THE JUBILEE EXHIBITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6940, 1 November 1900, Page 4

THE JUBILEE EXHIBITION.

;&H_V EXBI-OTION, AVENUES, r AN» Nl-XES AND DISPLAYS. The Jubilee Exhibition,, of tlie Canterbury fayJußtrial Association will undoubtedly be «na of. tho most attractive, as well as the |argest, whdoh has ever been held in the JBolony, It has & considerably greater are_ pban that of the International Exhibitdcmi Jtuftd in Hagliey Park in 1882, under the pwajageme-nt of Messrß Joubert and! Two* wny. The next largest exhibition held __ (he South Island was the South Sea Exhibition in Dunedin. It covered about 52,000 ■ Square feet, but the present ono has a surface of 74,000 square feet. -En tj-he matter pf exhibits, tho Jubilee Exhibition will un- / iJoubtedly take a thigh place amongst simitr fixtures previously held! in Australia. One of its prinoipai features is tho jfact that, with hardly one exception, the articles shown aro of New Zealand manufacture, as they are intended l , dn a great measure, to show the wonderful strides Blade by tho provinoe during the fifty years that have elapsed since its establishment. [the buildings comprise the fine permanent structure erected by the Agricultural an_" ffeflustrial Hall Company, which, of them, pelves, ore thoroughly worth a visit, and *ahe very commodious annexes, in which the leading business people of the colony display their wares. ■ Entering the main doors, as shown in the plan, the visitor finds himself in the jpsnterbury Avenue, which runs right across tbe main building and annexes. By, following the plan, the reader will see that a few} steps to the right will take him to the hall in which the Home industries section, is placed. Here will be found a very fine collection of work, from magnificent carving to ordinary carpentering frork, and from* ohe very finest hace and needle-work to the homely plain sewing, wliile in addition are paintings and examples of photography, from excellent specimens taken by the aid of the lately-introduced Rontgen rays to Scenes in everyday life. - Mounting the stairs, which- ara almost opposite the Home Industries 'Section, the Art Section will be found. It is divided mi »wo halls, one of which is devoted to works bf the great masters of the older lands, while : *fee other is occupied by pictures painted Iby colonial talent. The collection is uni j doubtedly one of the finest ever gojj to- i igether in New Zealand. j : Further along to the south the annexes •re entered, and the first, whioh is named ! after the late John Robert Gadley, the | founder of Canterbury, contains specimens ' of local manufacture dn iron and woodwork, i which would not disgrace a much older j country than New Zealand. Running along Ithe western end, and 1 right across the annex, jto a display of furniture which wdll certainly surprise the visitor, and will give him 'the impression that ho is looking into one ■jof the leading London furniture warehouses, Iwhlle, at'the opposite end of the annex, another display of the samo kind is made. > The next avenue is named after the late jldiward Jernyngham Wakefield, and in this Mao are specimens of local manufacture jwhich will not disgrace the colony, while at the eastern end are a- tea kiosk and fruit' :_tall and the band stand, upon which tho iJppal bands will perform every afternoon and waning during the, Exhibition. ' The next avenue is named after the Ran;_olpb, one of the first four ships [$o arrive in Lyttelton. Here there are disIxriLayed colonial manufactures which will cer;|ajnly open the eyes of visitor®. * The avenue next Worcester Street bears jthe name oft another of the fir_fc four s_ip_, 'the Charlotte. Jane, and in it are displayedi number of products of the earth and potyta_y ware, a,s well as specimens of the taifiqfa art, tho material all being of New Zealand growth and preparation, j Passing from the eastern, cross avenue, Mie workers' section will be entered. Here '•♦will be found specimens of work from all jthe tflbhnical schools of the colony, the collection being a representative and a very Bjxe one. In the same annex will be seen the only silk-loom at work in the colony, M well as a number of oil engines and work- __£ ex^ )i fa>. incl u , d , _ig lathes, and similar trades, and \>ne of the side-shows, in the shape of a cyclorama. , '> ''■ Returning along the Wakefield Avenue, -fthe first structure met is that devoted to the mirror illusions, a side-show which has }peen imported from London by the Exhibi- 1 jtion at great expense, r Going along a little further, and turn*fef fato the Crosbie Ward Avenue, the visitor wall find exhibits showing the advance «* the frozen meat trade, and the jam; bo/ot and other industries; while here also *je fftawted a telegraph, a telephone am/, a fart office. Along tlio southern •roe- large spaces are taken up lijp the various Government Departments, which ine*nde the exhibits froif t the !4g)dington Railway Workshops, and the Wlblio. Works Department, while the Defoiqej Department occupies tho whole of the wy at the end. The display in tihe Deftmoe Department is very dntetresting, as, &M<Wjtion to a fort, and all thei nioslvup-to-aase engines of war, there ara shown specintns of obsolete arras,, some of the weapons) ! < »_1 IJired1 Jired in the South African war, and. iS_sCimens of missiles used V>y the Bocr.*dur|iwi the famous sieges. i, -teturnin-g along the Creasy Avenue, a Hame redolent with rf/uxembrances of the pioneer* 0 f Canterbury, thei couvt of the Jtoicultural Department is entered. Here fum interesting cases giving practical illustwtlops of the various processes!-' which wheat tyrifcegoes from the time it is? in the sheaf .tjWtil it, is turned out in marketable articles deuph: as flour, macaroni amd vermicelli. '{JJhereare also to be seen Very fine exhibits |w$ fruit, as well as spec-caena of all the na-

tive and foreign grasses, together with other exhibits of special interest to agriculturists. Close by this is a room which has been set apart for trained canaries, which will sing both by day, amd by night, arid further along are saanples of local mamufacture of carriages; In the Harper Avenue (named aifter the late. Bishop Harper) there is the "upsidedown " house, which is sure to attract attention, and almost adjoining is a very fine grotto made from vaj'i- coloured 1 soda crystals. Behind this is the garden, which will bo used as a smoking lounge. The Allan Avenue (named after Mr Robert Allan, president of the Exhibition) contains some very fine imeainians of local industries. The whole of the end' of this annex is taken up with a display of the woollen industry, and a \v_ollen loom will be shown at work. J*st off the main hall on the aiotthern side is the small baJl in which the Maori ex hibits have beea placed, and these will bring before the visitor the time when New Zeu land had not- attained the high state m' civilisation she. at present .enjoyst If the visitor returns along the C_nterbuvj Avenue, he \rfll enter, the conidor running alongside- the main hall, and will find a very fine display of maps and plana, arranged by the. Lands and Survey Department. It will thus be seen that it will be impossible for _ny one to visit the Exhibition without beyng both instructed amd entertained.