THE EXHIBITION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 122, 19 November 1937, Page 8

THE EXHIBITION

SCOPE IN FINE DISPLAY

APPLICATIONS FOR SPACE

The Centennial Exhibition, to be held at Ron£otai, 1939-40, will be the largest held south of the Line. That statement was made by the general manager (Mr. C. P. Hainsworth) and was based on data in his possession concerning the scope and dimensions of other exhibitions. He further stated that the Centennial Exhibition would be larger, as far as buildings were concerned, than the great Glasgow Exhjbition to be held next year at Bellahouston Park, which is nearly four miles from the city.

Matters are moving fairly swiftly in connection with the Centennial Ex■hibition, which is to mark the close of the first century of New Zealand history. It is anticipated that Mr. Edmund Anscombe and associates, who are now working upon-the plans and specifications, will be ready to call for tenders by the middle of January, and it is fully, expected by the board of ♦directors that a start will be made with the construction of the buildings by the end of February or early in March. The business prospectus of the Exnibition was issued only a few weeks ago. Mr. Hainsworth said that never before had such a prospectus been iß6uqd so early for an exhibition with which he had had any connection, yet within the space of a month or five weeks they had received applications for space from between 50 and 60 of the leading industrial firms of New Zealand, applications for spaces ranging up to 1000 square feet, RESPONSE PROMISES WELL. "Such an eager response so early in the day, two years before the Exhibition, is extremely gratifying," said Mr. Hainsworth, "and shows the spirit in which the Centennial Exhibition project is being received by the business and commercial public. Such is the position that it is my intention to call a meeting of the allotment committee before the Christmas holidays and get it finally to allot some of the space which has been applied for. The response is satisfactory, too, as the class of firm.is representative of the leading manufacturers and sets a definite standard. That applications should be made for space so soon after the issue of the prospectus, and without any' canvassing, shows that a very keen interest is being shown in the Exhibition, particularly in view of the fact that 25 per cent, of the space money has to be paid on application, 25 per cent, on allotment, and the other 50 per cent, within one month prior to the opening of the Exhibition. ■ ■ "I anticipate that there will be further applications received before the end of the year," concluded Mr, Hainsworth. ''Several firms are negotiating. Some of the big ones are in communication with their Home headquarters and are practically, sure of completing this within a few weeks, as I am leaving for America.towards the end- of January." There are now prospects of making provision for a look-out pavilion at the ■ top of the tower that is to be erected ■as the chief architectural feature of ; the western wing of the Exhibition. , Should the negotiations for the con- , ttruction of an electric elevator; for the tower he successful, it may be practic- ■ able for visitors to view the prospect : from this elevated point of vantage for i a small charge. Such a feature is i being made a s good deal of in connec- ! tion with the1 Glasgow Exhibition, i where the tower has been designed by • Mr: Thomas S. Tait, designer of the : Sydney Harbour Bridge.