AT THE EXHIBITION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1193, 31 July 1911, Page 2

AT THE EXHIBITION.

FINAL DAY.

SUBSTANTIAL SURPLUS ASSURED, STADIUM CARNIVAL. After a successful career of jur.i over two months the Coronation Exhibition finally closcd its doors on Saturday evening. The big show in the Harbour Board's buildings had established itself as a popu. lar institution, aud its removal will no doubt be keenly regretted by many people who had become accustomed to spend a pleaosant hour occasionally in viewing the stalls and exhibits, or in visiting tho various shows. Apart from the business side of tho undertaking, the Commissioners and tho Industrial Association oro to bo congratulated upon having organised upon a large scalo an enterprise which has undoubtedly served to familiarise tho general population with tho scope of Now Zealand industries. As to tho financial re.sult, complete returns aro not yet avail, able. Thcro will certainly lxj a substantial 'surplus, but its amount as yet can only lie estimated. Tho Chief Commissioner (Mr. T. Bullinger) considers that this surplus will probably lie about .£2OOO or a littlo more. Tho proceeds of tho exhibition would of course have been larger if it had been possible to hold it during tho summer months) for bad wca* tlicr has often affected the attendance. -The final da/ was a busy one, the attendance of spectators Voing particularly largo in tho evening, Tho total number who pasi'd through tho turnstiles during i tho day was 6879, and the cosh t&kinga from all sources amounted to £221 '9s. Tho takings for the final week totalled JMSIB 18s. Bd. Mr. Ballinger estimates that daily cash takings for the whole period of the exhibition amou.it to about ,£5225 .is, ?d. The total proceeds will of courso 1» much larger. Important items such aa space fees and most of the revenue from tho sale of season tickets have to be added to the sum named. Returns of thoso items have not yet lieen compiled. , The exhibition has seldom presented a livelier or more animated scene then it did on closing day. Stallholders made tho most of their last opportunity, and minv interesting demonstrations were in progress. Tho latest craze—paper-bag cookery—was among tho number, and it ntlncted a greit deal of attention.•"Wireless" was again in successful operation, and a number of people in the dying hours of ill? big sh nv sent congratulatory messages to Mr. Ballinger. Mr. F. Cronibi'o teieTratihed- "Candrfitulntions most successful result of exhibition." Another of tho mavconigrams caira from Mr. W. White, exhibition, foreiran of works. It ran: "A meed of praise to executive Coronation New Zealand Exhibition 0 n work crnwned with success."

A visitor to the Exhibition on Saturday was Mr. W. F. Massev (Leader of the Opposition). In a chat with Mv. Ballinger ho declared that Hie magnitude p* the enterprise had astonished him.

FANCY DRESS CARNIVAL. There was a gay sceno in the Stadium during tho evening when the fancy dress carnival was in full swing. A portion of the floor had been enclosed and prepared for the dancers and the remaining space was given over to probably tho biggest crowd of spectators accommodated in the Stadium since the Exhibition opened. Dresses of tasteful design were numerous, two of tho most etl'cctivo being; those of ;i' cavalier and lady whoso picturesque trappings had evidently been designed in harmony. Odd and humorous costumes had not been neglected. Demons, an imp, and birds nil found a place on the dancing floor and ono enterprising dancer turned out as a bon-bon—a quaint Christmas cracker. A Chinaman with a movable laundry stall attracted a lot of attention and displayed a comedian's command of ready patter in "pidgin" English. Originality was one of tho characteristics demanded in tho dresses and one youth who appeared clad only in a leopard's skin, ccrtainly went a long way baclc towards tho original costuMo of man. Another original, costumo was that of a boy garbed in" sonibro ' vestments, spangled with playing cards. Ho represented "Vice," There was, of course, tho usual array of shepherds and shepherdesses, and other characters represented ranged from Scotch and Irish lassies to princesses, and from tramps to admirals. There were also a number of clowns and ■amateur comedians who. contributed notably to the success of tho evening. 'Prizes wero awarded as follow.— Ladies': First (Red Indian), 107, votes; second (representing the Exhibition Stadium), 89 votes; third (Queen), 50 votes; fourth (sunflower), 48 votes; fifth ("Dawn"), 36 votos; sixth (a bird), 21 votes. Gentlemen; First (Chinaman), 106 votes; second (Mephistopheles), 34 votes; third ("One of tho Boys"), 30 votes; fourth (Cowboy), 22 votes; fifth (a Roman), 19 votes; sixth (A Jlasher)," 17. votes. The children's fancy dress carnival in the afternoon provided many juvoiiiles with a happy time and their elders, who attended in large numbers, with a pretty spectacle. Much labour and skill must have gone to tho preparation of (lie dresses which were worn by tho children, some of them tiny tots who must have been vastly puzzled to know what it was all about. The iirst prize wa's gained by a littlo lady attired as a Maroi wttbine. ' 1 ART UNION, An art union, in which tho prizes wero a number of pictures of New Zealand scenery, bv Mr. W. 0. Baker, was drawn on Saturday evening. Following is tho prize-list:—First (value 120gns!), Mrs. I Hamilton Moore, To Horo (4880); second r, (value (iOgns.), Mr. 1). Blight, Wellington (5867); third (value 30gns.), Miss A. S'eager, ■ Lower Hutt (41S1); fourth (value 2ft giis.), Mrs. Jl'Shane, Avoudalo, Auckland (2401); fifth (value 12gns), Mr. .T. Bailley, Wellington (1902);. sixth (value Bgns.), Mr. Truhauf, Wellington (2G11). Pictures will be delivered to tho prizewinners at the Exhibition Art Gallery at any time up to Wednesday next, at 5 p.m. Thereafter they will bo obtainable from L. Goodger, picture framer, Adelaide , Bond, Wellington, The balance of (.lie pictures unsold will remain, on onor_ at the Exhibition Art Gallery until Wednesday, ATTENDANCE COMPETITION. The guessing competition as. to the number of persons passing through the turnstiles was won by Mr. B. Phillips, who guessed GS7G (actual number G879). The total number of persons to pass through the Exhibition turnstiles from its commencement to closing day was 1G),620. ■ , , , Proceeds of the wireless telegraphy demonstration on Saturday evening amounting to fis. Gd. will bo contributed to the llepple Fund. ... Mr. A. Hriiuloy, Waiapoi, was lucky enough to win both prizes iu a raffle for two model steam engines.