THE EXHIBITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1907, Page 3

THE EXHIBITION.

CHRJSTCHURCH, 3rd February. Th« Exhibition attracted a large numter of visitors on. Sataiday. For local residents it has now seemingly become an * indispensable resort. Visitors from other •parts of the colony and from Australia cgntinue to arrive msatistactory numbers. The. orchestra is now one of the most potent attractions. Aa excellent concert given on Saturday afternoon was enjoyed by a. large audienre. An organ recital, giyon b- Dr. Bradshaw, .Cathedral 'organist, was also well attended. Dr. Findlay, tho Attorney-General, has como to tho conclusion, after a tour of inspection of the buildings, that the present ventilation is inadequate, and has taken steps to have the defect remedied at, once. Windows, which are nearly all fixtures and cannot be opened, are being " altered, and the roof is being altered in jjarts to admit more air. In the art gallery) which is generally agreed to bo the "stuffiest" part of the building, electric fans are being placed. Workmen commenced tho task on Saturday. Wben "' these improvements are effected, one of tne few existing complaints against the Exhibition — that the atmosphere in its interior is too close .for comfort in hot . 'wcatlier — will havo been removed. Mr. S, Kirkpatrick, of Nelson, having ' spsnt a great deal of tinio inspecting the various exhibits at the Exhibition, has found " another complaint which is at the same time a compliment. ,Mr. Kirkpat- ' jick- considers that while the Exhibition Ls most attractive to thoso seeking information and recreation, tho side-showe — and ."Wonderland" in particular — have been very,.kcen« competitors with the. Exhibition. JiHe has been much, struck, he says, 1 Triih'^tlre' way people file into the big building and immediately rush through to '.•Wonderland," with the result that the exhibitors do not reap the advertisement -or reward they are entitled to. He suggests that after the arranged closing, date of the ' Exhibition and side-shows, tho former, should, be re-opened as a free show 4o' the general public; not only in the interests of the exhibitors, but from an educational point of view. Mr. Kirkpatrick and many of the exhibitors he has interviewed consider such continuation of , the Exhibition proper would bo in the right direction. People would then havo nothing to distract their attention from ,ther merits of tho Exhibition, which he " considers aro very great. Apart from the practicability of this . proposal, there is no doubt that many departments of absorbing interest in the Exhibition, such, as the educational, sociological, and other exhibits in tho British court, are far too lightly "akimiced" by visitors, who would tind'themselvcs very - richly rewarded if they gave even a moderate amount of study to the exhibits. The Exhibition covers so many fields that ►only a most exceptional individual could fail to find two- or three departments at least calculated to interest him. Details of the international band contest ■which will be held from February 11th to 16th are well in hand. A local expert — "Before next Saturday night all competing bands and bandsmen will be billeted in Christchurch. Never before has there been such a muster. Each contesting band will doubtless be in its best playing for." The Newcastle City Band •won tne recent large contest conducted by the Band Association of New South Wales, one of the conditions being that tho winning band should the trip to New Zealand to competoab the Exhibition. The. twenty-five thousandth visitor went up the tower elevator on Saturday, . and wag presented with a commemorative gift. Every visitor to the tower on batarday was also presented with a postcard shotting a view of Ckristdiurch taken from the top. The next display of Pain's fireworks will bo given on Wcdneeday aight.