AN ECHO OF THE EXHIBITION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 9

AN ECHO OF THE EXHIBITION.

'■/;■'■%&%. 'bn„: ''.wn:.j>-.: ■/■ ■-jfr'■■.■(•,-;■»:>'.■; • THE 'bteNER'At" MANAGER'S'' SUMMING ' '. 1 rV" TOTAL COST, £75,000. Jlr; .G; ( General, Manngoi-j of ,tho . latp';£xhibition;>vwho-!is about..to;,'leavo -forEugloj'idy 'mada'the.'following statement to a representativevfrTtas&DouiNioN •. •/.ff 'am'lcaVing Syilncy 'for London'on' Jlarch; < ;lf. in- : .mo China'^rejoiiiiiigV. my, mfo'"and.'iani-',' i ily, whoihiyoibeon' ( livmg in London for tho 1 ; paa%ninei')yeat3.>j ti.hope ■ ita'fobtain" .employ- ] ;mbnt and/r have 1 ; . no: doubt wliatevor'.oh doing so.V. Regarding my positionowith 'tho-,; Government,-"about < . which'-'Moro appears 'tV-bjßj*?6mV.un<fer)iint3r;- : 1 T was-never oil tho - permanont. staff. Somo ' .fivo yoars ago I joined..tho Department of In- ] dustries' atid; Couuneroo, • years later I was appointed*assistant'secretary, 'which po3itionirl appoiritcd'.Gon(i- ---' raL M'anager of thoiExhibition.:;; £WjHle,,bceifc: .'pyirig!.iheso;;pbsiHonsj"imy.!statuspi.sb''fari as tho '.'civil service of ttlie colony r.'as conccrnod, ' ; was temporay/hand.;: 'j)ly< engage-' ment ,as f generar.manager.. of tile Exhibition ; &f the'Exhibi-. -'.ti6^n"Estaue^"an , d..T^neV^f r iisli6d'9thft| I me'nt^fijrj'furtlHjr■' empl6yipont?Ti'ecauso I l ' did' '-iti^al £ipas v inipqssiblb.. l(^ing'...^tJiQ.; ( ".'Government.ir i dn.;/th6. l b l 6st' iQudslnp"^of. ..oy/cry; with vrhbm.i.haYe. ;jis^ia<^(i'.'jp u ' busifife'&ySt . ofimy„ i abui)jy, i ;.Th.e" Gfjvern'ment.'paid niowell .io.far,' \aspt' ussociatiorj. . lasting'some 'th.ree.months .short of five.'years.' •i"W s itli : ;Regard; .tVio. Exhibition;, itself j\- I' think' there.js.noquestioii: of itssuccess from, every. point;of,.yiew.lt was' for>a■ small community ,?'ancl. reflected?groat'* i'itoj»'^.people• of^jtheiA ancl' i '(.The;-- fact exhibitors; paid tho enormbus'.sum'.of iaajOOO for 'oajupa-: tion of;spaco,i:shpWß a.Bubstantial..ap"p'recia- • tion of!- its'ipraptibal:. value!ahd/^urtter.'the, ; paymehiby.,the'public I bf ; £s3,ooo,for'admiWibn; proves, i», value from an tivo.point of . ; Tlig 1oss : to thoDoniinioii are . .finally will, ; be: about,:£7s,ooo(| .This is. a 'reasonable''^result,; especially, when '/compared;,with ■ iho financial results ofreccnfc.exliibitions held elsewhere. ; :''Witlii : 'tho^local i 'corporation -committee I >as,iifidoiibtadly unpopular. ir-This was' inevitable, ahdKli'havo no -regrets regarding..the policy ..Is'pursued;'j',i 'Desperate - diseases Yrequiro desperate -remedies;'; -'The class-ij.'of., peoplo uiri;Christchurch ! who»volunteered ; ,'to aSSI3I :the ; Exhibitiori. as - members of (commit-, tees;was;too awful' toicont-omplate. : Those ivhd'; rosp6ndedi ; to.4ho. i 'Maybf's!'oall':fbr: volunteers' to cArry. oiit-' art Exhibition siibsidisedi by th<j thp' l .eiteiifcV6f *{£26",0.0P-["XwhidH was" ■■ the, original Bcheme)- were, fortho-most ■ part men'j,whosß''sold ; object l nvas ;.to ; . obtain : ■ patronage; i.'ppwer,v/and;'. > say,-;business; :;<andi r. the'man 'withVthe greatest/assurance pushed J :th6' firfhest' , intb .it.-O ; My is' that.the' hatter class 1 of Would'have-been promptod -by patriotio ; 'aiid h'ealthv. ; motives, stood;:;off;rtdeclining- toitakb^partjii-:such an! uns6emly'»scramblo; • .foundfto' bo iimpossible,Vand!:ivere. ultimately superseded-by s capable and reliable nien, who , controlled the (different sections' of : -thb Exhi- : ; j.tioh'.' as.'.'directors:' .•-In- only • one instance didija oommitteb vof tho? Exhibition;'olitain ; possession 'of 'funds, tho propeuty of- tho Exhibition-:; and -whonasked' to' pay. tho • amount into:ithe Ureasury .-a";reply was received'that : tho : • money. l ,had';all,: bceri' sponfc by -'.the com- • mitt-eo^.in/iafte'rhcroii 1 teas, ■ etc.';■ Fortunately for theVtaxpayenof tW : colony;-only;ono'coni-DiittcG succeedcd, in handling any cash.- • •: . ',';. < Aftei'.;:tiy,!'expe'rionCc , j.in' Ghristchurch; T havo coind'to'th'evc'o'nclusion th'at in conduct-' an?^undertaking-involving tlio? expenditure bn'publiffimoiie.y. voluntary, assistance-is :distinctly;. vicibuS/^'lf.rit-'ia; iiecessary to ob-: tam i 'assistanco''-frbin- : the j-publio; 'select'-your uien..'andiibowaro : -'of •vohinteefs.'M.i- - ;.; :