THE EXHIBITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1907, Page 4

THE EXHIBITION.

SPECIAL EXCURSIONS. [BT TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCIIUECH, 4th February. The attendance ~a,t the Exhibition is heing well sustained, and with the attractions now coming on and the commencement of special excursions at reduced fares by rail and steamer from the North Island the present satisfactory numbers ;ire expected to increase largely during the next, few weeks. The first of the North Island excursions which ■will bo run from stations on the Wcl-lington-N&pier-Xew Plymouth railway section to Christchurch was commenced to-day, and others will begin on the 6th and 11th inst. Tickets will be available for the rail journey for" -nine days from date of issue, giving passengers an opportunity to spend a full week at the Exhibition. Under the reduced rail and steamer charges excursionists may make the return journey from New Ply mouth for £2 first-class and saloon, or i3l 6s 6d second-class and steerage; the rates from Napier being £1 16s 3d and £1 4s 6d respectively. Special reductions are also being mado on the South Island lines. Mr. H. J. Payne, a member of the Tasmanian Parliament, has been pleasantly surprised by the Exhibition. He heard before he left home, he states, that it was a failure, but after spending Eoine daj* at the Exhibition he thinks it a success from every point of view, i The Hon. J. A. Millar has received a communication from Dunedin stating that people there are arranging a guarantee fond for the purpose of taking tho orchestra to Dunedin. Tho Minister roplied that provided all the expenses were jpaid the Government would allow the orchestra to visit Dunedin from the 11th to 16th inst. An adept in the difficult art of throwing boomerangs has made arrangements ■with the general manager for giving exhibitions of his skill. Thsv first of theso •will probably be combined' with one of the displays of daylight fireworks, or the next joint entertainment given by Fijians and Maoris. The Fijians have attracted such large attendances of late that it is understood their stay may be prolonged. The committee in charge of the Southland court has been allowed to recoup itself for some of its expenses by exhibiting an important local industry in tv very practical fashion by opening an oyster saloon on the grounds. The famous Newcastle band, probably the finest brass combination that Australia has produced, left Sydney on Saturday to take part in the Exhibition band contest, which commences on Monday next. The presence of the Australians •will lend an added interest to the contest which will be the greatest yet held in the colonies. The fifth free display of fireworks will be given in the Exhibition grounds tomorrow evening, when some very fine new 6ft pieces, the principal of which is a presentation of a Chinese pagoda with beautiful dye-coloured lights, will be introduced. The military tattoo has been postponed owing to a difficulty in completing arrangementfi. Large entries havo beep received for the begonia show, which Trill be held in the main corridor to-morrow and Thur-s-day. The magnificent display of stags>* heads in the Tourist Department's court invariably arouses the surprise and admiration of oversea visitors. The three large red deer herds of North Otago, Wairarapa, and Nelson are well represented in the collection, and there are also fallow buck heads from Tapamri and Auckland, and one head each of wapiti, sambur, and axis. A department of the Exhibition which is never without patrons is the babies' creche, where infants can be left by the hour under expert superintendence while parents enjoy the sights of the . great fair, free from trouble or responsibility. As a modern exhibit the creche' possesses an interest of its own, and it adds to the general revenue both by .means of charges made for infants and by allowing both parents to visit the Exhibition when otherwise only one might go.