NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13397, 28 January 1907, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION

total attendance EXCEEDS a MILLION.

MEMENTO MM! MILLIONTH PATRON*. [U* TELKtJRAPH. - OWN ( ORB i SIMM 0A I. | ('iinisTcill'tu'H. Sunday. Tut: Exhibition attendance has now passed a million, and if the fates are very auspicoiks the general manager hope? it may touch the second million before the conclusion of the great fair.

Much excitement was caused on Saturday ifturnoon by the prospect of seeing llit? nillionth person reecho the reward on being hat. lucky person, and tin; event was a considerable attraction in itself. When the [Exhibition opened in the morning b192 perions were still required to complete the milion, and it was anticipated that the quota would be made up cither late in the aftericon or early in the evening. Shortly aftei our o'clock large crowds began to gather, >ofh inside and outside the main entrance, in anticipation of the event. About twenty minutes to live all the minor entrances were closed, and the stream ot visitors concentrated on the one point. An official count of the numbers of admission showed thai 251 were .-till required, and a careful tally was then taken of the people as they passed through. Precautious were also taken to prevent Reason ticket-holders gaining an unfair advantage by repeatedly going in and out. My the time only five visitors were needed, the excitement had reached a high pitch among the crowd, which had in creased to very large proportions. Most ol those entering were by this time huasou ticket-holders. Mi--- Alice .Jennings. ■* church girl, proved to be the millionth patron, and as she Had had no such 'expectation- .she was much surprised at being pounced upon by officials, and made at once a public character. She had conns out to see the crowd move than anything eke, and had been pushed away from the turnstile several time before she could effeet an entrance. She will be presented with a gold watch by the Inhibition authorities, as a memento of the occasion.

Tho total attendance for .Saturday was 15,577. making for the 11 weeks and two days that the Exhibition has been open 1,009,185. It i- interesting to compare this record with the attendance at other exhibitions. The Sydney Exhibition of 1879-80, open for practically seven month--, returned a total attendance of 1,117,536, tho l&W Melbourne Exhibition 1,309.496. the 1888 Melbourne Exhibition, open for six months, 1,963.436; the Dunedin ami South Seas Exhibition, of 1890, open foi five month-. 670,000.

Entire satisfaction is expressed with the financial result of the Bosses <>' th' Barn Band's first season at the Exhibition. Tie.! band will commence a second season of 12 days on February 28. , Those people who did not see th" earlier events and functions of the Exhibition will lie able to witness a faithful representation of them by visiting -West's pictures, now being shown in the Concert Hall. The open ing ceremony, the reception by the Maori? to Sir John Gorst, the axemen's carnival, and other events wore all cincmatographed when they took place, and the Wests arts now showing to crowded attendances excellent, movinp_,picfurcs of these function-;. Ear entries are being received for. (lie New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association's championship meeting, which takes ptnen en the sports ground on February 21 and 23. Many of the New Zealand bands that have entered for tin; international band contest are stated to he in capital form at, present, and the contest is expected to eclipse all previous performance in every detail.