R. F. Brebner, The Leuchold, Dalmeny House, Chairman of Directors, said he had much pleasure in moving the adoption of the Annual Report by the Directors, copies of which were in their hands. The Directors, he said, had kept the Report as short as possible this year, and he did not think he could add very much to what was contained in the Report. Honorary membership had been conferred on the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. It was felt, Major Brebner said, that the election of Their Royal Highnesses would be a fitting memento of their visit to the Dumfries Show in 1938, when the Duke was President of the Society. The Directors very much regretted that Mr James Durno had, owing to the state of his health, to give up the Chairmanship last November. Mr Durno made an ideal Chairman, and they had looked forward to sitting under his Chairmanship for another year. Referring to the Edinburgh Show, Major Brebner said it was a manifest success in every way. That success was due in no small measure to the very able assistance they had received from the Corporation of Edinburgh and the oflicials. As to the colouring of sheep, he thought they might all feel satisfied that this was the last time reference to it would appear in the Annual Report. They hoped it would never appear on the agenda of the business of the Society again. Major Brebner then referred to the resignation of Mr John Reid, Aberdeen, from the post of Sliowyard Erector after a very long connection with the Society. The Directors, he said, had decided to give Mr Reid 8. small present in the form of a piece of silver as a memento of his long and faithful services. Mr W. I. Elliot, Middletoun, Stow, in seconding the adoption of the Report, said they had a most excellent Show in Edinburgh. Everyone who came in contact with the Show was pleased, and the Exhibitors were satisfied. One or two of the sheep exhibits were slightly coloured, but nothing was done about them, and he did not think anything more would be done. They were very much indebted, he said, to Major Brebner and the Local Committee for the hard work they had done in making the Show the great success it was. They were also pleased to think that their President won the Derby in the year of his Presidentship. Lord Rosehcry’s father had won the Derby and had been Prime Minister in the same year. There was no doubt as to which was the greater achievement. The Report was adopted. Election of JlI embers. The Secretary submitted a list of 55 candidates for election to membership. These were balloted for and duly elected. Election of Director. On the motion of Major R. F. Brebner, Chairman of Directors, Mr John Kerr, Yorkston, Gorebridge, was elected an Ordinary Director of the Society for the Edinburgh Show Division, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr John E. B. Cowper, Gogar House, Corstorphine. |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 209 |
