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Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 58, 18 September 1928, Page 16

IT is perhaps not fair to limit tho district to bo Borved. by the Winter Show to the immediate counties surrounding Wellington, because experience has shown that it has attracted entries further afield, but oven in its own. district these yearly events may look to a wido support. Across the strait is tho north of the South Island, without Tail access to the centres of its own island, the inhabitants of which rely upon Wellington for both business and diversion. From its situation the city also attracts the population of the whole of the southern portion of the North Island, and is moreover bordered by two of the richest agricultural and pastoral provinces in the Domiu-1 ion, the Manawatu and Wairarapa. When to these advantages is added the fact that tho central city is the natural clearing house of all inter-island travel, and sees a weekly stream of visitors from north and south the year round, it is not unreasonable to suppose that a large proportion.of them will defer or accelerate their affairs in order to

S. P. Andrew, iilioto.

enable them to pass through Wellington during its' carnival week. Surprise at the extent of the Winter Show building ana the amount of floor space is being generally expressed by the visiting public. Mushroom-like it has sprung into being in a few months, roofed and floored ready for the exhibition, and though it is still in an unfinished state as regards its exterior, and though there are ultimate additions to be made to the building itself which -will give more floor space, it is as ieady for show purposes as though it had been there years. Eventually the barn-like front, merely an adaptation of the building to the exigencies of successfully holding the 1928 show, will be covered along its length by the addition of 50 feet of space, and will be graced by a handsome turicted main portal, flanked by ornamental turrets. A flight of steps 30ft wide will give entrance to the main floor, and by the date'of the next show the ground in front will have been laid out attractively. In the meantime the public enters by the north-west door on the main floor, where a 16ft passage leads into the industrial section of the show, which covers 25,000 square feet of space devoted to secondary industries, supervised by the Wellington Manufacturers' Association. Then come the general exhibitions of the show, primary products, motors, etc. Sideshows, games, etc., are ranged along the south wall. Government exhibitions are to be found in two bays along the eastern wall. A concrete floor, on the western side, built upon: solid clay, provides an- excellent bay for heavy machinery exhibits. Altogether the main floor-offers some 90,000 square feet of exhibition space, and the Winter Show, for the first time, is spaced out so that a comprehensive viewmay be ; had of the whole. The impression conveyed is certainly striking, especially when viewed' from the dancr ing floor aboyo. The dancing floor.and its attendant comforts and conveniences is a feature that will appeaMo the public. It measures 160 ft x 90ft, standing high over the show, and here are •to be found the tearooms, pictures, and a stage. Attached to the dancing'floor is a huge Icitchen, beautifully equipped to deal with refreshments on a,large.scale, and down, separate stairways are separate dressing-rooms with lavatory accommodation. All is calculated to deal with the customary Winter Show crowds. White pauellcd,, with -varnished ximu facings, the dancing floor and tea rooms, from which the whole show may be surveyed, form an attractive centre to the vast main floor. The back basement, containing the stock exhibits, contains 15,000 square feet of floor space. It has a concrete floor, and is specially drained, free from draughts, and well lit. Here the stock are comfortable for the first time in the history of the show. Though the front basement has not yet been fully excavated, it will eventually offer another 15,000 feet of space, making altogether some 134,000 square feet of space available in the present building without the contemplated extensions. The lighting throughout is admirable —indeed on a suitable night a moonlight ball would be quite possible on the dancing floor. The exit from the show is on the east side, where footpaths lead down to Westland road and Hall street. While the problem of handling the crowd is largely solved by the lay-out of the building, car parking will present a serious difficulty this year. An area on the' western side near the entrance to the building is being reserved for that purpose, and there are several smaller areas where cars can be parked. When the grounds are completed there will be, ample room, and it is hoped that by. next.show there will be no difficulties. SITE AND PUTURE PLANS. The first site suggested for the Winter Show building was in front of the old Te Aro railway station, and another suggestion was a site at Lyall Bay, but the advantages of the present site, first porceived by Mr. G. Mitchell, were at once recognised. It contains 12 acres S roods 21.8 perches, fronting Westland

road, flanked by an'educational reserve on tho east and by Hutchison _ road, which lias been widened and given an improved grade by the association's operations, on the west. Tho southern boundary will be perhaps better known to tho public as "Jam Tin Gully," the boundary being roughly in lino with Hall street. On the level at tho back of the building it is proposed to lay out a play area, and above that, at the south-west corner of the grounds will be built a. racing track enclosing, a Kports ground, where a natural gallery is provided by the hill. . Excavations necessary to fully utilise the site have been extensive, and there is still ;i good deal to bo done before the racing track and play aro.'i will be in use. The transformation of a city eye-sore to an amusement park is not complete, but enough has been done to give some idea of tho great improvement that will bo made. It cannot be said that tho active members of the Winter Show Association are devoid of vision. They arc, if anything, inclined to tackle big future problems simultaneously that, singly, would deter others from attempting them. If all goes well, however, it is their inteutiou to run a summer stock show on the lines of the Sydney Royal Show, and so great is tho success that has attended their efforts to date that it would be unwise to say that they will not succeed in this also. Tho provision-of such exhibition and entertainment quarters will certainly attract many enterprises that would never have been heard of without it, a!l sources of revenue to either the City Corporation or the association.