Sadly Disappointed with New Zealand Court

Franklin Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 32, 22 March 1939, Page 5

Sadly Disappointed with New Zealand Court

A PALTRY BUILDING ■GOLDEN GATE 1939 WORLD FAIR 'TREASURE ISLAND’S MAGIC CITY MISLEADING INFORMATION “We travelled all the way from .New Zealand to attend Golden Gate's 1939 International Exposition, and I must say we were sadly disappointed with the New Zealand and Australian Courts,” said Mr H. Dell, senior, of Pukekohe, who has returned from a tour embracing the Pacific Islands, Honolulu, Canada, United States of America and Mexico.

Staged on man-made Treasure Island in' the centre of San Francisco Bay, which is linked directly to the 'City of San Francisco, and the Metropolitan area of Oakland and East Bay cities by the Bay Bridge, Mr Dell said this World’s Fair was attracting thousands of visitors daily. “Treasure Island,” he slated, “had been converted into a veritable magic city. Its area was abqut 400 acres spreading more than a mile long and two-thirds of a mile wide. About 50,000,000 dollars had been invested in the venture Which represented the nations of the world, with emphasis on countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, and the million square miles of Western America. The Exposition was opened on February 18 and will continue until December ■£, and it is expected that 20,000,000 people will visit the fair in the 288 days on which it will be open. [ was informed that '35 nations are ■epresented by dramatic building exhibits on the island . . . While there kvas much to interest the visitor from mtertainment and educational viewmints the exhibition had its disappointments. The picture by night peggared description. . The gold, blue tnd ivory of the buildings, the woniers of ‘bJaci light’ and brilliant nurals, gleamed with rich colours in i changing veil of illumination. One eft it all to go back to reality, humning with the exciting memory of seeng all America and the nations of East .nd West on California’s Treasure Isand. A Mere Shed “The New Zealand court was sadly lisappointing,” Mr Dell proceeded. All we saw was a paltry building—mere shed. Wliat it contained none f us were able to find out. The oors were locked and bags of cement, •udders’ timber and rubbish were trewn about—the whole presenting n untidy appearance, and cer/ainly of ot much advantage in advertising lew Zealand in the eyes of visitors rom all Nations. In my opinion, ased on what I saw, the fair should ot have been opened for at least anther month. “With feelings tinged with disapointment our party of between 50 and 0 New Zealanders, and a similar umber of Australians, pasesd on ) the Australian court and what did e see. We saw a map of Australia ith an Australian black standing out aldly holding a hefty spear which xve us the impression that from the orth of Queensland tills dusky indidual ruled the Commonwealth with S sharply pointed rod of steel. The ap contained the inforrnation _tha t in • e vicinity of where the black man ood the white ,population was about ),000. The/Whole party commenced laugh and while enjoying the joke Yankee attendant approached with e remark, ‘What’s the joke, strang- ?’ When we told him he enjoyed the ke also. In the Australian pavilion is a map of the two islands of New saland with the South Island on top d the North where the South ould be. Emblazoned across the uth Island was a large cow indicng that this was the dairying island, d across the North Island was the inting of a sheep. Of course,” said > Dell, “those responsible for the iging of the court were slightly xed. The North should have been top with the dairy cow, and the uth at the bottom with the sheep, at is the kind of advertisement New aland and Australia received at this jat exposition, and I, with others, wondering if the information about ler countries is as misleading,” Mr 11 concluded.