MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9153, 7 September 1888, Page 6

MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

THE NEW ZEALAND COURT. [FKOM OCB o*r>- CORRESPONDENT.] Melbourne, August 29. THE FtTBSITCRS EXHIBITS. The exhibits of furniture are not numerous, I and are designed chiefly to demonstrate the beauty of our mottled kauri, but at the same time they are exceptionally good. I Mr. Norrie, of Shortland-street, occupies I one of the stands set apart for this purpose, ; and though visitors from New Zealand are : disappointed at the small number of I articles, they recognise that no better [ samples could be shown- The principal attraction is an inlaid Princess cabinet wardrobe, constructed of puriri, totara, and rewarewa. This is a beautiful bit of work, and will not be long without a purchaser. The Australians seem to entertain a great affection for New Zealand manufactures and works of art. Indeed, were i'i not for our cousins on this side the water our Court would be utterly without admirers, for every native is ashamed of itMr. Norrie has also a chest- of drawers and two pretty table-tops, one of which contains no less than 1504 separate pieces. Some neat little cabinets, glove boxes, and punga vases complete Mr. Norrie's list'. Mr. alter Bayne, of Karangahape Road, contributes a noticeable cabinet, in choice New Zealand woods—chiefly, of course, mottled kauri. The cabinet possesses a merit which, though not likely to be adequately appreciated in this commonplace age, may yet endear it to many whose memories chain them to the past, or whose imagination is sufficiently strong to invest their prosaic life with archaic elements. It is fitted with secret compartments, the locality of which is known only to the maker, who will give the " open ttsamt " to the purchaser, and to him alone. A Christchurch firm exhibit a pianoforte supplied with a patent tuning screw, and a Dunedin lady exhibits a very fine telescope dining table in mottled kauri. The maker's name is not given. On the same stand, and unlabelled, is a mantelpiece with native ornaments, an exceedingly ugly production, together with a cheffonier and two tables made at Hokitika. The Auckland Timber Company have had erected a small and unpretending trophy, consisting of a couple or gates, two mantelpieces, and \ some ornamental barge boards. The panels j of the doors are of figured kauri, the \ frames of ordinary kauri, while the mouldings are of kauri. A few tablelegs and machine-made mouldings, com- ; plete the exhibit. Gisborne has contributed its mite, which is a new species of billiard table, the invention of Mr. W. F. Crawford, the well-known brewer of that flourishing settlement. Daring the fortnight that elapsed before it was labelled, visitors to the Court were ! greatly puzzled to understand what it was. That it had something to do with billiards was apparent enough, but its presence disclosed nothing else. As a specimen of cabinet work there was nothing particularly remarkable about it, and many sarcastic comments were elicited by the uncouth manner in which the cloth had been stretched. And here let. me remark that save in those instances where the inventor or the manufacturer has attended in person or by efficient proxy, the get-up of tne exhibits, not only in the, New Zealand Court, but elsewhere, is not what it ought to be. Mr. Crawford's billiard table is in the form of a Maltese cross, and the inventor claims that upon it many new strokes and combinations can be made, and " a great novelty is introduced without materially altering the existing game of billiards." This may be so, but my limited experience has taught me that so many wonderful and utterly un-looked-for combinations can be made on the ordinary table, especially by a novice, that no improvement is required. At all events, the Maltese table has not so far won over many admirers. KAURI COM. This 'staple product, thanks to Messrs. Mitchelson and Co., makes a far more respectable show than our gold-bearing quartz. The firm named have forwarded a neat and noticeable case, constructed of kauri, and varnished with the product of the gum manufactured at the varnish works at Avon dale. Nothing could be better than this. The gum is shown in all shapes and all degrees of quality, scraped and uoscraped. The varnish is exhibited in bottles and tins, and finally the quality of j the latter is amply demonstrated in the j wood-work of the cabinet it-self. Messrs. j Mitchelson's exhibit is one that deserves and attracts attention. DAIRY REQUISITES. Another Aucklander who has done his best to uphold the honour of the Northern Province is Mr. J. A. Pond, whose firm have sent a large number of their patent enamelled butter boxes, in section* and made up, together with several wooden churns on different principles, but all enamelled. There is not | much in this exhibit to attract the aesthetic j mind, but as a practical illustration of what New Zealanders can do, and are doing, it is of great value. The pity Is that there are not more men of Mr. Pond's stamp in the colony. If these, and if certain other conditions had been favourable, the New Zealand Court might easily have been made one of the beat in the Exhibition. Everybody admits that in natural resources we are far more richly endowed than our neighbours. Our timber, our minerals, our wool, and our dairy produce are unsurpassed, and those Australians who have a knowledge of New Zealand are greatly surprised at the poor show we have made. In the course of a conversation with the Executive Commissioner of one of the other colonies the other day, he said nothing in the Exhibition astonished him so much as our Court. He had expected to be beaten hollow by us, but he was quite satisfied now that he could give us points. For obvious reasons X withhold the name of this gentleman, TIMBER. The only timber trophy is that of the Midland Railway Company, at the back of the Court. It Is in the form of an arch, composed of two email upright logs, with a top made of planed and varnished boards. It represents the principal timbers growing on the land to be traversed by the railway ; but as most of the dressed stuff used is quite green the main effect of the show is to demonstrate the shrinking qualities of our wood. In addition to this there are scattered through the Court and Picture Gallery a host of specimens of our timbers, which have already done duty in numberless other Exhibitions, and are now beginning to look rather seedy and done up. Sir James Hector exhibits a very fine collection of specimen of leaves, seed, &c., in glass frames. MISCELLANEOUS. Messrs. Cousins and Atkin, of Auckland, exhibit a hooded gig and a " five • glass laudau," built of colonial timber. The laudau combines a number of improvements, and is an excellent piece of workmanship, though it does not show to great advantage when compared with similar exhibits in other courts. The reason of this is simple. Messrs. Cousins and Atkin have sent a specimen of the kind of carriage they invariably turn out, the others have sent what are called "exhibition carriages." To illustrate my meaning, there is a placard on a landau in the Victorian Court intimating that the carriage is only out of stock, and will shortly be replaced by one made specially for the occasion. This little circumstance deserves to be borne in mind. Mr. C. Smith, of Auckland, shows two perambulators, and the wheel department, which does not take up much space, is completed by the addition of a few other similar articles from other parts of the colony. Near by is a miscellaneous collection of articles, consisting of rabbit exterminators, patent incubators, coffee extractors, model stable, cardboard boxes, ranges, &c., which do not call for any special notice. The pupils of the Auckland Grammar School have on exhibition a number of models of bridges, &c., which are very creditable. Messrs. Jagger and Parker are represented by their patent washing machine, Mr. Crump by his novel rat-trap. There are several other inventions which I shall take occasion to refer to more fully. TWO NOTABLE INVENTIONS. Much interest is centred in two inventions, one Holmes' Patent Collision Apron, hailing from Auckland, and the other, Ashcroft's patent method of working trains in mountainous districts by means of hydraulic lifts, which was conceived in Wellington. The merits of the collision apron are well koowo Id Auckland at any-

rate, and I am glad to say that Mr. Holmes is receiving much encouragement from the authorities here. The Harbour Board personally inspected a model and witnessed the action of the apron, and they have sent Mr. Holmes a letter expressive of their (satisfaction. The model of Ashcroft's lift is most ingenious, and scores of people daily examine it. By means of the lift Mr. Ashcroft claims that hundreds of thousands of pounds could have been saved in New Zealand, and there appears to be no reason to doubt his word. Practical engineers who have inspected the model are satisfied with the principle, and it is not at all unlikely that it will be adopted by the Midland Railway Company. I think its adoption on the Main Trunk" line would obviate many difficulties which at present appear to be insuperable. TH? MIXING EXHIBITS. Since the date of my last letter a few additional exhibits have been placed under the public eye; but, of course, the show is ridiculous. The glass case at the base of the gold obelisk now contains a collection of specimens of gold and quartz very prettily arranged. The judicious use of mirrors also makes the collection appear four or five times a? big as it really is, which may be an advantage, though it is scarcely honest. The files of the Herald, containing a full account of all that took place subsequent to the publication of my cable message, have afforded me much food for reflection. The course pursued by Sir James Hector has disgusted not only myself, but all the New Zealanders to whom I have spoken. That he should have had the indecency to write as he did to the Government passes comprehension. The state of our Court is notorious, and when I cabled I stated a fact which I did not think anyone would have dared to contradict. The gross attack upon Mr. Witheford is also warmly resented here, the more especially as attempts have been made openly and avowedly to injure him in his business. It is almost humiliating to have to repeat that Mr. Witheford was not the author or the insptrer of the now celebrated cable message, WHAT A CCivLANDERS THINK. Two or three days ago, in the English Picture Gallery, I ran against two old Aucklanders, Mr. Frank Winter and Mr. E. W. Alison, of the North Shore. It was quite natural that one of my first questions should be " What do you think of the New Zealand Court?" but I did not expect so crushing a reply. " Don't talk about it," said Mr. Winter, " I am perfectly ashamed of it. I think it would have been better had New Zealand been unrepresented altogether." Whereat Mr. Alison nodded approval, and I found myself in the somewhat strange position of one of Sir James Hector's defenders. We all hope sincerely that something will yet be done to remove the stigma attaching to New Zealand. THE WORKMAN'S HAMMER. All over the building the sound of the workman's hammer can be heard, and I doubt very much whether the show will really be complete before Cup time. The Armament Court is only just ready to receive the exhibits, and' goodness knows how long it will take to arrange them. The American Court is very backward, and in the machinery annexes a great deal yet remains to be done. THE COAL STRIKE. One of the effects of the coal strike in New South Wales may probably be the closing of the Exhibition in the evenings, though it is hoped such a calamity may oe averted. It is the evening attendance that pays, and the Commissioners cannot afford to let it fall off. Now that the weather Is getting a little warmer, the number of visitors is daily increasing, and excursion trains from the country districts and neighbouring colonies are doing wonders in the direction of swelling the receipts.