THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22824, 25 September 1939, Page 5

THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION

FURTHER STATEMENT BY MINISTER REASON FOB AVOIDING POSTPONEMENT (press association telegram.) WELLINGTON. September 23. “There are still those in our midst who question the advisability of carrying through the Centennial celebrations and particularly the exhibition,”

said the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, honorary president of the Exhibition Company, today. “The decision to carry on the exhibition was not .lightly made, and to those who may feel that some other decision should have been made I would represent the position as those most intimately connected- with the project see it. First, however, let me say that I concur with the decision of the directors, and it was gratifying to note that the newspapers also concurred when the decision was reached. “The nation is facing trying / times and it may well be that sacrifices will have to be made; that stern determination will have to be brought to bear on our national life. None can say with surety what the future will hold. Realising that fact and fully appreciat-

ing its significance, it is well that we , should taka stock. of the situation as it I ' exists. For the last year all New Zea- , land has been looking forward to the Centennial Exhibition. Much work has gone into the preparations for the great occasion, and, while'the pecuniary aspects are secondary to the greater purpose of fittingly celebrating our Centennial, one cannot overlook the fact that quite appreciable sums have been spent at Rongotai. The buildings are now completed; tfae grounds laid out;, exhibits in place or on the way from overseas. The contracts for space had all been let, and to cancel the exhibition out of hand would- have meant to cancel every contract made. Then again there arose the question of what period ceuld be set for postponement? That was l a question none coyld answer. Lead in Uncertainty “That, briefly, was one side of the story. What of the reverse side of the picture? An international crisis had arisen and the minds of the people were filled with more or less vague worries; there was an unsettling spirit abroad; uncertainty and doubt' called for a lead. That lead was given in the decision of the directors, after consultation with ‘ the Government, to proceed along normal lines and to open the Centennial Exhibition on the date set originally. “It might be well if I outlined some of the reasons actuating those responsible for this decision,” continued Mr Sullivan. “I have mentioned that everything was practically ready for the opening. That was a governing factor, but the reasons go deeper than that. At a time when worry was'predominant; at a time when the unsettling and upsetting problems of major importance might conceivably ' throw people off their balance momentarily, the psychology of the situation had to be studied. Here lay the great-

est contributing factor in assisting to reach a decision. The people - were anticipating the pleasure they Were to derive from the exhibition, and the task of creating the necessary morale for the day-to-day problems was more than partially answered in the decision to carry on. Achievements of Fast “Let it be clearly understood,” proceeded Mr Sullivan, “that while many people associate the terms ‘exhibition’ and ‘amusement,’ the Centennial Exhibition is first and foremost a place where the achievements of the past, 'the story of our progress, the landmarks in our history can be reviewed. There will be amusement, but there will also be the deeper signficance of the historical importance of the occasion. The exhibition will provide an inspiration to all who visit it. It will serve to remind us that the pioneers and the generation of yesterday and the day before faced trials and tribulations, achieved success, and suffered set-backs. It will, I believe, also serve to remind us that we have a heritage worthy of our best efforts to maintain it and to improve it. At the exhibition we will be able to forget for just a brief space the major worries that beset us, and from it we will carry away a determination that we in our day and generation will prove

worthy of the sacrifice of the past, and , that from the brief respite from the tasks and sacrifices of the present we will find the inspiration and relaxation that are essential to the national welfare. “The Centennial Exhibitioh is going ahead, and I think the decision will meet with popular approval. I would, therefore,'ask all our citizens to rally round and give their wholehearted support to the directors in the difficult task they have undertaken. The exhibition will give respite and relaxation, and I ask all to stand loyally behind the project and so enable us to worthily commemorate the outstanding historical milestone in our national life. In the words' of our national moto, ‘Advance New Zealand.’ ” .