THE EXHIBITION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 89, 15 April 1940, Page 9

THE EXHIBITION

HEARING THE END

ATTENDANCES STILL GOOD

24,000 ON SATURDAY

The holiday rush to the Exhibition is over, hut with the approach of closing day there is a growing realisation on the part of those who have not seen the big show properly that their opportunities are dwindling. There was an attendance of over 24,000 on Saturday. Numbers of people from the country and other centres continue to come to the city. Local visitors included the Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) and Mrs. Fraser, ■\yho spent most of their time in the Government Court. Although the weather was showery at times the open areas were popular, and Playland had a fairly busy time during the evening. A large number of visitors gathered before the south Saturday's attendance. .. 24,106 ■ Total, 136 days .....;...,; 3,219,582 ( bandshell during the evening to hear the programme presented by the Wellington Police Pipe Band, and the Scottish music was thoroughly enjoyed. Groups also gathered at the entrances to the General Exhibits and Manufacturing Courts to hear the pipes at a distance. , Indoors all the courts were well patronised. • The Government Court still held pride of place, and country visitors were heard to make; complimentary comments on the great variety of interesting exhibits there. The Dominion Court and Women's Section^ were also popular rendezvous, and over' 5000 of the visitors to the model of the Dominion also went "underground" to view the Waitomo Caves. VISITING SCHOOL CHILDREN. Particularly interested visitors on Saturday were over 300 school children from North Taranaki schools, who came to Wellington on an excursion organised by Mr. F. Stainton. They were accompanied by about thirty adults and are being billeted in quarters arranged by the educational authorities, the girls': at .Newtown School and the boys at the Winter Show Buildings. The excursion occupied nine special carriages from New Plymouth and the children •were transported in the city by the Tramways Department. . The children will have two days for: visiting the Exhibition: Saturday and today. Yesterday they paid a visit to the Newtown Zoo and later were taken for a sightseeing tour around interesting points near, the city. The majority of the. children had not been out of Taranaki previously, and consequently their trip is a great adventure to them. They were all obviously 'impressed and delighted "by the Exhibition. This afternoon special cinema programmes are being arranged for them in the theatrette in the Government Court. They will return to their homes tomorrow. "NAVY WEEK." In view of the recent activities of the British Navy, this week will most appropriately be "Navy week" in the Government Court. Special urns are being screened and these were well received on Saturday. The films being shown include "Full Speed Ahead/ a romance with/ the Navy as a background, "The Voyage of H.M.S. Ashantii" when she was sent to the Gold Coast for the Jubilee celebrations, "A Naval Occasion/- and "Our Island Nation," the*last, occupying an hour on the screen. ... - Local Boy Scouts have been showing increasing activity, in their stand at ,the Exhibition. ' The stand, takes the form of a Scout camp and is in the Engineering VCourt near the Resolution Street entrance to the Exhibition. . The boys have displayed a variety of articles improvised for camping and when a party of Scouts enters the stand and sets to work establishing "camp" a crowd always gathers. THE WOMEN'S SECTION. The splendid display in the Women's Section continues to draw large attendances, by no means all' women. Sometimes there are' more men than women present but they find just as much to interest them as do the women. Two one-act plays will be presented this ■ evening: "Get it at Denly's," by the Wellington East Old Girls' Drama Club, and "March Bride," by Marsden College Old Girls' Drama Club. The programme will begin at 8 p.m. The of youth demonstration which was to have been held this evening .has been postponed until next Monday. ■ :