DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9255, 8 January 1889, Page 6

DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

. — A meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday afternoon at the New Zealand Insurance Buildings to discuss with the Executive Commissioner, Mr. B. B. N. Twopeny, the representation of Auckland at the New Zealand Exhibition which ib is proposed to hold at Dunedin in celebration of the jubilee of the colony. There were present : Captain Colbeck (chairman of the Chamber) and Messrs. L. D. Nathan, J. M. McLaohlan, J. M. Clark, J. Milne, C. Houghton, J. P. King, and Mr. R. E. N. Twopeny. Captain Colbeck explained why he had called the council together, and then invited Mr. Twopeny to lay his views before the meeting. Mr. Twopkny said he was sent from Dunedin by the Commission as they were anxious that Auckland should co-operate in making the Exhibition a New Zealand one, and not merely local. It was thought that it would be only an act of courtesy to consult the wishes of Auckland in the matter, and to invite their co-operation at the outset of the undertaking. He had laid before the gentlemen present copies of a letter he had written to the Mayor and printed in the Hekald last Monday, which gave some account of what they proposed to do. The company had nob been formed as a moneymaking concern, but really as a guarantee against loss. They expected that there would be a deficit of about £7000, which would be defrayed by the company. The promoters were taking a purely honorary part in the affair. They consisted of a committee of over 100 members, including all the prominent men in Otago. With regard to their relations to the Government, the success of the Adelaide Exhibition had largely influenced the New Zealand Government in giving assistance to the Dunedin Exhibition. They had undertaken to erect a building 1£ acres in extent, and had | written to other countries inviting their co-1 operation. As to the collections to be shown there were many things a local committee could not supply, such as specimens of the fauna and Bora of the colony, or ! collections illustrating its early history. The Government had recognised this, and had agreed to omit nothing to make the Exhibition a national one. With regard to the objects of the Exhibition, the promoters saw clearly that there was no recognised centre- in New Zealand, but they had thought that if the Dunedin people put their hands in their own pockets and did their beat, jjbe other districts of the colony would cordially co-operate. The plan of an exhibition on this basie was originally proposed by Sir Julius Vogel, who suggested that ib should be held in Auckland. That fell through, and there appeared no prospect of any Exhibition being held, but a great revival had recently set in in the South, and a number of gentlemen in Dunedin suggested that the time had come when it was practicable to hold an Exhibition* Much to his own surprise they had managed to raise the necessary funds. Continuing, he said, he hoped this would be only the first of many such exhibitions. . Dunedin people would gladly reciprocate any assistance the Aucklanders might give to this Exhibition. Further than the mere honour he did not see that an Exhibition would do much to help one place more than another. Some advantage they would enjoy of course, but i they had paid for it. ; The larger advantages of the stimulus to colonial industry and the advertisement the Exhibition would give to the colony would be of advantage to all. As a matter of fact, they wanted to delocaliae the Exhibition as much m possible. It was thought that a thorough exhibition of our resources would tend to give a feeling of confidence to ourselves and those abroad in the resources ot the colony, and aid in the return of prosperity. They had tried to make the Exhibition as original and distinctive as possibla as they saw that ordinary Exhibitions had been overdone. The Early History Department, the Maori Department, the South Seas Department, were 6teps in thie direction. The Scientific Department would be taken in hand by the Government. Another department was the Tourist Court—a collection of paintings, photographs, and pamphlets for the use ot visitors. Cook and Co. were to undertake the management of this department, and would advertise the affair widely to attract people from all parts of the world to visit every part of the colony. Various processes of manufacture would be shown in operation, thus giving life and movement to the Exhibition. Mr. Twopeny described various other departments and arrangements which had been made, and concluded by saying that what they wanted was the sympathy and help of Auckland in the undertaking. He would ask them to co-operate by forming committees in this district, in order that Auckland might be thoroughly represented. There had been a vory old alliance between Auckland and Otago, and they therefore looked for hearty sympathy from here. The affair was necessarily, local in position, but the people of Dunedin j would do their best to make it colonial if i Auckland would join with them in making an effective representation of their resources and industries. They would be very thankful indeed for any assistance, and they would readily listen to any suggestions about the Exhibition from this district. Mr. J. P. Kino said he did not eee hie way clear to express an opinion on the matter. It had come too closely and suddenly after the Melbourne Exhibition, and considering the late depression in trade here, he doubted whether the people here would patronise the Exhibition as they should do. They really could not go into it heart and hand as they might have done twelve months hence, when things would be in a much better state. , Mr. J. Milne was making some observations about the meagre attendance, when ib was explained that the meeting was one of the Council of the Chamber and not of the whole Chamber. Mr. J. P. King thought it better for Mr. Twopeny to meet the full Chamber and lay his views before them. The Secretary explained that it had been thought best to bring the matter first before the Council, and let them decide on the course to be taken. Mr. Milne said Mr. Twopeny was anticipating a loss, but he (the speaker) did not think ib was wise to go in for losses just now. He also questioned the economical wisdom of the Government covering an acre and a-half with buildings at the present time. Besides, they were scarcely ready for an Exhibition on the proposed scale. They had not sufficient population for such a thing. The Exhibition in Glasgow had resulted in £40,000 profit, but then look at the millions of people who passed through it. It was the same at the Manchester Exhibition. But here they had no such population. If the whole thing had been postponed for a few years it would have been very much better. ; J Mr. Twopjeny said the whole of their estimates were based on the Adelaide Exhibition. Ours was to be similar in size, and they had reckoned the attendance at only half that at Adelaide; that is, if at the Adelaide Exhibition they got £25,000 receipts from visitors, here they estimated to get £12,000. They had gone into the financial aspect of the matter very carefully, and were prepared to bear the loss. They would have 6 acres of buildings, and were prepared to spend nearly £40,000. As to the wisdom of the Government assisting, that was for the Legislature to decide. The cost of the 1£ acres of buildings erected was estimated as £3500 net; that was, reckoning that they sold the buildings for one-third of the original cost. " In' , Adelaide the Government built 3 acres and the guarantors 9. There would be no risk whatever to the Government, and their only expenditure would be the cost of their and the cost of sending the collections they would contribute. Some desultory conversation followed, during which Mr. Twopeny declared that the promoters, were satisfied that £15,000 would bo an ample sum to cover all expenses. , i " Mr., Clark thought the question of Government support was for the Legislature to decide. The question was whether it was desirable for Auckland to be represented. Consideration of how much the Exhibition would cost was for the guarantors to consider. For us in Auckland there was no need to consider the cost. He hoped that the Chamber would bring the matter before the public in such a way that Auckland would be well represented, and he hopod that the Exhibition would be such a success as nob to require much assistance from the guarantors. ? Mr. J. McLachlan while coinciding with Mr. Clark, agreed in some respects with Messrs. Milne and King. He nad a eus-

picion that the Government would be madi the milch cow, if: there was a loss. Mr. Twopeny said again that the Govern ment took absolutely no risk in the matter They would not, like other exhibitors pay for space, but would erect a building to contain their own collections. Th« whole security of the thing was that th( promoters were responsible for the cost. In reply to Captain Colbeok, Mr. Two peny said the charge to exhibitors for space would be Is a foot. This in itself was s source of revenue. At Adelaide they made the same charge, and the revenue from this source was £6000. Mr. Milne proposed " That a meeting of the Chamber be held on Wednesday at two o'clock, to hear again the statement of Mr. Twopenyre the proposed Exhibition, and then to consider what course should be adopted." Mr. King seconded this motion, and it was carried nem. con.