EMPIRE EXHIBITION

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11960, 15 October 1924, Page 10

EMPIRE EXHIBITION

SPORTS OR PRODUCE ? ATTRACTIONS TO SETTLERS AND SPORTSMEN. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. Mr J. R. .Kirby, of the Featherston District High School staff, who has just returned from a visit to Europe, attended the reception to New Zealanders in the New Zealand Court at the Empire Exhibition. Prior to the reception, a concert was given, and, included items by Miss Rosina Buckman and Mis 9 Stella Murray, who were leceived with great enthusiasm by the audience. Speaking to a New Zealand “Times” reporter of the New Zealand Court, Mr Kirby confessed to a slight feeling of disappointment, especially when, compared with the Australian and Canadian courts, although he realised that they had far greater funds at their disposal for display purposes. The impression gained was that more had been done to attract sportsmen than settlers to New Zealand. A New Zealand film picture was shown, and two young men who attended specially to see what sheep fanning was like in the Dominion were disappointed at seeing nothing of the kind. When leaving the hall, chatting about the matter, a lady who had also been chatting with them remarked: “I will speak to Sir James Allen about it.” That lady, Mr Kirby afterwards learned, was Lady Allen. A WRONG IMPRESSION. The picture illustrated king fishing at Auckland, the geysers and hot springs at Rotorua, and the cold lakes and mountain district in Otago, but nothing of Wellington province. In fact, some of the more timid people, when they saw the picture of the geysers and hot springs at Rotorua, said they would not like to live in a country like that, and he thought people gained the impression that New Zealand was simply on the edge of a volcano, and might disappear at any time. After all, it was desired to get settlers, more than sportsmen, to come to New Zealand, and for that reason the Old Country should be more fully informed as to the pastoral and industrial pursuits of the Dominion. FILMS OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES Later in the day, a representative of the Publicity Department stated that ■excellent films of sheep farming, dairy farming, and the frozen meat industry had been sent to England, and should liave been at the New Zealand court on that day. It may have been that there was not time to show them all on that occasion. . The department recognised that it was possible to advertise the sporting attractions to such an extent that it might overshadow the pastoral and industrial activities of the Dominion, arid it was a matter tnat .was receiving the careful attention of the department, as was also the case with regard to the geysers and hot springs, which would be further considered in view of what had been stated.