WET SATURDAY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 118, 12 February 1940, Page 11

WET SATURDAY

Quiet Night At The Exhibition ATTENDANCE 11,982 A northerly storm, which later changed to a driving southerly, lashed the Exhibition at Rongotai on Saturday and caused the attendance to drop by more than half. Saturday’s visitors appeared to be mostly country people, Wellington residents generally preferring to remain at home. A few hundred arrived at night, but a succession of heavy showers early in the evening deterred most people from venturing forth. Saturday’s attendance of 11,982 was really quite good considering the unfavourable conditions. The grounds, which were dotted with pools of water, were deserted, everybody remaining tinder cover. In consequence. Playland had a quiet night. The attendance to date is 1,425,234.

Because of the high wind and driving rain, fewer visitors than usual climbed the Exhibition tower, the total for the day being only 450. To date, 65,990 people have made the climb. Mr. O. P. Hainsworth, general manager of the Exhibition, who has been ill for a week, was reported on Saturday to be much improved. He hopes to resume his duties today.

The mayor of Palmerston North, Mr. Mansford, has issued an appeal to citizens and business houses in Palmerston North for £2OO to bring 600 children to the Exhibition. He has headed the list with a donation of £lO and two other donations of £5 each have already been received. . . Visitors to the Australian pavilion usually spend a considerable time. in the art gallery, where special lighting effects ensure an even distribution of light on the walls. In this gallery, which is 50ft. long and 30ft. wide, are displayed GO pictures by leading Australian contemporary artists, including representatives of the modern school. Among the 40 artists whose works are included are Sir John Longstaff, Sir Arthur Sireeton, John Moore, Howard Ashton, Will Ashton, Nonmn Lindsay, William Dobell, Margaret Preston and Max Meldrum. In addition, there are eight small pieces of statuary in bronze and stone which have been greatly admired.

Will Bishop and his Centennial Serenaders’ concert party gave both their afternoon aud evening performances in the Assembly Hall on Saturday because of the rain. For both concerts hundreds were unable to gain admission, and there is no doubt that the party is one of the most successful combin.ations to perform at the Exhibition. Three further recitals on the Hammond electric organ will be given in the assembly hall this week by Mr. Howard Moody, the well-known theatre organist. Mr. Moody will play a programme of classical aud popular music from 3 p.m, to 4 p.m. tomorrow and also on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

In the assembly hall tomorrow night there will be a preview of the film “Homeland in the Making.” which tells the story of Palestine today. The Women’s Section.

The women’s section continues to be as popular as any place in the Exhibition and on Saturday was visited by almost, as many men as women.

An interesting selection of articles has come to hand from a Rhodesian women’s institute, showing the arts and crafts of South African women. On display are woven baskets, delicate lace, an ivory miniature, beadwork, samples of tatting and attractive rugs from sisal cord.

The Women’s Institutes and Women’s Division section contains a wealth of fascinating articles including hexagon-pattern and other quilts up to 150 years old, a screen 104 years old and useful and attractive articles made by farming women. Airs. E. Silcock and Airs. O. W. Silcock, Clinton, have loaned two beautiful red vases made of papier mache, in which small pieces of crayfish shell have been imbedded. The result is an effective and novel vase. One of the vases was displayed at the Glasgow Exhibition. Another novelty is a child’s bonnet, made from the fibre of a ribbonwood tree. The fibre has been neatly plaited, giving the effect of lace. Then there is an eggshell mosaic box, which must have required tremendous patience to make and tint. From the Ararimu Institute is a clever model of a farmer ploughing, made from newspapers painted and varnished. Coral Coal Flowers. Aliss Al. 0. Aladaver, of the Belmont Institute, who was in charge of the stall on Saturday, was making paper hydrangeas and preventing thoughtless visitors from pulling to pieces two dishes of eoral coal-llowers she is growing. Tiic coal-llowers, Aliss Aladaver explained, were a novelty she bad brought from a recent trip to England, where coal-flower competitions were held. It was also a craze in Australia at the present time. To make the coral coal-flowers all that was necessary was a bowl in which had been placed coal or coke or a mixture of both. Over this was poured a mixture of the following ingredients:— A packet of cobalt blue, two tablespoons of salt, three tablespoons of water, a small bottle of red ink, and three tablespoons of ammonia. The bowl and contents should be placed in a sunny window and in 25 minutes, a pink, bine ad white deposit resembling eoral only in powder form would begin to appear on the coal and on the sides of the bowl. Every second day, it was necessary to pour down the side of the bowl a tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of salt. In a remarkably short

time, said Miss Madaver, the coal and the chemicals would be transformed into a pleasing ornament. Commenting on the popularity of the stall, Miss Madaver said that many visitors returned repeatedly to the women’s section. One Wellington man, accompanied by his mother, who was more than 80 years old, told her that his mother had 'been more than 30 times to the Exhibition. From the questions asked by visitors, it was apparently not generally known that all the helpers in the Women’s Division and Women’s Institute sections gave their services voluntarily, each branch attending at the stall for a week. The men appeared to be quite as interested in the stall as the women, added Miss Madaver, particularly in the thriftarticles, which were a feature of the display. , „ t „ Mock “Health Court.”

Tonight at 8 o’clock in the women’s section demonstration hall, the programme will take the form of a skit, “Health Court.” It is a mock court scene in which prominent Wellington people—Mrs, Knox Gilmer, Miss Ethel Law, Mrs. R. S. Mclnnes, Miss Betty Lorimer—will be charged with breaches of various health laws. The entertainment, which promises to be capital fun, as well as having an instructive side, will last half an hour. It will be repeated at 9 p.m. Physical Excellence Finalists.

Next Friday and Saturday, February 16 and 17, there will be two evenings’ entertainment in the Assembly Hall, conducted by the New Zealand Weight Lifters’ Association, which will include the final selection in the Centennial physical excellence contest, and a Aliss New Zealand and Air. New Zealand will be chosen from the finalists, of whom there are 12, representing nearly all provinces in the Dominion. In addition to the judging of the physical excellence contest, there will be entertainment provided by acrobatic, tumbling and other troupes of performers, which w’ill include Len Wilson’s troupe of Herculean balancers, from Auckland, Russell Aliddlebrook, and the Alilo balancing troupe from Napier, two groups of physical culture pupils from Wellington, and other performers of merit. Salvation Army Pavilion. A glance at the visitors’ book in the Salvation Army pavilion, reveals that people from as far afield as Estonia, China, Japan, London and Sydney, called at the pavilion and Inspected the exhibits or attended the film screenings. The girls from the Owen Street Home broadcast from the studio at the Exhibition on Saturday night, their performance being watched through the glass panels of the studio by hundreds of people. Later they gave two concerts in the Salvation Army pavilion. The programme was as follows: — Theme song, "Good Evening”; concerted recitations, “Alisslng” and “Dorothy Rose”; display of rod and ribbon drill.

Alajor H. C. Goflin, in introducing the girls, gave details of the Salvation Army work for girls and boys in NewZealand. He paid a tribute to Air. .1. Dean for bis work in reviving handloom weaving in Salvation Army homes. A loom is installed in the pavilion, and boys as young as ten years of age make gaily-patterned scarves under Air. Dean’s direction. There is also a loom for making rugs from tailors’ clippings, the backs of the rugs being woven on the loom.

Exhibition Highlights

The Centennial Roll of Commemoration to 'be deposited in the Dominion Museum when signed by you is your historical memento of attendance at the 1940 Centennial Exhibition celebrations.

Exhibition Cabaret! Tonight: Dancing 9 pan. to 1 a.in. Subscription 2/6 single, Late buses, 12.10 and 1.10 a.m. Dance to Manuel Raymond and his All-Star Orchestra. * * *

The world’s most famous skating act and we don’t mean “maybe.” See these fascinating skaters'iu the St. Aloritz Ice Show in Playland today! * « *

The hallmark of genius is thoroughness for taking pains. Visit The Little Theatre in the Blue Pavilion and assist the crippled cliildj-en. ♦ * ♦

Scoop! "Hitler’s horrors of sea warfare.” See them today in Playland, the giant German torpedo and naval mine. Tlirilinlg and exciting.

AVe "Tower” above all others for value in Centennial Tower souvenirs. See our new Tower Compacts at Aitken's Arcade, opp. Cafeteria.