ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the "New Zealand Spectator." Wellington, June 17, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 509, 19 June 1850, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the "New Zealand Spectator." Wellington, June 17, 1850.

Sir,— A subject to which you have od more than one occasion^directed the attention of your readers, and which is one of considerable interest and importance,' does not appear as yet to have met wiih a due response from the public at large ; I allude to the collection of specimen! of New Zealand produce and manufacture for the Exhibition of 1851. The apparent listlessness of the colonists of this settlement appears to arise from an absence of any association or body on whom such a duty especially devolves. A suggestion has been made, that in order to supply the deficiency, and to avoid the risk of the interests of this Colony being neglected, the

Members of the Wellington Athensßum should form a Committee for the purpose of collecting subscriptions towards the expenses, obtaining specimens of New Zealand produce for transmission to England, &c, &c. In this suggestion I cordially concur, it has been entered in the book kept at the Athenaeum for such purposes, and will I hope meet the approval of the Managing Committee. It should be remembered that specimens of produce and manufacture to be sent to such an exhibition should be selected with care and judgment, for an imperfect assortment hastily collected would be detrimental rather than otherwise. It appears to me also that to send merely specimens of Natural Productions and of such few articles as are manufactured in the infant Colony would be insufficient, it would I think be necessary, or at least very desirable, to have some specimens wrought into the various articles to which they are adapted, in the Mother-Country ; take for instance flax and iron sand, specimens of the former as it is usually prepared for exportation 'should of course' be sent, and of the latter a sample of the raw. material, such specimens of manufactured flax as the resources of the Colony would supply, rope, twine, and mats, might be sent, but would it not also be desirable with a view to sbow the value of the raw material to ' have some of it worked up at home, lest an inferior manufacture might create a prejudice .against a good material, and as New Zealand will have no pretensions (at present) as a manufacturing country.her natural productions, in which alone she will seek to compete, should be displayed to the best advantage. With regard to iron sand it would, I suppose, be essential to adopt the plan I have suggested. With timber it might be sufficient to add some specimens polished but without being manufactured, although, if circumstances permitted, it would doubtless be desirable to supply some manufactured articles of New Zealand fancy woods. Barks for tanning and dyeing would require to have their respective qualities illustrated in a tangible form. It is, however, no part of my object to dictate to the committee, should there be one appointed, what course of proceedings they should adopt, I only desire to call public attention to the fact that there should be no delay. A twelve month is a shorter period than would be desirable for the purpose of efficiently carrying out the object in view, and •very day lost diminishes the already limited period. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, X. Z.