THE OPENING CEREMONY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1291, 26 November 1896, Page 31

THE OPENING CEREMONY.

j THE VOLUNTEER PROCESSION". The proces&iou was a long' &nd brilliant one, every Volunteer corps in Wellington and suburbs being represented, and the men being in full dress uniform. After the companies had formed in the Drillshed and Lieutenant-Colonel Newall had explained the line of march to the officers, a start was made for the Exhibition. The Gairiaon Band, numbering 17 strong, led the way, under Bandmaster Herd. The Wellington Naval Artillery, mustering 41 strong, under Lieutenant-Commander Campbell, was honoured with first place, and was followed by the Petone Navals (26), under Commander Kirk ; then came the D Battery (40), Captain Warren; the City Rifles (35), Lieutenant Muir;

GkiSfds (50), Captain Paterson ; Wellington College C£d?tg Xo. 1 company (44), Captain Bell; No. 2 Company {■*§?, . Captam Ward; Mount Cook Boys' School Carets > ,kts), Lieutenant Biss; and last the Boys' laSftrtwte Cadets (31), under Lieutenant Wallace; The line of mareh was along Lambton quay to Johnston street, and then along Customhouse quay to the Exhibition Buildings. The route. - vrprs lined with people, and a large crowd followed in the w&ke of the profession. The Permanent Artillery, ttn&es Major Messenger, had meanwhile marcae'd through Taranaki and Cuba streets from theit barracks, and were drawn up at the mam entrance of the buildings to receive His Exeeliency *lie ©OYernor, who was escorted from Goverririieiifc House by the Herctaunga Mounted Rifles, imvdb'cStmg 41- strong, under Lieutenant isherwood. Th6' following staff officers were pYGsmit - Colonel Nepali tin command), Major Collins ; Commander Davy, Haselden, Lieii-tenant-Commander Hislop Srxtf SergeantMajor Finn. WITH THE CROWD OUTSIDE. It was essentially a good-humored holiday crowd, to whorii the strains of the band made a further inspiriting im'prcssion; so that when the gay soldiery—the riot/ltf gu&vd of honour was heralded with " Iters'.they come!" there were but few who didn't lorg at that moment that they had tho_ power to odd not cno, but many cubits to their stature. Some got over this problem by climbing hoardings, fences, carta, cabs and other points of vantage—and speaking of carts, the struggles and troubles of a photographer in one of these vehicles were especially con'spicious to the nervous beholder ; and when that enterprising manipulator of negatives, in deep disgust, found, after he had fixed his focus (and his horse) steadily upon the great gate eye of the Exhibition, that there was to be no " speechifying "to tho crowd outside well, he declared it to be a gross injustice to' the greo,t public in general and hi 3 enterprise in particular. Then he regretted he hadn't brought his X-ray apparatus with him, with which the wooden and other obstacles between him and the place of speeches would have been as nothing. Awaiting the Government House' party, on the tip-toe Of excitement; thd crowd tip-toed physically also, but not for long, as His Excellency the Governor was punctual. The Heretaunga Bines came in for some good - humoured chaff, although their horses looked perfectly well fed; a loyal subject stuck manfully to his individual effort to raise three cheers in the air, the vice-regal party went into the Exhibition, their carriages turned empty away, the crowd, upon which the sun was now pouring boated rays, melted away, some to "do "the outside of the buildings in critical inspection, others to do their fellows—an operation of groat difficulty in the crowd owing to the excellent safeguards provided by the police in the persons of a number of constables in plain clothes"; pothers took a tarn on the wharf, the men folk wanted to have the usual "yarn with Jack along the road a bit, whilst the remainder, with tho apology that they ' ; had nothing better to do," went home. So was it with tho outsiders, whilst inside all was excitement and pleasure, and singing and speaking, and wellwishing the future prosperity of the Exhibition of 189 G. The majority of the outside crowd, who wanted to have another look at vice-royalty, came back and formed in deep lines outside the entrance in Cuba street, and waited with exemplary patience outside the boundary lines marked by the tall figures of the policemen until His Excellency and party reappeared and drove off. WITHIN THE BUILDING.

A continual stream of visitors poured into the largo building once the doors were thrown open, shortly before 2 o'clock, and they hurried along the avenues and bays to obtain seats in the concert hall, which was crowded in a very short time. The members of the Executive'Committee were present in large force, and, with the assistance of a large number of police, managed to keep the space inside the turnstiles clear. Within the concert hall the period of waiting was filled in by some organ selections played by Mr Robert Parker, with capital effect it is needless to say. He played a concerto by Handel and a march by Collin, and was warmly applauded. The officers of Her Majesty's ships Wallaroo and Lizard awaited His Excellency the Governor, who soon after arrived and was met by Mr S. Brown, president of the Exhibition and the members of the Executive and the various other committees, the Mayor (Mr George Fisher) and the different Consuls. His Excellency was accompanied by Ladies Alice and Dorothy Boyle, Mrs Stewart, Major Elliot (Private Secretary), Captains Fielden and Campbell-Preston, A.D.C.'s. As the vice-regal party entered the building the Garrison Band played the opening bars of ' : God Save the Queen," after which the party proceeded through the lines of military, who were drawn up in the avenues and transepts, to t h>; concert hall. The spee.tii.clu was a brilliant one, the lines of soldiery, with their vari-oo'oured uniforms, having for a background the many exhib-ts and a large surging crowd of well-dreased citizens. 1 The vice-regal visitors were conducted to ] - the platform, and at the same time the children greeted them in the enthusiastic manner already described. Then, after the National Anthem, the Governor and his party, the Minister of Education, the Mayor, the naval officers, Consuls and the members of the various Exhibition Committees, took thenseats. THE SPEECHES. The President, Mr Samuel Brown, read a tele-ram from the Hon Mr Soddon regretting that he could not be present owing to pressure ox public business, and wishing the Exhibition every success. (Applause.) He also read a telegram from the president of the Canterbury Industrial Association conveying congratulations. Mr Brown went on to Kay : I have the great privilege to-day, on behalf of the Wellington Industrial Association and the citizens of Wellington, of asking His Excellency to open this Exhibition. The Exhibition has been promoted by and is conducted i under the auspices of the Wellington Industrial Association. It has cost up to now about .£4OOO, towards which we have had financial assistance from the Government of about £SOO. The loss, if there be any, will be borne by the committee and other citizens who form the guarantors to find the necessary money. The profit—and we hope it will be substantial—has by deed to be devoted to the promotion of manufactures, industrial pursuits and technical education. (Applause.) A CONTRAST : THE PREVIOUS WELLINGTON EXHIBITION. The last Exhibition in Wellington was held in 1885. It was a Government one, and under Sir Julius Vogel, the then Colonial Treasurer. It cost some <£l6jQQO, and at its wind-up

there was a defici v c &f. about .£IO,OOO. Although our resources hafc*. hdM °f, a : n }? s l slender description, I venture" W prfjiK that this Exhibition will bear faf6t*r&Ple comparison with that run by the 00*?--with all the aid that a Governm'ent tein 1 g?ve. Our building" is better planned, fives' better accommodation for the exhibitors aha oh'e public, and the whole Exhibition itself is much better lighted. As to this concert hall, I can say frfet those of you who will be privileged to hear im musical performances this evening will consider it ono of the best-sounding halls in New Zealand. (Applause.) The total area occupied by the present Exhibition and the cycle track "is nea'rTy double that of the former Exhibition, and the' che' regret we have had is this—our inability to accept a- number of applications we have had from wotsld-be exhibitors. Though we availed _ ourselves of every inch of ground available, we fltill had to refuse even whole districts Who applied for representation. In niu'siP and entertainments also I think ws T cr 7 favourably with the former Exhibitio'u- FpT the band contest they had eight entries—\C'?kive 10 bands entered, we have double the prf2s j&oiiey, and we have two bands coming from £2St*sJia, and that has never happened before in Ndw' Zealand. (Applause.) One of these bands, as yorfarsi p'rebably is now the champion band 01 Aviet+dlid. A 3 to the entertainments, the concert *hioh will be given to-night, 1 venture to think, will flat bo excelled anywhere iri New Zealand, lhe cycling track is considered by experts to ve, for its size, one of the best in New 02 the last occasion the organ they Liad came from NSlsop • the instrument now before them was built at their own door—it was built by Mr Croft at Petonc. (Applause.) Good judges say thai "t fa a magmhocntlytoned'instrument—of that *P« w>l> ftave an opportunity of judging yourselves.

ri!E SCOPE OF THE EXHIBITION

In the carrying out of this Exhibition, and for the measure of Success attending it, we are largely indebted to the parent society, the Canterbury Industrial Association, who, in the most disinterested and loyal marir'eT', has assisted us in carrying out our own Exhibition. Not only that, but the Canterbury Association is officially represented at the' opening. (Applause.) The aim and scope of this Exhibition is to encourage and foster manufactures, riot only in Wellington, but throughout New Zealand, The promoters have endeavoured to make it as broad and wide as they possibly can. In the times in which we live, we are faced with this state of affairs —on the ono hand, there is over-production, and, on the other hand, great want ; on the one hand, great wealth, and on the other hand, abject poverty ; and the great problem which thinking men arc now trying to solve is to bridge the gulf between these two extremes, (Applause.) England now feels the competition from her Continental neighbours, not so much because of long" hours and low wages, but from the fact that there are better-edu-cated workmen. Our business is to train our workmen so that they may be able by their skill to compete with foreigners, and to produce better and cheaper work —cheaper, not in the senso of low wages, for I do not believo that the best work is produced by low wages—(applause) — I hold with the opinion expressed by the engineer who said he could do work cheaper in America at 10s per day than he could in India at about that per month —but cheaper in the sense that the highly-skilled, highly-paid workman produces the best and cheapest work. LORD AND LADY GLASGOW. Ladies and gentlemen, there is one circumstance that mars this great occasion. I allude to the absence of Lady Glasgow through illness ; and I am happy to be able to inform you that she is progressing in a most satisfactory manner. (Loud applause.) I am assured by His Excellency that Lady Glasgow feels the deepest regret at not being present with us to - day. This is probably the last great public occasion on which she would have met those among whom she has lived for many years, and to whom she has endeared herself by many acts of unostentatious kindness. (Applause.) From the time Lord Glasgow landed in New Zealand to the present day, he and his family have taken up a very large share of the hearts of the people of this Colony. (Applause.) His last act shows his unostentatious kindness and his kindly consideration for us. It is well known that Lord Glasgow had projected a trip to Australia, "but he gave that up that he might be here to-day. (Applause.) I feel sure that I express not only the feelings of this vast multitude, but the feelings of the people of New Zealand when I say that when the time of parting comes we shall all deeply regret to lose those who have so much endeared themselves to the hearts of the people of New Zealand. (Loud applause.) " Begone, Dull Care " and the " Blue Lolls of Scotland" were sung by the children's chorus.

His Bxcelleuey the Governor, who was received with hearty cheering, said :—Mr Presi- | dent, ladies and gentlemen, —Befora I pro- | ceed to the business which it is my privilege ! to perform, 1 must thank you, Mr President, for the very kind manner in which you have spoken of Lady Glasgow and myself, and I I have to thank' you, ladies and gentlemen, for the cordial manner in which you have responded to the words spoken by the president. (Applause.) I assure you that we have been very much touched indeed by the great kindness and sympathy which have been shown to mo and my family during the very severe illness of Lady Glasgow, and. I am certain that when I go home and tell of the manner in which she has been spoken of to-day, she will feel, as I do, that for whatever she has done in trying to do good while she haa been in the Colony, she has received her reward. (Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure and privilege which I enjoy on this occasion in cominghere to open this Exhibition. I had the pleasure of walking round the building with the president and the committee, and I can only «ay for myself that I consider the committee have done most excellent work in the manner in which the Exhibition has been laid out, and the use which has been made of the ground and of the building. (Applause.) I can only say that the Exhibition surpasses my fondest expectations, and that I think you will agree with me that it is a very favourable exponent ot the industries of the Colony. AN BRA OK EXHIBITIONS. This nineteenth century is a memorable one, and amongst <..he _ things which will recommend it to posterity is that the latter half of it is what I may call an era of exhibitions. The first year of this half century saw the opening of the Hyde Park Exhibition in London, the first exhibition ever held. The idea caught on 3 and as year after year ensued

more and more exhibitions have taken place in Europe and elsewhere, and the century is going to end with the great exhibition which is to be held in Paris, where the French are doing their utmost—for they havo begun &is<sady~ to make that exhibition the best tbaf&ffiS over been held. WILL IT T-i-B A GUARANTEE FOR PEA.CE ? The French Government have even already invited the co-operation pf Great Britain and all other countries to make that exhibition a success, and they have asked this Colony, as all the other colonies of Great Britain, to» send exhibits there. When, therefore, we* consider that such exhibitions are always the means of drawing people together and encouraging peaceful and friendly rivalry in trade, we may hope that the 20th centurywill be ushered in by an exhibition whicht may, we hope, promote peace and goodwill f-mong men. (Applause.) I said that exhibitions had improved as time Avent on. The present year is a great year of exhibitions. Beside the present one, there is the exhibition in Berlin,- the National Exhibition of the nation, in Geneva, the Hungarian Milleiiia! Exhibition, and the Russian Exhibition at jNijni-Novgordd. There is also the Exhibition 'in London at; the London Chamber of Commerce,-which is worthy of notice, although only a Very small one. It is an exhibition of foreign goods which have displaced English goods, and this Exhibition was ftiruished in response to the recent request from Mr Chamberlain. A GRJvAT STOCK-TAKING. His Excellency went on to say that he wa=. certain the people of the; colonies prefersed British - made goods to those of other countries—(applause)—and ho proceeded : If I were asked in what lies the success of exhibitions—and the idea which first struck the late lamented Prince the outcome of which idea was the Hyde Park Exhibition—l would say exhibitions are successes: because they are a stock-taking of the proclnffe and products of the commercial world, and I Ji'O father and say that, as from time to time exbibitiWS are held in different parts of the world. tha<« interested in production are able to compare tfea last Exhibition with the present, and know whether they are xHiMtta progress in prodtfefctg tne article required by the world. Tore _. will thus compare ' oi* this occasion this" Exhibition with the' one held here in 1885, and thus you will see the progress made ini this Colony since that time. If exhibitions; are useful in this respect in older countries., how much more so are they in new countries which wo natter ourselves'are always inhabited by a more pushing and energetic race than the Old Country? lour prominent citizens aro always striving to find out- what, industry and what department of trade may be cultivated in the interests of the Colo»y, and that being so I think you will find a great deal of interest in this Exhibition before you. One thing struck me as 1 walked around this building to-day, audit was this, that it would be well in the interest of the Exhibition if not only specimens of what we produce were shown, but also specimens of what we do not, but could produce. (Applause.) In this Colony there are very many branches of industry in which you have not yet embarked* but m which it is proposed—l only say proposed — that you should embark. Audit struck me it would be well, if possible, if the president and members of the committee should have set; apart a portion of the building to .show here what you could produce and do not produce, and it would be to the interest of the citizens if they could see what they do not and could produce. < Ad industry to which attention might be given' is the cultivation of beet. In this Colozvv ant enormous amount of sugar is consumed There is no reason why you should not produce your own sugar. Ihere are a great many men in the Colony who smoke tobacco, and why should you not produce tobacco in the northern part of this Colony ? There is an admirable climate there for the production of tobacco, and why should you not produce your North Auckland tobacco, or any other brands you like to name r Then in the northern part of this Island olive trees grow admirably. Why should not NewZealand rival South Australia in the production of sweet-oil, in which South Australia rivals all the other countries of the world. There is the smallest reason why New Zealand should not; produce as good oil as South Australia. Mulberry trees grow very well in this Colony.. Why not produce your own silk? Why should you not make your own wine? (Applause.) Experts hold that no better wine can be produced than can be produced in New Zealand. Suppose you produce your own wine, you have to put it into something. (Laughter and applause.) Of course I was not talking of consumption. (Laughter.) Why not make your own casks ? The Governor went on to review other industries that might be established in this Colony, and suggested an association I'm- the production of new industries. (Applause.) Before concluding, ho spoke in high prai.se of the children s songs under the direction of Mr Parker, and then declared the Exhibition open, wishing it eveiy success. (Loud applause.)

The children sang " Rule Britannia." The Hon. W. C. Walker, who was greeted with cordial applause, said:—Your Excellency, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen —You have heard expressed Mr Seddon's regret that he is not able to be with you to-day. Before he left he told me to represent the Government on this occasion, and it is with very great pleasure lam hero to-day. I am asked to propose a hearty vote of thanks to His Excellency the Governor for opening th. 6 Exhibition. (Applause). LESSONS FEO3I THE EXHIBITION OF 1851. Like His Excellency, I cannot help turning my mind to the Exhibition of 1851, probably not so much because it was th 6 firat exhibition in the world's history, but because it was the first I ever saw. I was a small schoolboy then, and it was on the occasion of my first visit to London, and I think I remember more of the details of that exhibition than of any other I have seen since then, and I think the lessons to b« learned from that apply equally to all exhibitions held since that time and the one opened to-day. In the first place, that exhibition did not do the one great thing it was hoped it would do —that it would be a pledge of universal peace. That must be admitted to be a disappointment, and at the same time that exhioition _ had an interesting court which comprised the latest devices in warlike engines and munitions of war, and every other exhibition shrje has bad a court devoted to the same purposes. I suppose these were looked upon as instruments of peace. (Laughter.) Uut, at ail events, I am prepared to say that this Industrial Exhibition has not sot a court of this kind, and I trust we can do without it, as well 1 as any other part of •^ler^^^^fe-i l £ omin^ons, (Applause.)

THE WORLD OP TKE PEOPLE. And the Exhibition o£ 1851 wa3 the beginning of an era which, gives emphasis to the fact that the world was coming to be the world of the people and not of the fev(\ It rested for its success on the shillings of the people, and I think that fact has never been recognised before. And every success since has rested on the shillings of the people, and this Exhibition likewise. (Applause.) At that ■exhibition large crowds gathered together by sneans of railway carriages, and the railway people have been learning lessons ever tdnce and attaining perfection in methods of transport of the people at cheap rates. Inthis ca3e much will depend upon the intelligence and good service of oar Railway Department for that purpose, and I know £hat the Railway Department will do good nervice, and that you will have hundreds and thousands of your country friends who will come to see what you have to shown them. AN EXHIBITION A GREAT OBJECT LESSON. I remember hearing a sermon preached, in 1.851, in which the clergy held out against the oxbibition as a display of national wealth, and compared the British Empire to a certain King of Israel who sinned in that manner. (Laughter.) This, _ of oourse, is an entirely exploded notion. An exhibition is an object lesson. We find out not in what we excel, but in what we are surpassed. The Exhibition of 1851 enabled .England to find out where she was weak, and mend her weak places, and find out where her Continental neighbours wore rivalling her. ; And from that day she has maintained her system of technical instruction, and I hold it is quite wrong to say that England lags behind in the race. England is one of the best technically-educated countries in the world, and 1 am happy to know that of all places in New Zealand none takes such an intelligent view of technical education as Wellington. (Hear, hear.) \ TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN WELLINGTON. Great honour is due to your Education Board in thi3 city for keeping steaddy in vieW the training of your children and teachers on the lines of technical education. They have raised among you a Technical School which is a credit to you, and an example to the rest of the Colony. I recommend that you should pay a visit there some evening, and I can assure you you will be amply rewarded. Mr Walker showed that factories were increasing in the Colony, and that they employed 20U0 peoplo more now than they did two years ago. This showed that as far as employment was concerned they were steadily increasing. He went on to say that from his experience of agricultural shows in this Colony", he would say that in no shows in the Old Country was there anything so advanced in the shape of machinery as was shown in this part of the world. The Exhibition was not merely an industrial one, but also included an exhibition of pictures. Other places in the Colony had lent good pictures to be exhibited here —(applause)—and he hoped the sight of those pictures from other places might strike a chord in the heart of so me rich men of Wellington to leave their wealth, on dying, to establish a picture gallery, as had been done in Auckland. In concluding, Mr Walker remarked that the general election was coming on—(laughter) — and people would be harassed by the number of speeches they had to listen to, and he suggested they should visit the Exhibition and forget all such trouble. (Loud applause.) ,The Mayor, Mr George Fisher, who was received with a hearty round of applause, seconded the motion of thanks to His Excellency with the highest pleasure. This, they were led to believe, was the la3t great occasion upon which they would have to meet His Excellency, except on that public occasion when they would all assemble to bid him farewell in a cordial and enthusiastic spirit. They all regretted the absence of Lady Glasgow, and more so the particular cause of that absence. (Applause.) He wished to *say this in regard to His Excellency : It was' not the duty of a Governor to be popular or unpopular ; he was the representative of the Sovereign, and had the highest judicial functions to perform ; but a Governor could win their esteem and respect, and that Lady Glasgow and His Excellency had admirably succeeded in doing. (Applause.) As to the object of exhibitions, Mr Fisher went on to point out that they had made America mistress of the art of production of machinery and of inventions. They saw in America's case that it was the artisan class who excelled in ingenuity, the result being that they had eclipsed Sheffield and other great centres. It was almost invariably the rule that the class which excelled in these walks of life were men who had suffered the stress of adversity. As Shakespeare had said, " Adversity makes the man." Touching upon technical education the speaker said he had introduced a Bill which was now the law of the land, and enabled the education boards to contribute out of their funds for that class of education in their schools. He agreed with his friend Mr Walker, who took a large interest in this question. He was quite ri<*ht in saying that the Wellington Education Board excelled even the Otasro Board in this particular respect, but he (Mr Fisher) hoped, for the credit of Mr Blair and other members of the Board, that they would go on and still further develop that branch of thoir educational system. (Applause.) Mr Fisher concluded by seconding the motion. Mr H. B. Kirk, vice-president of the Canterbury Industrial Association, expressed his treasure at being present, and, in a brief speech, wished the Exhibition success. He strongly urged. New Zealanders to support local industries. It was a well-known fact that since the introduction of woollen goods in this country, a large amount of labour that otherwise would have been employed in England and other countries was now employed here. At the present time something like two millions of money was leaving the Colony for goods which we could produce and had produced for years. As an old colonist he hoped they would support their own manufactures. The programme concluded with a two-part chorus, "The Laughing Song" and " Auld Lang Syne." The singing by the children, already described, was conducted by Mr Parker, whose daughter played the pianoforte accompaniments most tastefully. As the assemblage left the concert hall cheers were given for the Governor aud Lady Glasgow. The vice-regal party were entertained at afternoon tea, and then left the building by the same route, the soldiers being again drawn up into line. The Executive Committee also entertained some hundreds of guests at afternoon tea. 'iho building looked very gay while the speech-making' was going on. The soldiers having been dismissed spread themselves among the crowd, who were unable to gain remittance to the concert hall, and the scene was a very animated one. The Tea Kiosks and did an enormous trade,

and were filled for several hours with customers-. IN THE EVENING. The attendance in the evening was even greater than in the afternoon and the numerous avenues were crowded with eager sightseers, who took a great interest in the exhibits. The arrangements for admitting the_ public on Wednesday—which were under the direction of the treasurer, Mr Biss, who had a competent staff at the ticket and cash turnstiles —worked without a hitch, and within a few minutes of the closing at 10 o'clock we were able to learn that 5069 peoplo had passed into the Exhibition, excluding the Volunteers.