TO SHOW NEXT YEAR?

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 117, 19 May 1909, Page 8

TO SHOW NEXT YEAR?

EXHIBITION UNDER ONE R9OF MANY ADVOCATES. To-day the curtain descends on * 'Industries Week" as a week, but it is * not likely that New Zealand goods are to disappear behind the anas till some tiu ie nei'fc winter. Reviewing the past seven, days; MVa Allen, secretary of the Industrial As • sbciation, says "that he has been through tli? streets taking copious notes of the j various • exhibits. • His anticipations'about "the quantity and quality of the displays have been more than realised, but he confesses that the units have been very much scattered. "One feature that pleased Mr. Allen more than anything else was the interest unmistakably manifested by schoolmasters, children, and parents. They applied in large numbers far permits to go through factories, and they proved very enthusiastic explorers. The little ones did not give preference to lollie and biscuit factories. They were genuinely in search of provender for the rryind rather than delicacies for the body. The Power Strtion was the "star" draw for- them, and the soap and candle works, the Gear Meat Works, the frat., mills, and the printing offices were more- attractive to them than t"n'o! places, where a lollie or a bisdtiifi might be obtainable without even tfeie ' trouble of asking for it. THE FUTURE. • That is for the week that is closing. V7hat will be the programme for next year? Mr. Allen says "that there seems to, be a fair consensus of opinion that next year's project should be one to enable goods of all , kinds to be conspicuously set out under one roof. In lus^opinion this showing should be done at a. time when there would be some other iittractioas on to draw people to the city. He did not think that it would be v Ise' to have an exhibition during a racing period, for example, becauso the people who came in for horseraces might have little interest man ip-dnsttia! race, the struggle of New Zealand goods against alien competitors. ';' ■ A CARNIVAL ? Christchurch has a Carnival Week, various fetes to bring in country people by the thousand, and local ' manufac: tprers have remarkably good opportunities to display their wares at the Metropolitan Show. In addition to that advantage the manufacturers have an Industries Week (completed recently) similar to the Wellington one. 'Several times the Wellington Industrial- Association has discussed the advisableness of having some kind of a carnival week here once a year. To enable that idea to be suitably carried out, it has been suggested that public holidays should be "lumped" — a Btraight-out week instead of half a dozen scattered "days off." * Some critics, who rather shrink from the task of getting a carnival week es-< tablished, say that much good might be done if something memorable could bo arranged for even one day at a time when local manufactures would be on view. It is widely mud firmly believed that something more is needed for the advantage of "home made" than a week that wanders: in uneventfully, lingers uneventfully and departs uneventfully. It is vigorously contended that there must be something to focus the people's attention ; their minds and eyes must have notable points of support. The essential thing that has be&i lacking in the> week neaiiy ended and the similar week last year was a *' cro wd-compeller. ' ' TO BE DISCUSSED SOON. Proposals for a "one-roof' exhibition •will come before the Industrial Association very soon. Mr. Allen intends to draw the association's attention to the favourable opinions held by many citizens. It is believed that if the enthusiasm, which was ready to bring saccess to an exhibition for Wellington a few years ago, can be revived now, ne.x\t year will see a movement that will Lcartily gladden local manufacturers.