NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13454, 5 April 1907, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION.

ANOTHER LARGE ATTENDANCE

INDUSTRIAL VALUE OF THE EXHI-

BITION

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN' CORRESPONDENT.]

ChrISTCHURCH, Thursday. ALL day there has been a surprisingly large crowd at the Exhibition, consisting for the most part of visitors from other parts of the colony.

Mr. Faulkner, the blind organist, of Christchurch, gave an organ recital in the afternoon, befoie a large audience, and the concert hall was crowded for the orchestral performance. In the evening Mrs. Cower Burns, a leading Christchurch singer, and Mr. John Prouse, of Wellington, were vocalists at a. highly successful concert.

The Hon. J. Carroll, Native Minister, paid his first official visit to the Maori pa this afternoon. The Turakina. Maori girls gave an excellent programme of poi dances, and a dozen native men, many of them liolidsyinakers who are visiting Christchurch, gave some excellent hakas. .Mr. Carroll was welcomed to the pa with numerous speeches-, and replied with a long address, in which be dwelt on the laud troubles of the natives and the measures being taken by the Government for their relief. The Maori girls also sang several tuneful chants and song.--. At the Minister's instigation, the dances were witnessed by several hundred spectators, who were very liberal with their applause. The departure of the Maori girls has been postponed till Saturday. There will be no subsequent parties of natives staying at the pa.

The Canterbury Industrial Association is determined not to allow the educational value of the Exhibition to be wasted. A committee of the association made a tour of inspection of all the New Zealand manufactured goo«s this afternoon, which they will follow iin with a series of later inspections, at which notes will be taken <"<f each industry with the object, where it is deemed advisable, of making recommendations to Parliament.

There was a crowded attendance at Blanche Anvil's second conceit, in conjunction with the orchestra, to-night.

The following additional sales have been made from the art section of the British court:—Oil paintings: Wolfram Onslow Ford, " Early Autumn in Scottish Highlands, ' £60 ; Herbert Crooke, End of the Day, Bosham," £45; Edward Davis, "Summertime," £li- ; Arthur Lucas, " Still Waters," £50; Mortimer Menpes, "Southern Aisle, St. Mark's," £65. Water colours: Thomas Hunt, " Highlanders, £36; H. von Herkomer, " Bread and Sunshine," £30; Edward Davies, " Across Ilkley Moors, Yorkshire," £75; Tom McEwan,

Grannie's Care," £47 ss; A. W.

Weedon,

" An Autumn Day on Moors," £31 10s ; W. B. Woollen, The Patrol," £52 G. Sheridan Knowles, " Cup of Canary Sack," £45 ; W. Crane, " Britoinart," £52 10s; miniatures by H. L. Bell, £14 4s; and A. Praga, sculpture, £21 ; G. Daves, bronze statuette, "A Greek Dancer," £28 7s. Etchings have been sold to the value of £66 3s, and objets in arts and crafts division to the value of £80 8s 6d since February 25 last.

It has, on Mr. Munro's suggestion, been decided to open the Exhibition for an extra day for the benefit of employees of the .Exhibition. The gate money will be divided among the Exhibition staff and attendants, royalties from side shows among side show employees, and commissions on sales by selling exhibits among stall attendants. Numerous entries have been received for the Wonderland children's carnival and search for buried treasure on Saturday next. The attendance to-day was 15.319, being about 1000 more than yesterday. LARGE RAILWAY TRAFFIC. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION".] Christchurch, Thursday. During the last three weeks 200,000 railway passengers have booked to or from ChristchurchTHE DEMAND FOR INCOME TAX. COMMISSIONER OF TAXES INTERVIEWED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Thursday. Interviewed by a Times reporter to-day with reference to the Christchurch exhibitors' objections to pay income tax on profits made, Mr. I*. Heyes, Commissioner of Taxes, explained that the law provided that every person who started business in the State must pay a deposit to the Customs as a guarantee that he would make a return of the income derived from the business. There was no question in regard to the law governing the exhibitors' liability, though the exhibitors considered that they had some special claim for privilege in this matter. He did say, when the Exhibition was opened, that he would not claim tax ur)on any indenting done from the samples shown at the Exhibition, but it was not here where the complaint lay. It had to be remembered that there were many Assyrians and others who ran shops at "the Exhibition, making great profits on the sale of their goods. The income thus derived was from business done in the State, and was clearly taxable. For instance, theatrical companies doing business in New Zealand were taxed on their income, and why not " Wonderland," "The Pike," and the other side shows at tin? Exhibition? There was never any difficulty with the permanent theatrical companies periodically touring this country. They all paid the tax on their profits. These companies had visited New Zealand during the Exhibition, against which they had to compete, yet they had to pay the tax all the same, and the law did not make any exception. In the present instance MY. Heyes failed to see where the " sharp practice" came in, as alleged by the South Australian Commissioner, seeing Christchurch shopkeepers who paid incomo tax were in competition with Exhibition shopkeepers, who claimed exemption, and, moreover, it must be remembered that where a man's business resulted in a loss, his deposit for income tax was returned in full, and if the business showed a smaller profit than the amount of the deposit the balance was returned. No deposit or tax had been collected from sample exhibitors at Christchurch. As to the attitude of the Department in the matter, there was, added the Commissioner, no authority for waiving the collection of the tax, which was being collected under statute law.