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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9217, 21 November 1888, Page 4

time. In another column appears the prospectus of The New Zealand Exhibition Company (Limited), whose object is the promotion of an Intercolonial Exhibition at Dunedin in ISB9. It is startling from the imposing array of names in its Provisional Committee—the best names, and it seems to us, nearly all the best names in Otago. ' The solidity of the enterprise, we might almost say its success, is guaranteed in such a list of men of light and leading ; and w r e have not any doubts qualifying our belief that the result of this movement will be a credit to the colony. We can disinterestedly wish it well, without jealousy or envy, for these things are not in our line ; in fact we are not made that way. They can have intercolonial Exhibitions at Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin—any place but Auckland. It would be too troublesome for us to have an Exhibition of our own ; it would destroy the placidity of our contemplation of our beautiful harbour, and the calm enjoyment of our balmy clime. In our nature we seemingly partake of the character of the happy inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, one of whom, as narrated in these columns some time ago, so touchingly described the dolce far niente of their restful lives : said she, "We eat a little, and we smoke a little, and we talk a little, and we sleep a little ; and then we eat and smoke and talk again ; and that's what we do." And that's what we do in Auckland, or as near it as may be ; for we talk a good deal, and we eat and smoke as much as is good, no doubt; and we sleep ; that we do ; but to rouse ourselves and take our turn in intercolonial exhibitions—it would be too much bother. It may be in the enervating character of the climate ; it may be something inherent in the nature of our people or their natural leaders ; at all events it is not in us to brace ourselves to effort. We had a passing vision of glory in an International Maritime Exhibition, to be holden when the Trunk line of railway and the Panama Canal should have been opened ; but as both these events are yet somewhat remote, it may be that the present generation will have passed away, and a new and more vigorous race arisen, and the magnificent vision may be realised ; but the thought of it has so taken our spirit away that there is no strength left in us for the contemplation of inferior things; and so we voluntarily and with perfect equanimity "pass" our chance of an Intercolonial Exhibition. In such circumstances, and this appears to be our destiny, the next best thing we can do is to place ourselves in evidence in any Exhibition which our neighbours may provide; and it is devoutly to be hoped that if there has not been sufficient enterprise among our local men of light and leading to originate an Exhibition of our own, there will be found sufficient spirit in our people to make an effective representation of our resources and industries at the forthcoming Exhibition at Dunedin. There is not the smallest doubt that an Exhibition giving an adequate revelation of the progress that has been making during the years of our much-bemoaned and lamented " depression" would be a remarkable surprise. It is hardly to be doubted that never in any similar period during the whole history of New Zealand has the colony made so sound and substantial and rapid advancement as during the time of this same "depression ; and if the conductors of this spirited enterprise will be at the pains of bringing into bold relief the change that lias taken place in individual enterprises, and in the numbers and characters of the aggregate industries of the colony, and in the general development of production and of manufacture, and in settlement and progress generally, during the period embraced between the beginning and the ending of the so-called " depression," they will a story unfold that will dumbfounder the enemies of New Zealand. We cordially wish this Exhibition at Dunedin the very best success. We need have no envy of it, for we have voluntarily forgone our opportunity, and given the place to a more spirited community ; and we trust the people of Auckland will show themselves better than those who ought to have been their leaders, and that they will give a substantial and vigorous support to the Dunedin Intercolonial Exhibition.

The establishing of a branch of Cook's tourist enterprise at Auckland we regard as no ordinary commercial i nc j. dent; indeed it marks an epoch, and a very notable one, in the history 'of this colony. It is the closing in of the last link in a chain of communication encir cling the world, and what a boon that is to travellers no traveller requires to be told. There have been, of course many imitations of Cook's enternrk*' but as the firm of Thomas Cook aS Son was the creator of the system rrf travelling made easy, it still holds thl premier place in enterprise and in the extension of facilities for travellers tn the remotest corners of the earth Qu other columns, and our columns in rim vious issues, tell the wonderful achieve - ments of this firm from the conveyance of an army up the Nile, or a caravan of Moslem pilgrims to Mecca, or of Chris tian pilgrims a thousand strong to the Holy Places, to the conducting of a solitary wanderer to almost any giw of earth, with all his want's anticipated, and himself protected from the wolves in men's clothing baying at him in a hundred strange tongues and seeking to devour him and all his' substance. It is unnecessary to dilate on this, but anyone can see what a likelihood there is of shoals of tourists and globe trotters visiting these shores when they know that Cook and Son' who have been the travellers' friend and made them feel at home in thousands of spots scattered over the man of Europe, have now established their offices and agencies all over these islnads and settlements in the far awav Southern seas. Such an incident "athis brings us at once in touch with the travelling crowds of Europe, largely removes the terrors of distance, giving tourists the certainty of trustworthy information and guidance, protection from plunderers, assurance of safety and accurate and reliable knowledge as to the costs and charges to be reckoned with in a contemplated voyage round the world, and while visiting comparatively untrodden tracks and byways of travel full of strange sights and new sensations such as are™ no longer to be found in the dusty roads of tourist-trodden Europe. But it is to the people of these colonies themselves that this new enterprise conies as a special boon. For brought up as we are in unsophisticated ways we are just as likely to be plundered when we travel, by the harpies that are lying in wait by the way in the crowded throngs of Europe and America and the various resting points ou the journey, as is the veriest new-chum failing into the hands of the Philistines in the colonies : and it will perhaps bo some time before our colonists fully realise the benefits that have conic to their doors, at least for those who may contemplate a visit to other lands. Let it be simply understood that, a traveller from New Zealand,—having obtained from Cook and Son a ticket costing the same as, or in some cases less than that for which it can be anywhere else obtained—will be met at any port or place of call, over almost all the earth, by officers in uniform prepared in the name and service of-Thomas Cook and Son, to render him or her every attention and aid, and furnish every information and advice ; to look after his baggage, find him hotel accommodation, give the use of readingrooms and writing tables, change his circular notes into the coinage of the country ; receive his letters, or forward them as directed, and render a thousand services, which none but a traveller knows the comfort and cotivevience of. Should a traveller go by America in charge of Cook and his myrmidons, a uniformed messenger will meet him at the wharf in San Francisco or at any other of forty different placeon the route across America, whether Northern or Southern States, on this side the Rocky Mountains or bt'yond. If he goes by India, he will see the uniform at Colombo, Bombay. Calcutta anywhere, at Suez, Port Said, Cairo, Alexandria, Brindisi, Naples, Rome, or go where he may ; and every place it will be the assurance of protection from extortion, erisuring guidance, assistance, safety. At the Cape, or at Rio Janeiro, in Canada, or up the Nile, it will be all the same ; and whether it be among the sierras of America, or the torrid plains of India, and whether a divergence by rail or river, by cab or canal, diligence or donkey, is desired, the uniform of Cook and Son is there to tell or to organise the most economical, and best or speediest way of making the most of the time, and seeing what is to be seen to the most advantage. With hotel coupons, coupons for porters, and cabmen, and carriers, with protection thrown around in every way and everywhere, by the almost omnipresent and omniscient Cook and Son, the travellers from the colonies under their regis will be saved from the thousand worries and extortions that vex the soul of the traveller to the verge of distraction. Indeed, so perfect is the network of protection against tricks upon travellers, that we venture to think that, by and by, hardly anyone will cross the sea, even to the sister colonies, to say nothing of America or Europe, without placing himself or herself under the almost übiquitous guardianship of Cook and Son. It will take some time before all this is realised by the public ; but such a development; of the facilities and the comfort ot travel is, certainly, to be regarded as one of the most startling features ot the age we live in.