THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5734, 1 November 1905, Page 7

THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

THE LOCAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMISSIONER. APPLICATIONS FOR SPACE CLOSE MARCH 31. In tho i’-bsanoo of tho Mayor, Air J. P. Luke occupied tho chair at a meeting of the Wellington Advisory Committee of the New Zealand International Exhibition, which assembled in the Mayor's room yesterday to meet Air G. S. iiuiin). the" Executive Commissioner of tho Exhibition.

Mr Munro gave a brief resume of what bail already been done, and what tho position was at present regarding tho Exhibition. So far, 10,000 feet of floor space had boon voluntarily applied for, and though it had boon decided to charge only 2s per square foot, the return from space alono was expected to roach a total between £20,000 and £25,000. To induce early applications fer space, precedence would be given to applications as they came in. The prico, 2s per square foot, covered tho whole period of five and a half months, and included general lighting and flooring. Special lighting would, of course, have to bo paid for. Ho estimated that tho Exhibition would bo visited by a million and a half people, which calculation ho based on tho figures for the Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition. Tliat exhibition was not of so pretentious or national a character as this ono would bo, and it only remained open five months. Yet it was visited by 030,000. Since then tho population had grown, tho colony wan much better oil, railway and steamer communication Was a great deal better, Christchurch was more centrally situated than Dunedin, and the Exhibition would remain open longer. On these grounds ho thought an estimate of a million and a half people was quite warranted. Manufacturers and others _ must be made to look upon tho Exhibition from an advertising point of view. They could not fail to do this, as it was a practical opportunity of displaying their goods such as did not often occur. No New Zealand manufacturers would, in his opinion, need any financial support, owing to tho advertisement gained. Where assistance might be needed was in tho ease of raw materials, in which everybody was concerned, and no individual could bo especially benefited. There had been some uneasiness expressed in regard to tho Exhibition being ready to time, but tho tender for the erection of the main building, to cost between £30,000 and £3u,000, was about to be let. Ho could not say what ■tho entire available space would bo, as the building was being erected so as to provide annexes, space in which would bo let at Is 6d per square foot. Applications for space would close on March 31st, IUOG, and the Exhibition would be opened on November Ist. There would now bo no difficulty in the matter of finance, as a clause in the Exhibition Empowering Act gave tho necesary power, and in reference to a secretary, tho matter was now in their own hands. Tho Executive Committee would appoint a suitable man, who would personally visit every manufacturer, with a view to getting exhibits, and bo would place his services at tho disposal of tho local Wellington Committee for as long as it took him to “work” the city. They could take his assurance that everything .would bo in. order on tho opening day—November Ist. Transport agents in nearly every port in the world had agreed to accept delivery and ship goods to Christohuroh, and ho was just about to issue a leaflet showing tho steamer routes (and rates) by which tlio colony could be reached. The chairman said the feeling of the ■Wellington Advisory Committeo was that tho Exhibition should bo given every encouragement, and they were prepared to tako it up, and help to make it a colonial and international success. Mr Ewen asked when the travelling secretary would be available? Mr Munro said he had not yet been appointed, but he had a man “in his eye” who knew the colony thoroughly. It was not yet decided where he would commence his duties, but if it_ was Wellington ho could be hero within a weolq after his appointment. Air Harcourt pointed out that as applications for space closed on March 31st. tho official would only have five months in which to cover the whole of the colony. Mr Munro said that Christchurch was already provided for, and perhaps a man could bo put on to canvass Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin. Tho chairman said 'there was a strong feeling amongst the local committee that a local secretary was wanted in addition to the travelling representative.

Mr R. E. Bannister urged that it was most desirable that a secretary should be appointed in each centre. Ho personally did not approve the Commissioner’s idea of appointing ono man for tho whole of the colony. He could not see nil the people in tho time, as it would take some of tho manufacturers twelve months to fix up their machinery and get their exhibits ready. They were asked, to take it for granted from Mr Munro that everything would be in apple-pio order on the opening day, but as tho whole of the colony was concerned in tho success of this great undertaking, they wanted to have a “ say ” in tho matter. Nothing was heard of the International Exhibition until after tho Wellington Industrial Association’s committee decided to hold an exhibition last year, after which the Premier, in a speech, mooted the Christchurch Exhibition. Ho certainly thought the centres should bo considered more, in view of the international character of the Exhibition, and weekly reports of tho business of tho Christchurch executive should bo submitted for their information, so that it would bo known what they were being committed to. At ■present it appeared to him that Dunedin, Wellington! and Auckland were ignorant as to what was going on. As to this travelling representative, they did not know who he was to ho, or what the salary was to he, or anything else. If such information were forwarded, they would go heart and soul into the project, and help tho undertaking to the utmost. There was a much larger attendance at tho last meeting—at which he regretted Mr Munro was not present—but the gentlemen who were there, and those now present, were all prepared to help it treated fairly. It was belittling to be treated in the manner they had been, and lie hoped that the hint given would bo accepted in tho best possible spirit. Tho committees in tho centres should not bo kept in the dark. They should have reports as well as Christchurch; besides, tho local membere could probably give valuable suggestions to tho Christchurch executive that it might bo well to adopt. A bad start had been made, but he hoped matters would goon smoothly for tho future, as he felt certain the president and the promoters of the exhibition desired. i

Mr Ewcn thought that as all applications for space hud to be in by March 31st, they must have a local secretary, lie would move; “That a local secretary ho appointed for tlio coming .six months at a salary of £100.” They wanted data before them as to who would exhibit, and the sooner they got a men tho sooner lie would be able to assist Mr Munro. Mr Bannister emphasised that the secretary should be a local man “who knew nil the possible exhibitors, and could get at them.” Air Luko expressed the desirability of all the finances in connection with tlio undertaking being worked from Christchurch. The City Council did not fed disposed to tako any rcsponsibilty in that respect, as it considered other local bodies equally responsible. The motion proposed by Air Ewen was put and carried. Mr Munro said it had been hinted that ho had been discourteous to the Wellington committee, but if the correspondence was looked up they would find that ho had not been guilty of discourtesy at all. Ho had written to to Mayors of Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin, asking them to convene meetings of the citizens, with a view to forming local advisory committees. The Mayor of Auckland called such a meeting, and at some inconvenience he was present, and the Mayor of Dunedin also called a meeting, at which he was present, and there had been no trouble. Tho Mayor of Wellington, in his wisdom, took upon himself to appoint a committee at the first meeting, which ho had not been invited to attend. The invitation to the second one was posted on a day when there was no Southern mail, and he received it too late to possibly attend. He had been in Wellington since, and had not called on the Mayor, but he was then on special business, and came up one day and returned the next. If there had heen any trouble, it was duo to tho Mayor, who did not call a meeting of citizens to appoint an advisory committee. The chairman said the Mayor was a man who could look after himself. Ho consulted all tho bodies concerned, and ho got as large an attendance as if a public meeting had been called. Anyhow, they had come to tho conclusion that they must do everything that would redound to the success of tho undertaking. They wanted “to shove the old chariot along,” but (referring to tho salary of the local secretary) if “the Government wanted to father the thing, they must put clothes round the baby.” Ho apologised for tho absence of the Mayor, Messrs A. H. Turnbull and D. Robertson.

In a discussion subsequent to the meeting, Mr Munro pointed out that in many places the expenses were being borne by making a levy on public bodies pro rata, and it would be a dangerous precedent to agree to such a salary for a secretary at "Wellington. Ho would bo flooded with applications for grants from every country town and city. Ho wished them to see it from his point of view, for tho amount so granted, oven if based pro rata on tho Wellington grant, would easily run into £3OOO or £4OOO. It would ho a matter for tho Finance Committeo to consider.