The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JULY 7, 1924. THE WINTER SHOW

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11874, 7 July 1924, Page 6

The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, JULY 7, 1924. THE WINTER SHOW

The people of Wellington, and especially the promoters of the Welcome Week Carnival, are to be heartily congratulated Upon the wonderfully fine winter Weather which favoured ori Saturday last the opening of the Winter Show and the Olympia Motor Exhibition. The, opening ceremonies, at bdth the Winter Show and Olympia, were performed by B3s Excellency the Governor-General in the presence of large and keenly-interested gatherings. Admiral Viscount Jellicoe was accompanied by Lady Jellicoe; and the very hearty welcome accorded Their Excellencies showed how 1 greatly they have endeared themselves • to the people of thiß country during their stay in New Zealand, now unhappily drawing to a close. Those present, indeed. could not but feel that, as the function is, in the. nature of things, one of the last which Their Excellencies will have the opportunity of attending in Wellington before they leave for the Old Country, it- was in some sort a farewell gathering. Hence, no doubt, the particular warmth of the Welcome. extended to them, and the marked heartiness of the cheers given ■ at the close, on the call of the Mayor, for both Lord and Lady Jellicoe. Speeches ranging “from grave to gay, from lively to severe,” were given by Lord Jellicoe, the Prime Minister, the Mayor, and Sir John Luke, M.P., chairman of the Winter Show Association j and, though he never makes ary attempt to Conceal his diffidence as a public speaker—not to' say his dislike of public-speaking—His ’ Excellency showed that he is well able to hold his own in give-and-take With the most practised Parliamentarians. There is ho mistake about it that this year's Winter Show marks a great advance on that of last year, good as it undoubtedly was, especially for a first attempt; and it is also very certain that- the Winter Show has come tb stay. In spite of ail the difficulties inseparable frottl holding the show in four or five different buildings, at no little distance apart, the exhibition is a very creditable one indeed. As is only to be expected in a big urban centre, the industrial section somewhat overshadows the agricultural, But it is very evident that great care and thought, and considerable time and energy, have been devoted to the organisation of both. The work done in the comparatively short time at the disposal of those concerned is astonishing; and both displays are well fitted to do what is expected of them—to bring home to the townspeople the superb Quality of oUr New Zealand primary products, and to attract the Country people into the city and give both them and the city folk U clear idea of the progress and development of our own secondary industries and of the very excellent goods of ever so many kinds that they can turn out. Nor is the British manufacturer forgotten. Matty Of/the exhibits bear unimpeachable testimony to the gteat Variety Slid the sterling Character of the work carried out by British Workmen in British factories; and justify to the full the confidence expressed by the Prime Minister that, though the British manufacturers seem for the time being to have lost their erstwhile supremacy in the world’s markets, it is only for a time, and ;

British workmanship remains as good as ever it was. The Motor Show, partly no doubt on account of its being housed in one 'building, the huge Harbour Board shed at Pipitea Point, is particularly good. Very complete, wonderfully well arranged, it is, as His Worship the Mayor rightly declared, one of the finest shows that Wellington has ever produced, not to be excelled in any part of the Dominion,' and hardly to he equalled even by the largest shows in the Australian Commonwealth. The latest models of some of the very finest

motor-cars and motor-lorries produced throughout the World are on exhibition In the Pipitea Shed —from the Ford to the Rolls-Royce, and from the Chevrolet one-ton trucks to the great Republic, International, Tliorneycroft, and Leyland lorries. The wonderful display marks the marvellous advance that hfls takeii place in the Dominion within the past few years in regard to motor-cars and motor > vehicles of every kind. After visiting this show, it can come as a surprise to no one to learn that the year 1923 was a record one for New Zealand motor imports; and the present year bids fair to beat that As a matter of fact, the numbers of both passenger and commercial motor vehicles importe t d in 1923 were considerably greater than those Of any previous year, not excepting the boom period of 1920. No fewer than 12,357 motor-cars were imported last year, as compared with; 3474 in 1922; and it is noteworthy that, although 1816 more motor-cars were imported in 1923 than in 1920, the cost of the Cars at the port of shipment was less by over £362,000, showing how great have been the price reductions -that have recently taken place. The lighter and less expensive class of car is said to have been in favour; and this factor, in addition to the reduced prices of cars, has lowered the average cost per car, which is to-day lower than at any previous period. Signs are not wanting, too, that the tendency /if prices is still downward, thus bringing the motor-car within the reach of an ever-increasing number Of citizens.

The continued drop in the percentage of cars imported from Great Britain is, indeed, a disappointing feature. But the general opinion seems to be that the feeling in New Zealand towards English cars is decidedly more favourable than it was some twelve months ago; and as the British manufacturers learn tb adapt their cars more and more to the needs of the overseas dominions, they will no doubt grow in favour from year to year. The increasing popularity of motor-cars and Motor vehicles of every kind is reflected in the interesting figures, quoted in Saturday’s Motor Show issue of the “Times,” in Which Mr J. F. Cousins (secretary to the Motor Trade Association of ' New Zealand) Showed that, going right hack to 1910, there were then 3524 horse-drawn vehicles made in the Dominion and 232 Imported, making a total of 3756, whereas the number of motor vehicles imported was only 772. But in 1923 the tables were completely turned, for last year there were only 10S2 horsedrawn vehicles manufactured in the Dominion, and none imported; while ho fewer than. 13,935 motor vehicles were imported. The Motor Traders’ Committee is to be congratulated Upon the very fine display that it has made; ahd it is also to be complimented upon the generosity which has led it to devote 25 per cent, of its “gate” at the Olympia Show to assisting the Welcome Week undertaking. The heartiest thanks are due from the citizens of Wellington to the Wellington Harbour Beard, Which has so kindly lent so many of its fine buildings for the housing of the Winter* Show and the Motor Exhibition-. Nevertheless, we are sure that all citizens, including tha members of the Harbour Board, will rejoice when the much-desired building fund of £IO,OOO has been raised—as we are convinced it will he before Very long-—and the Carnival Committee is thereby enabled tb erect an Exhibition Building well worthy of the capital city of the Dominion, and destined to house still finer winter Shows and mot’br exhibitions in the years to come.