NO OFFICIAL SUPPORT

Evening Star, Issue 18534, 17 January 1924, Page 6

NO OFFICIAL SUPPORT

CANTERBURY AND THE EXHIBITION. INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION’S ATTITUDE, [Special to the ‘ Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, January 16. A definite refusal to accord official support to the international exhibition to bo promoted in Dunedin in the summer of 1925-26 was made by the executive' of the Canterbury Industrial Association tonight. The subject was introduced by a letter from tho New Zealand South and Seas Exhibition Company, Limited, addressed to the president (Mr H. R. Best), asking him to allow his name to be included on the list of executive commissioners. It was stated that tho position was an honorary one, and entailed only the formation of a local committee to push tho interests of tho exhibition locally. The President said ho did not wish to bring his private views into prominence on tlis question, but wished to bo guided by tbe opinion of the executive. Mr J. Jenkin said he could not support the exhibition, it was practically “Bond street, Dunedin, against the rest of New Zealand,” and it was not in tho interests of the industrialists of New' Zealand. He moved that tho association withhold its support. In reply to a question the president said that some of tho other centres had protested against tho exhibition being of an international character. Mr S. Jackman said they had set their faces against the project all along, and they could not support it now. Mr F. L. Hutchinson expressed himgelf in similar terms. Mr H. Willis was strongly of the opinion that they should" not support the exhibition. He thought it was deplorable that the Prime Minister, who had expressed himself as in favor of trade within the Empire, had promised a substantial grant towards the funds for promoting tho exhibition. It was decided that a reply be sent regretting that the association could not accede to the request, and pointing out that it did not consider a foreign exhibition was in the interests of New Zealand industrialists.