EMPIRE EXHIBITION

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1923, Page 8

EMPIRE EXHIBITION

PROGRESS OF WORK AT

WEMBLEY

THE LATE GENERAL MANAGER

(FROM ODR OWN CORRESPONDS!.)

LONDON, 28th June.

That it has cost the Board of the British Empire Exhibition a considerable sum of money to bring about the retirement of Mr. U. F. Wintour as general manager was brought to light in the House of Commons this week.

Mr. H. Butler (Conservative member for Leeds) asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether his attention had been called to the proposed payment of £14,000 to Mr. Wintour, lately general manager of the British Empire Exhibition; and, having regard to the Government guarantee of £100,000 towards the expenses of the Exhibition,-whether any communication had been made to the management committee of the Exhibition in regard to the proposed payment.

Sir E. Hamilton inquired as to the duties attaching to the position at present occupied by Mr. Wintour. Lieutenant-Colonel Buckley (Parliamentary Secretary, Overseas Trade Department) : I understand that Mr. Wintour, the general manager, 'was given under his original agreement certain exclusive powers of management in connection with the Exhibition, not only for the period of preparation and while the Exhibition remains open, but until it was wound up. I am also informed that, in the opinion of the board which ™aa recently appointed in pursuance of the recommendations made in the report of the Financial Secretary to the -Treasury, such powers were inconsistent with the system of organisation "considered by the board to be essential for the dischargo of the responsibilities imposed upon them. Mi\ Wintour's agreement has, therefore, been cancelled under an arrangement by which he receives the sum. of £14,730. Mr. Wintour has also been appointed consultant to the board. Hiß duties are to afford any information which they may require, and to place at their disposal m an advisory capacity his experience in the organisation of exhibitions. For these duties ho is to receive payment at the rate of £1000 a year. The Secretary of State for the Colonies, as chairman of the executive council of the-Exhibition, was consulted in regard to these arrangements, and has approved of the course adopted. Sir E. Hamilton: "May I ask who was responsible for this appointment in the first instance, arid what the Government expect to get for this further payment or £14,000?" Lieutenant-Colonel Buckley: "The ap pointment was made by the executive council of the Exhibition. It is not a question of what the Government expects to get out of this, because it has nothing to do with the management of the Exhibition."

Sir J. Remnant (Holborn, U.): J'May I ask if it is within the power of the executive to utilise subscriptions for the purpose of compensating a man who has proved inefficient?"

Mr. H. M. Butler: "Will, the hon. gentleman say whether the Government was aware of the fact that this gentleman had previously received a large sum of money on the cancellation of an agreement?"

No further answer was given. REPORT OF PROGRESS.

The Standing Administrative Committee of the British Empire Exhibition, appointed on 28th February last, in pursuance of a resolution unanimously earned by the old Executive Council has issued a report on the progress of the .Exhibition between Ist March and 31st May.

.Much time, it is stated, has been given by the board to the consideration of the agreement with the Dominions and an agreement has been finally settled upon, and now only awaits the signatures of the Dominions' representative^ -The pla M for the pavilions of the Dominions have all been approved and in the cases of India and Australia work has begun, houth Africa has recently decided to take a much bigger part in the Exhibition than was at first proposed, and it has consequently been necessary to T earrange the lay-out of the grounds. It is understood that Ehodesia will be represented m the South African sec«e aS^ clearly indicatine her Bhh additf n. to almost all the various British Colonies and Protectorates, Palestine (with Cyprus) is to be repre-

mrin\ fi >?£ TPT ace availab'e in the In ' MT°i«h^ ™ted Kingdom divif I- i P 137 Sluare feefc altogether, of which 434 904 squarß feet ha S 8 now Sj ltet d«finitely or provisionally applied for Progress on the work of the United Kingdom buildings is reported as satisfactory,- The number of men emiW, at 7 emblev Park » »>"k ended 31sfc May was 1825, of whom 1304, or 73 per cent., were ex-service men. Up to 31st May, 12,825 tons of cement, 862,500 bricks, 3120 tons of constructional steel, and 2025 tons of reinforcing steel were the approximate quantities of.some of the materials used. .« is announced that the Government Unit i av,°. urably a proposal that the fivMh'f Klnf dom sh°uld h^e a State exhibit worthy of ,the Home Country.