The Star. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1887. THE WANGANUI JUBILEE EXHIBITION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1604, 20 April 1887, Page 2

The Star. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1887. THE WANGANUI JUBILEE EXHIBITION.

All Wanganui sterns to liave decided to support the proposed Jubilee Exhibition there. The list of the guneral committee is so long, it includes the name of almost every local man who is favorably kuown to the public, and the scope and genera 1 character of the exhibition is so varied and so extensive, that one might fairly expect considerable support to be accorded to such a project in ordinary times. On the occasion of a public festival, one which very few men can reasonably expect to recur more hhan once m a tiSebuno, any good show is sure to draw. Now it seems that the Wanganui people are determined, if possible, to get up a first-class show. Art, science, natural history, curiosities, industry, manufactures, produce, raw materials, and home industries, each and all are to be asked to contribute their quota to the proposed exhibition. The last Wanganui exhibition was, if we rememeinbsr aright, a collection of the work of youths and children. Those who visited it from this part of the district returned well pleased and thoroughly satisfied that thoii* journey was fully repaid Thus, with less scope, fewer materials to work on, aud without the spur lent by a great occasion, the Wanganui folk then showed that they knew how to work up an exhibition so thai it should be a success. The past thus affords an ,-iddiitona) guavnnloe thab the Waugauui Jubilee Exhibition will be carefully conducted, actively worked up, and well worth going a long way to see, when ihe 2isl, June arrives. The people connected with the movement have been wide awake. They have, if we may Oc allowed the expressi m, " nabbed " the Governor. Now, Sir W. Jervois is far too old a soldier to be caught napping. He doubtless satisfied himself that the Defence Minister had made up his mind to see the thing through from start to finish. And much as we may sometimes differ politically from Mr. Bcillanee, no one who knows him will be afraid of his energy giving way until the end in view has been attained. Tt is also more than likely

that Sir W. Jervois made enquiries elsewhere in New Zealand in order to find out whether other Jubilee celebrationists in New Zealand might have claims upon him on that day of days, greater than our "Vyanganui neighbors. Hip .consenting to open the exhibition pvoyes that in his opinion at least there was, no qther draw of greater importance or greater

mevit iv the field. He certainly has the Prince of Wales' able natronacre

of exhibitions before him, as an ex ample worthy of imitation. We have seen, thprefore, that Wanganui has secured the New Zealand groat gun (<>r Jubilee day; she has a hardworking, euergi/tie Minister at headquarters to sec (hat all Govern mi en £ favors and railway concessions which can be reasonably requested shall not be lost for want of asking ; and she has a stnnu committee, some of whom have had the advantage of past experience of working up an exhibition, which they than made a success. Thore may be some few among us who would ask what claim has a Wanganui Exhibition on Hawera people ? Up to the present nothing has been said about any celebration here, and consequently Wanganui may fairly claim a word as first in the field. Even though there should be some local counter attraction, there would still be nothing to prevent persons who are the happy possessors of art treasures, ancient books, curios, specimens of superior tvadesmanship or handicraft, new in ventions, natural history specimens, geological, mineral, or botanical exhibits, from sending 1 them to the Wanganui Jubilee Exhibition It should not be forgotten that parents of children throughout this district are under a considerable debt to the Wanganui Education Board. That body has for some years shown a liberal, almost magnanimous, spirit in their treatment of school matters in this part of the district. The school buildings at Manaia and elsewhere are undeniable evidence of the fact. The Wanganui High School regularly draws the more promising of our youths to Wanganui; and the railway service really makes near neighbors of us all. There can be no doubt that if the whole coast pulls heartily together, the Jubilee Exhibition will do more to advertise the wealth, fertility, and attractiveness of this district than anything which could be devised. The educating effect of these exhibitions is admitted on all hands. It is but tie other day that we saw in an obituary notice of Sir Jos. Whitworth, that it was tho exhibition of 185 L which first brought his marvellous inventions of the true plane and the measuring machine which could accurately measure the one millionth of an inch, (inventions which made a revolution in mechanical engineering in the world) into prominent public notice. Not many years later the wealth accumulated by, nnd primarily due to those iinventions, enabled him to set aside £100,000 as a fund from which £3000 a year has ever since been devoted to the Whitworth engineer-students scholarships. This is but one instance, and though it is perhaps hardly likely that any unknown Joseph Whitworth will astonish the world at tbe Wanganui exhibition, yet he would be a bold man who would venture to say that at least someone or two useful inventions will not be brought before the public, which but for the exhibition might have remained unknown aud neglected. The committee an* endeavoring to procure tbe as&istance of. three gentlemen iv this neighborhood who shall act as a local committee, when this has been arranged no doubt details and particulars can be gleaned from them.