WINTER EXHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 123, 25 May 1909, Page 2

WINTER EXHIBITION.

OFFICIAL OPENING. SPLENDID ATTENDANCE.

The attendance at the winter sho\< yesterday afternoon and evening exceeded even the moat sanguine antiei pations of the Executive Committee, and at the official opening by his Excellency the Governor yesterday afternoon the attendance must have numbered quitu 6000. The opening ceremony took placti from the handsome band rotunda in tint second building. The Governor was re. ceived by the president of the Assoeia tion (Mr. Isaac Gray), and amongst tnose present were the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. D. Grey), the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board (the Hon. E. Mitchelson), the president of thi Auckland, Chamber of Commerce (Mr. B. Kent), Messrs. \V. P. Massey, F. F\ Baiime, and C. Hi Poole, M.P.'s, and Captain Blunt (of H.M.s. Pioneer), Apologies for their absence were received from Sir Joseph Ward and Sir John and Lady Campbell. The president of the Association (Mi. Gray), in introducing the Governor, saiil that the members of the Association had authorised the borrowing of £5000 for the purpose of erecting winter shovt buildings on a site in Manukau-road, AeAvmarket. They had been unable to erect these buildings in time for this winter's exhibition, and the Harbour Board had come to their assistance ami placed at their disposal the splendi.i site and buildings upon the Railway wharf. He concluded by paying complimentary references to the magnitude of the winter show exhibits, and mow particularly the excellence of the dis trict courts and departmental display. His Excellency the Governor opened by remarking on the pleasure it gav.f him to open an exhibition, which, hi* was convinced, was only the beginnini; of a great work, and would increase in prosperity and size in -the future. Hu said this because he had been travelling for some time through the Dominion, and had been making himself acquainted with the country north of Auckland during the last year and a-half. Hitherto the north had not done its part in thu agricultural progress of the country, and the fertile district of Whangarei dirt not show to such advantage as it might have. done. The speaker was certain, however, that the places referred to would come in later, and then Auckland would have an exhibition which would be as important as any in the Dominion. The Hon. E. Mitchelson. in the course of a brief speech, mentioned thai almost every industry was represented in the show, and the Government anil country were certainly to be congratu lated. Apropos of the fact that thi| Harbour Board had lent the premises for the show. Mr. Mitchelson said that it was the duty of those in the cities til render every assistance to the farminjr industry, and .they could do this by patronising exhibitions such as this. Th'i citizens, as well as the country people, were needed to help the agricultural industry along.- The present show wa>» the best Auckland had ever seen. Mr. W. F. Massey. M.P., spoke, as hu said, not as a politician, but as senior president of.the Agricultural Association. Ho recalled how 1(5 or 17 yean ago, when Auckland had no Agricultural Association and no show, a number of settlers met and decided that the district was worthy of both. Since then things had gone" ahead, and the Association were to be congratulated oi» their exhibition and the response it had met with from the public. He also congratulated them on the fact that hi« ■meteorological namesake (the disturbance (that Mr. Clement Wragge hail called "Massey") bad suspended activit;.for the occasion. Mr. Massey concluded by remarking that the appliance* and machinery on view were equal tv those in any other part of the world, and by thanking the Harbour Board for the accommodation they enjoyed. |

SECOND DAY. Soon nftev the show opened this morning the huge sheds at the Railway wharf resembled nothing so much as a free school playground, and an overcrowded one at that. During the morning three thousand children at least must have taken advantage of the special educational facilities afforded them by the Agricultural Association, and until they were taken away by their teachers at noon, a mild pandemonium reigned. Pushing, jostling, and shouting, they swarmed all over the place, and though some of the machinery took up a good deal of attention, the youngsters seemed to care rftore for the "Kntzenjammer Castle and the Laughing Gallevy thnn nil the other exhibits put together. The stall that attracted chief interest was that on which the cakes were exhibited, and though these were protected by wire netting, little, fingers managed to reach through the meshes, and by noon the confections presented a very rat-nibbled appearance. Among the children, however, were severnl industrious ones, who could be seen solemnly taking notes for essays which are to be written on the show. In t'.'e afternoon music was provided by Marriage's Orchestra, and numerous visitors attended. Ten thousand people attended the winter show yesterday, and the takings for the first day amounted to £280. This morning 3700 school children visited the exhibition. Judging in the district courts competition is still in progress. Ohinemurl and Franklin are leading, and the difference in points between them is very slight. NOTICE OF EXHIBITS. Our notice of exhibits in the noncompetitive section will be published on Wednesday.