The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1889.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5710, 18 December 1889, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1889.

Mb. Joubkrt's scheme for holding a Now Zealand Exhibition in London is worth considering. It is certainly a more practical way of advertising the eolony'e productions than* in having an exhibition in Dunedin. If there be any advautago in having such a display it must surely be at the world's metropolis, where we sell our produce, and got our money. Hitherto New ■ Zealand has made a wretched show at everyone of the great national exhibitions in which she has been n«ktd to take part. At London— tho Colindcries—our exhibits were not worthy of the colony—not worthy in a commercial sense—and, after all, it is only from a commercial point of view that an exhibition has any value. Wo do not suppose for a single moment that the colony benefited a penny pieeo by it. The only Substantial exhibit that we had there, the only thing we showed whioh gave an idea of the progress of the country, was what was shown by the Mosjriel Woollen Factory Company. In that we had something to bo proud of, something that we proved we could do as well as any country in tho world. But as against that we had what to us,appeared as the mischievous set-off of Sir Walter Bullw'fl Maori curios, and other evidences of savagery of that character. The only deduction a Londoner could have mads from our exhibits was that tho oolony was etruggling_ m its infanoy against savages and virgin forest. The fernery attached to the Now Zealand court was pretty, and formed a pleasant retreat for visitors, but it was not the sort of thing to attract either capital or population to our shores. Nobody wants to go to a country tho main features of which, according to the exhibition, aro tatooed warriors and damp fern. At the Paris Exposition New Zealand wa* disgracefully represented. Bir Dillon Bell did his utmost to make amends for the apathy shown by the colony, but the result was a terrible failure Possessing as we do the finest coal beds iv Australasia; there was not a piece of coal amongst the exhibits. To show that the colony produced wool the Agent-General had to search around the London brokers' offices to procure samples ; and he had to do the same with regard to hemp fibre. Tho wheat, barley, and oats wore not only inferior, but had arrived in bad condition. All this and more is reported by the Ageut-Genernl in a despatch to the Government, and in it he sta':oe that the greatest attraction in the New Zealand court was a couple of models of Maori figures exhibited by Sir Walter ■ Buller ! ~We quite endorse Sir Dillon Bell's remark at the conclusion of his report, that it was a pity the colony showed at all at the Paris Exhibition unless it was prepared to mako proper efforts to be adequately represented. But wo did little or no better at Melbourne, although we had greater facilities for making a display. And what are we doing at Dunodin ¥ If the truth be told this Now Zealand Exhibition it-made up of the exhibits from other countries, and serves to show our inferiority. The only thing of value about it ia that, with the cheap fares instituted for tho occasion by tho Union Steamship Company, visitors may be induced to come here from the other colonies, and as thoy would not come to and go back straight from Dunedin, they will have the opportunity of judging for themselves the capabilities of New Zealand, whioh they certainly would not bo able to do by going to the Exhibition.