EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 971, 21 March 1924, Page 5

EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

VOTE PASSED BY COMMONS.

LONDON, March 19.

In the House of Commons, in moving the estimates for £IIIB,OOO expenditure on the Empire Exhibition, Mr Limn stated that it had definitely been decided that the King would open the exhibition on Saint George’s day, April 23. With a view to capturing the imagination of visitors, the Government was embarking on a novel scheme of organising a unique pageant of British artists, and had secured Louis Parker, Sir F. ilenson, Granville Barker, and Uudyard Kipling, who were responsible for most of the libretto. Sir E. Elgar would compose tht music. After u debate, including some severe criticism by Mr Ben Tillett, the House agreed to the vote. —A. and N.Z. cable. ALLEGATION OF CORRUPTION. Received March 21, \).50 a.m. LONDON, March 20. Mr Tillet, a former member of the Empire Exhibition management committee, in the course of criticism in the House of Commons declared that irresponsible persons were being giver, control and had formed a “hLsh hush” bureaucracy. Large sums had been voted without supplying the aetuils to any committee. The names of highly, placed persons bad been used to silence inquiries. What had gone on was a form of corruption which was an insult to the throne itself. lie doubted if the Indian pavilion would be ready even in July or August. Mr Thomas, though denying the charges of unreadiness, admitted a few weeks ago that the thing did not run smoothly. There had been too many people dabbling in the show and it became necessary to tell a few people that the exhibition, on which twelve millions had been spent, had to be made a success. Mr Thomas mentioned that Lord Devonshire, apart from his services as chairman, had personally guaranteed the exhibition to the extent of £400,000. —A. and N.Z. cable. GOMPLAINTS IN PARLIAMENT. Received March 21, 9.40 a.m. LONDON, March 19. In the House of Commons Mr Tillett demanded regarding the Empire Exhibition that the Government lay on the table its schemes for organisation, control, maintenance, payments, authority, and responsibility. He declared that the House ought not to venture another cent, until a guarantee of something like collective business management was forthcoming. He also complained of the absence of real effort to deal with accommodation. Mr Thomas did not attempt to justify the mistakes of the early stages. He said he had visited the exhibition riecently with representatives of the whole of the Dominions. While the latter complained in the old days, they were united in saying that things were now going smoothly. As regards accommodation, he gave an assurance that the Government was doing its duty. It was attending to the protection and help of citizens like those of coloured races and also seeing that the large numbers of overseas children who were coming for educational purposes were properly housed and treated. Large numbers of men and women of different committees were organising schemes and plans to deal with the situation generally. The question of opening the grounds of the exhibition on Sundays, which was the subject of many deputations to the Government, was raised in the House of Commons by Mr Patrick Hastings, who stated that under a certain Act of 1671 Sunday oening was illegal if charge was made for admission. —A. and N.Z. cable.