Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1906. THE EXHIBITION AN INTERESTING CATALOGUE. WHERE IS NELSON?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 306, 1 December 1906, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1906. THE EXHIBITION AN INTERESTING CATALOGUE. WHERE IS NELSON?

THE official catalogue of the New Zealand International Exhibition contains 302 pages, more than half of which are devoted to a well-written account by Mr W. J. Alexander of the colony's history and development. The colony's progress for every year is tabulated from 1856 to 1905. It is gratifying to notice that the population has increased from 45.540 in 1856 to 882,462 in 1905; exports from £318,433 to £15,503,520; imports from £710,868 to ~i?' 8 ?5> 857 • railway receipts from £21,198 in 1874 to £2,239,704 in 1905; bank assets from £419,860 in 1857 to £21,770,525 in 1905; Savings Bank deposits from 715 in 1858, with deposits ™ ££fgi to , 316 ' 376 ' with de P°«ts £.9,/ /,5,954; land under cultivation, 121,648 acres to 14,114,925 acres. It is good for" pessimists to consider figures like these once in a while. If the development of the colony increase in the same ratio for the nest fifty years New Zealand should have a population of about 20,000,000, an export trade of £750,000,000, and Post Office Savings Bank deposits standing at but figures fail us here. The facts quoted should make the people all proud of tho progress of the country, for they show that the ideal of one day being the Britain of the South is no dream, • • • jjjjjjK**.- » • In tho catalogue under notice every Uovermental department is summariseel, with a brief account of its inception and history. In the Government Valuation of Lands Department it is shown that unimproved value of land has doubled itself since 1878. It stands now at over £122,000,000, while the total capital value is over £197,000,000. It is gratifying to notice under the heading "New Zealand Police Force" that the proportion of police to population is only 1 in 1387, and the cost per capita only 2s 10£d. For all Austral:' asia there is 1 policeman to every 714 inhabitants, and the cost per capita is os lOd. ••• • • « From tho Public Works Department we learn that our railway trains were once drawn by locomotives of about 20 tons weight, to travel about 2S miles f n t ' that roads wer e laid with 30 to 401b rails; the gradients were as *te*p » s 1 in 35, with curves as sharp as 5 chains radius. All this has now been altered. At present we are running locomotives up to 70 tons in weight Several of our trains attain a speed of 40 miles an hour. Rails are from 66 to 701bs: the grades are 1 in 50; and tho curves are not less than 7£ chains radius, t ••*«•*

I Coming to the Exhibition its'elf, the best idea of the si?e of the .building is given in the catalogue by the facts ' that 225 tons ot galvanised iron were required to roof it; 70 tons .of .paint | to cover it; 50 tons of nails to Saslen its timber 5 ?; that the structure covers I AB'oiit H acres ; and that the building, I which is to be pulled down after six months' use, cost about £90,000. The concert hall, which cost over £5000, seats 1600 people. Tho organ cost £3235. On account of^ the adoption of . the electrical principle tta orj»ari fo.distributed |fl , different par'' of the hall. | Over \'oO rmlen of wire have been used ! \a connect the console, which containa tho keyboard, with the organ. The keys, by a series of pneumatic movements, can make 66 distinct repetitions in a second. Ths entries n the provincial courts are given in detail in the catalogue, and tho details are preceded by an account of tho advantages offered by each province. Local observers, however, will regret to notice that the Nelson Court is not mentioned wseept iti the index, owing. It is understobe);. to an ovargiaht which it is .ftc/psd WU be remedied in the next tuition of tile catalogue^ . Messrs KirKjfiatrick .and Co.'s exhibit is the only. N'ejson exhibit mentioned under. any headiqft, but it is to bd noticed that «6'mft **elso& exhibits have been catalogued in the West Coast section. It is also to bo regretted that so few Nelsoriians have entered in the Home Indusiries section; They could be counted on the fingers, of one hand. Surely U v .fe talent .of the residents, JoYing and .old, will compare, favourably, with that of any other community in the colony. ,Yel att ofciprirt daily for demonstrating t-H'rJ industrial resources oj Notion has not been properly availed of. The Exhibition authorities have been most lavish with their gold and silver medals in their desire to encourage talent iA tftis Suction. It is further to B'o rfegretted that in the photographic section, although Nelson has a Camera Club, there is not a single photograph by a Nelson exhibitor mentioned. , The Royal, Photographic Society sends ah exhibit which it has organised. Amongst the curioßitica catalogued are two piec6 r s ; of .IOfW-A'eiir-'olJ totara which it li said have been imbedded in the earth for that period. They come from the West Coast. The great seals of England from 05a, .King of Essex, about 700 A.D., the contemporary of Charlemagne,- ta QuJ^ii.Vlc'bt'ia, : are. sho\vn ; bjfe JtKa fidyal Mint. Victoria Sftnlls fossils ; found at a great depth from the surface, which hitherto have never been allowed to leave tho Museum at Ballarat. An original letter from Lord Nelson and the Kelly gang armour and firearms are also displayed. Altogether from the meagre details that can be obtained from a catalogue, the arrangement of which could be improved, it would be an unobservant person who could not find in the New Zealand Exhibition of 1906 matter full of interest and instruction. The enterprise should increase the spirit of loyalty and patriotism, which visitors say is already a noticeable feature in New Zealanders.