AUCKLAND LAGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23179, 27 October 1938, Page 13

AUCKLAND LAGS

EXHIBITION SPACE SMALL AMOUNT RESERVED CONTRACT FOR PLAYLAND Although complete preparations for Auckland's provincial court at the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition are being made, thus ensuring adequate representation of the province's attractions and resources, the same cannot be said of its trade displays. In booked space, Auckland lags far behind the southern centres. Against reservations of approximately 100,000 square feet by Wellington industrialists, 42,000 ft. by Christchurch, and 38,000 ft. by Dunedin, the Auckland bookings so far total only about 2000 square feet. The largest individual area reserved from Auckland is 200 square feet. These figures were supplied yesterday by Mr. Stewart Pitt, official representative of the exhibition, who is visiting Auckland for the purpose of interesting industrialists in the enterprise. Most ol Space Taken

Mr. Pitt said he had no doubt that Auckland manufacturers would not leave the field clear for their southern competitors, but 80 per cent of the space available had already been taken. No exhibition could be said to bo truly national in character unless its displays were representative of all industries from all parts of the country.

Apart from its educative side, the exhibition is' to offer entertainment on a scale exceeding similar enterprises in New Zealand. The concession to conduct an amusement park under the name of "Playland" has been let to an English company, whose representative, Mr. Henry Seff, will leave by the Monterey to-morrow on his return to England. Cost of Amusements Amusement devices costing between £IOO,OOO and £150,000 would be provided, Mr. Seff said in an interview in Wellington yesterday. "The park will be unique in that it will be the first in the world to be constructed principally of tubular steel," Mr. Seff said. "We hope also to make a contract for a large troupe of midgets, none of them more than 3ft. high, to come to the exhibition, and, if that is accomplished, a midget town will be erected in the park. In addition to the 10 acres of the general amusement area, there will be an acre devoted to a children's playground, where children will be able to amuse themselves in safety on miniatures of the various devices.

"A further attraction," Mr. Seff added, "will be a working modfl of a railway system which will run round the park and carry passengers."