Definite Prohibition of Certain Exhibits at This Year's Royal Show.
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We refrained, last week, although in poOsession of the official documents, from giving more than. a carefully-worded intimation of probabilities in respect of prohibitions at this year's show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 'We no-1,v feel oinselves at liberty to comment upon the prohibitions, following the public mention of the matter in the House of Commons on the 18th inst., when Mr. Runciman replied on the subject to questions' by Mr. Higham. and Mr. Gordon Harvey. Mr. Runciman's ofhciaI reply was :—" The Ministry of Munitions, in Consultation. with. the Board of Trade, gave .very careful consideration to theeffects both on munition production. and transport, and on the general traffic of the railways, of the holding of the Royal Agricultural Show in Manehester this year. As a result I understand that the Ministry of Munitions imposed severe restrictions on the exhibition of machinery which will have the effect of largely reducing that part of the Show. In the circumstances, I understand that the railway companies 'do not anticipate difficulty in dealing with. the traffic for the Show." Motor vehicles are able of them• selves to get to a show-ground under their own, power, we must point out. Urgent demands for these vehicles on the road is, presumably, the explanation of their being barred. We regret to have to inform readers and supporters of this Journal that exhibits in the now released list which is " forbidden" include the following:— Steam and internal-combustion engines; motorcars ; steam -and petrollorries or wagons ; commercial motorvans and motor wagons; steam orelectrical engines; tipping, Wagons. , We repeat our expressed' hopes of last week, that the anticipated concession by. the Ministry of Munitions in favour of exhibits of traction engines, arrrimotors and certain other machines will be found ° to be .covered by the official phraSeology " strictly Of a type generally Used in a special. form for the purposes of agriculture." .. The annual show of the R.A.S.E. will in any case be deserving of thorough support, at the present juncture of events, notwithstanding the curtailment of interest, involved by the new restrictions which have been_ placed upon the Implement Section, so far as supporters of this journal go. The writer intimate and long-standing, association with the County of Lancashire renders this position of 'affairs all the more regrettable to him individually, but it is to be hoped that, when the lists of officiallyapproved exhibits are available., the .scope of the Royal will still be fund to be such as to benefit in no small measure the ense of mechanical poiver as On aid to the far'iner.