1921 Annual Report - the RNA

The President, Mr. C. E. McDougall, welcomed Their Exeeilenciesand called upon the Secretary (Mr. J. Bain) to readthe following address:-"May it please your Excellency,-We have pleasure, on behalfof the Council of the Royal National Agricultural and IndustrialAssociation of Queensland, in extending to you a most heartywelcome to this, our 45th Annual Show.The exhibits which we submit for your inspection are equalto any shown in the past, and in many respects, superior. OurPrimary Products, as represented by the agricultural exhibits ofthe Queensland Government, and the District Exhibit Courts,together with the Fruit Displays, the Apiarian Exhibits, and themagnificent display made by the Forestry Department, all bearforcible testimony to the productivity of our richly endowed State.The Live Stock exhibits are, without doubt, the best ever seen onthe Brisbane Show Ground, and well maintain Queensland's reputationas the greatest cattle producing section of the Commonwealth.Your inspection of the Show Ground must have made apparentto you how limited is our space, and how little room there is leftfor us to expand. But for the courtesy of the Brisbane MunicipalCouncil, this year, who granted us permission to temporarily closethe road, which divides two -sections of our ground, we would nothave been able to house the exhibits which were entered for competition,and, when we tell you that since the beginning of thewar, tile demand upon our space has doubled, and that our revenuehas increased frim £12,000 to £26,000 annually, it will easily beunderstood how awkward our position will be should this expansioncontinue at the same annual ratis as during the years mentioned.We are pleased to learn that your Excellency intends inspectingevery section of our Show, but we would call your specialattention to the exhibit of a Dehydration Plant which is in fullworking order on our grounds. Recognising the serious losssustained by our fruitgrowers whenever periods of market glutoccur, we determined to encourage the installation of a DehydrationPlant, and as a first stoptowards that end, we are pleased tosay the first Dehydration Plant to be crected in Queensland is nowin full working order on the Brisbane Show Ground.We are more than pleased to be honoured with the presenceof his Excellency, the Right Honourable Lord Forster, P.C.,G.C.M.G., Governor-General of Australia, and Lady Forster, andhope to have the pleasure of their company on other occasions.We trust that our displays will enable them to gather an idea ofthe possibilities of Queensland, and that the charms of our Statemay induce them to make this visit the forerunner of manyothers."His Excellency, Sir Matthew Nathan, thanked the Councilof the Association for the welcome contained in the Address,and for the honour done him in asking him to open the Show.He also thanked the Association for the opportunity offeredto him of joining in the expressions of welcome to the Governor-GOenral and Lady Forster. Continuing, he stated:-