The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1905. THE EXHIBITION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13936, 19 December 1905, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1905. THE EXHIBITION.

Wiietiiek it was the presence of five Ministers of the Crown that counted, or the bright weather, or the Exhibition itself, wo are not called upon to decide, but there can be- no question that yesterday’s ceremony in Hagiey Park was extraordinarily successful. Foundation stone ceremonies are never very picturesque affairs in themselves, , They follow a rather dull type and only occasionally is there a gathering of gorgeous vestments or a brave show’ of military to give the scene colour. &o that when

the great crowd of people, big and little, cam© put of doors yesterday morning it was really a very useful tribute to the interest that the Exhibition is creating. There will bo so me tiling to show for the work from this forward. Hitherto the committees and the commissioners have,been labouring steadily and successfully, but the public have seen nothing of the Exhibition, itself. Locally, at any rate, the complaint ceases now. The Premier, laying the foundation stone, said just- what the occasion demanded, commenting on the fifty years’ progress of the colony and of this province specially, and quoting Mr Roosevelt’s striking phrase about exhibitions as timekeepers of progress. New Zealand is ready for a comprehensive survey and epitome of its progress on a, scale worthy of the colony’s wealth and importance. The exhibitions that have been held in the past have served their useful purposes, but they hare been, in general, of local rather than national importance. Wo are looking to the International Exhibition to take up and display every aspect of New Zealand life and to contrast the civilised conditions of to-day with those of fifty years ago. It is not possible now, perhaps, to build a pioneer’s home in a wilderness and near-by a model farmhouse, but visitors to Canterbury, we trust, will be given opportunities in connection with the Exhibition of making a day’s trip to the Agricultural College at Lincoln, or to Rangiora in the North, Ashburton in the South and the hill sheep stations in the "West. Nothing could better display the potentialities of the colony, and these country trips would 7 he an invaluable adjunct to the Exhibition. Tho results of the colonists’ labpuro, however, can and will be shown in the grain, the wool and the dairy produce from tho farms and runs. Primarily the Exhibition is intended for this purpose. But if it is to serve its full usefulness it must do more than epitomise New Zealand for the benefit of visitors. It must bring other countries to Now Zealand, and though we cannot expect national displays on the scale of those made at St Louis we hope to find that Governments or private individuals abroad have been induced to send to Christchurch topical collections of their countries’ manufactures. It goes without saying now that the Exhibition will be sufficiently advertised in Now Zealand, and there is ample time for advertisement in Australia, but we are disappointed to find what little use is being made of the papers of the Old Country and America. Tho importance of early advertising was pointed out to tho Executive months ago, and yet, while the representative football team has been rousing such interest in the colony, no attempt has- been made to bring tl]© Exhibition under public notice. People who live on the other side of tho world fhould be given at least a year’s notice of the special attraction wo are preparing and we should judge that some of the . more _ widely-circulated London journals would bo very willing just now to print anything, pertaining to New Zealand. Locally wo believe that the Exhibition business is being capably managed, but abroad the. only work seems to have been done by Mr Donne among possible exhibitors. On the New Zealand side we have no fears concerning the success of the undertaking. Jit is true, that the opening ceremony is nearly a year distant, but the local Executive is showing a'fine enthusiasm and tho Government is at its back. It would not be like' Mr Seddon or Sir Joseph Ward to allow any enterpriseof theirs to fail. In them and in ourselves lies success, and yesterday’s ceremony was full of encouragement.