THE DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 7, 9 January 1889, Page 8

THE DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

CONFERENCE WITH MR

TWOPENY,

The Chamber of Commerce met at 2 o'clock this afternoon to hear the views of Mr R« E. N. Twopenny relative to the proposed Dunedin Exhibition. Captain Colbeck presided, and amongst those present were Messrs A. H. Nathan, Ehrenfried, Lodder, G-. W. Binney, S. Vaile, Ireland, J. Waymouth, Houghton, M. Clarke, J. M. Shera, J. McLachlan, J. Coates, Winks, Nashelski, J. Lamb, Dalton, Tait, W. Aitken, J. Milne, M. Davis, Garrett. The Chairman simply introduced the business. Mr Twopeny proceeded to lay the scheme of tho promoters of the Exhibition before the meeting, and in doing so traversed the ground covered in his telegrams and his statement at the last meeting. There were, he said, over 1,000 guarantors, and they would boar all the lo_s that might arise. 'There never was a movement in Otago tuat was taken up with so much unanimity and enthusiasm as this exhibition proposal, and the enthusiasm bad extended to Christchurch. He had not had time t£> call a public meeting in Wellington, but a privato conference had been satisfactory, and bho three papers were favourable to the scheme. He would like to have held a meeting in Hawke's Day, but the Presidenb would do so. Mr Twopeny referred to the disadvantage arising from the greater distance between Dunedin and Auckland, and then proceeded to deal with the statement that Otagohad jumped Auckj land's claim to a public Exhibition. It must iho remembered, he said, that Otago had | the Parliamentary claim to the next j exnibition. The last was hold at Wellingi ton, and according to Sir Julius 1 Vogel's plan, the_ next was to have been ! held in the South Island. It was obvious, too, that the * exhibition should be held where there was the money available to carry ib out, and he thought Otago was entitled the credit for coming forward in the interests of thecolony cohoici the Exhibition. IHe had been told since he arrived here j that Sir Julius Vogel's proposals for ian • 1890 exhibition here had never | been really dropped, and that Otago ; should have written to ascertain if this ; were so. Well, perhaps they .might, but |he assured them that no oilence was | meant and none need be taken. jMr Twopeny reminded his hearers lof the opportunities there were for a ! future large exhibition -—in Auckland I and added that there was no I desire to obtain any local advantage for j this part of the colony. Replying to the ; objection, that the;/ would not do for so j little what had cost so much elsewhere, Mr | Twopeny advanced the following reasons : j (1), The whole risk was thrown on bhe grani tors, and they were directly responsible for ; the financial result, and conseqently there | would bo no waste. (21 The amount of ! valuable work that had been done by I private individuals at no cost to the funds ; (3) the interest excited in the public; (4) they might follow the example of Adelaide in selling many season tickets to people who would not go a dozen times, and (5). The revenue from the letting of space, such as at Wellington and Ade- ! lalde, and from the salo of catalogues. : Tho object of his visib here was to enlist the sympathies of the people here, and to ask them to have Auckland thoroughly well represented. "Not even tlie Government could make an exhibition in the widest extent colonial ; it was the representation of the products and resources of the colony that.did that. Again it was evident bhab ib was only possible to get a good representation of I local exhibits by the formation of a local committee, which would work the matter up thoroughly. There seemed to be a feeling the ether day that this was not ! the proper time to hold such an Exhibition. j But the Exhibition was not to bo held now, J but next year, when the revival that was | now sotting in would have improved trade, and stimulated industry all over the colony. Such an exhibition would be useful in [ stimulating industries, in making local I manufactures better known, would reI store confidence in our own condition,

and would also restore confidence abroad. It was probable in the minds of most people that the exhibitor did not attract people from Home and Australia, but it was to be of such an original • nnd distinctive character that ho thought it was. Other people thought that the Exhibition would not be a success so soon after tbe Melbourne Exhibition, but he quoted the success cf tiie previous Melbourne Exhibition which took place only a year after tho Sydney Exhibition, and attracted a larger attendance. Oee Exhibition, be thought, created a taste for others. An aquarium would bo one of the features of the Exhibition, and ho hoped it would do something to develop the fisheries of New Zealand. Ho

was going away to Australia this afternoon, nnd his object was more to answer objections than to deliver an address.

It was eventually decided, on tho motion of Mr J. Milne, seconded by Mr John Lamb, that a local committee be formed to cooperate heartily in securing fche representation of Auckland ab the Exhibition,