THE DAMAGED EXHIBITS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 956, 27 June 1890, Page 30

THE DAMAGED EXHIBITS.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunedin, June 20. With reference to the complaints made by the Auckland Herald that the pictures sent to Dunedin were returned in a damaged condition, the case is somewhat similar to that of Wellington. The Secretary of the Fine Arts Committee writes on the 29th of April : —■“ Mr Morgan Tracy, the officer in charge of the Auckland Court, applied to me for pictures to enable him as he informed me to pack and send them to Auckland in time for their annual Art Exhibition. They were accordingly delivered to Mr Tracy from the walls of the gallery, and in precisely the same condition as they had been sent to us. The pictures were afterward packed up by Mr Tracy in the Auckland court, and any damage they sustained in this stage of their return was caused then. Neither Mr Steele nor Mr Watkins received any biff from the Commissioners for their care. The complaint against the Exhibition authorities is therefore without any foundation. With reference to the Maori carving, Dr Hocken personally superintended the packing, which was done by an experienced packer ; and the canoe carvings, said to be broken, left the Exhibition entire. It may be mentioned, however, that when this carving first came to Dunedin several pieces were broken off, and had to be glued on the frame of the large figure. It was also so badly broken on arrival that a new one had to be made ”