The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1923. THE EXHIBITION.

Evening Star, Issue 18253, 18 April 1923, Page 6

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1923. THE EXHIBITION.

Woukehs for tho exhibition scheme arc to 'be congratulated on tho new phase which they have caused the project to enter upon in the last two days. At last it is out of the rut of abstract resolutions and generalities, however eloquent, and moving forward on a definite track which promises real progress. Some tiling tangible was done at Monday night’s meeting, when sub-committees, composed of live men, were appointed to go into the questions of finance and site. Tho committees can get | “ down to tin-tacks ” now without further deday, and it is to ho expected that when a public meeting is called they will have definite recommendations on both those aspects to place before it. As regards the site issue, which is likely to be productive of most controversy, the committee would do well to prepare a list of tho sites which arc obviously outstanding, with a detailed statement of tho advantages and also tho disadvantages that arc presented by each of them. Tho public will know then not only that a particular location is recommended, but all the’ reasons why it is preferred, and future discussion will be loss likely to wander at random. It was a bright idea of tho Provisional Committee, significant of its keenness, to take time by tho forelock yesterday, and see Mr Massey at Palmerston on tho project without waiting for him to come to Dunedin. A first necessity for the exhibition’s success in attracting displays from beyond the seas, and also to their full number from this country, is that it should have tho prestige i of a national undertaking, which means that it should have the (lovernraent’s seal I of approval. The number of people in j other parts of the Empire, to say nothing | of foreign countries, who know Otago or | Dunedin is not so largo as it should be, j but most of then know something of New Zealand. Tho Prime Minister’s reply to the deputation which waited on him was quite as encouraging as could be expected at this early stage of tho big enterprise, which the succession of election contests and all tho recent excitement of politics must have given him the smallest time for considering. Moral support ho promised to the fullest extent. It was obvious that tho amount of tho financial aid which tho Government may be prepared to give could not bo stated at that first interview ; but the vast improvement in tho public accounts, promising now a surplus of “considerably over £1,000,000 ” for tho financial year instead of tho sad deficit onco anticipated, must make generous assistance easier on its part. The solo condition which Mr Massey attached to his sympathy, that the Dunedin exhibition must not clash in any way with tho great Imperial fair to be hold in Britain, is not one that makes any difficulty for tho enterprise. Tho Wembly Park Exhibition will be opened in April, 1924, and is to last for six months. That of Dunedin is not timed to begin till the end of 1925. If an earlier date had been fixed for tho New 1 Zealand fair it would bo fantastic to imagine that we could compote with Wembly Park. In tho actual circumstances it is impossible that wo should divert one exhibit from the great British undertaking, Hie contributions to which by all tho British dominions and most of tho Crown colonies also have either been, or within the next few weeks may be expected to be, fixed. But a fair number of exhibits from the British exposition should come on hero when that is ended, and in that respect the date for tho Dunedin exhibition has been most happily chosen. It should bo well timed, also, at a season when financial clouds have clearly begun, to lift, and everything gives promise of a period of now progress and development for this dominion, which an exhibition, by the advertisement it would mean for us beyond our shores and tho stimulus it woulcf afford to every local energy, would be uniquely calculated to assist.