Australia's Failure

NZ Truth, Issue 1050, 7 January 1926, Page 6

Australia's Failure

Exhibition Officials Show Sad

Lack of Enterprise Shipping Companies Also Blamed Much has been said about Australia's failure to support the South Seas Exhibition m Dunedin, but so far the side for the Commonwealth has not been presented by any New Zealand newspaper.

"Truth" herewith presents it, and it contains many pertinent remarks, well worthy of study by New Zealanders.

A USTRALJA'S case is presented by f\ a leading article published m Melbourne "Truth." It is not intended here to discuss the merits of the case, but merely to give the full statement as published. Here it is: — , Australia is badly represented at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition m Dunedin. That is bad for Australia. It is equally bad for New Zealand. The fault" is not primarily Australia's. . • The New Zealand Exhibition authorities' neglect of the psychology of ad-vertisingv-particularly of indirect advertising — and the lack of patriotic co-operation by the Union Steamship Company, must be allotted their substantial share of responsibility for Australia's failure to realise the importance of the Dominion's big Show, j Not Advertised. | Until ■ the- cabled reports of . the official opening of the Exhibition ap-'

peared m the Australian Press, it is probably correct to say that ninetyfive per cent, of the people of this country had not impressively -heard anything about the Exhibition. A few spasmodic reports and isolated advertisements m a section of the Press, that the Show would cover a certain number of acres, were just a little more impressive, perhaps, than the reported building of a new grandstand on the racecourse. The outstanding fact was that the Exhibition authorities, or the U.S.S. Company, or both, did not suggest that New Zealand's big Show was of sufficient importance to wax-rant the running of even one, let alone half a dozen, special rate steamers, nor to make any constructive effort to attract Australian visitors and purses. In the circumstances, is it to be wondered at that with so little public interest aroused m New Zealand's effort, commercial interests here should have lacked inspiration and failed, to grasp the potentialities of a Show that is one- third the size of Wembley. It is not yet too late for the Exhibition authorities and the shipping companies to realise the serious possibilities of their own inefficienecy m the way of effective advertising. The success of an Exhibition m its initial stages is no indication of the final balance-sheet., The novelty of the big Show is bound tp cause it to be well supported during the months ox. December and January, but something more will have to be done to cover, the later periods if the Exhibition is to serve a purpose worthy of a great and prosperous Dominion. Badly Served. Obviously, New Zealand has been very badly served by its shipping companies, whose destruction of competition by monopolistic agreement must be. painfully, patent to all New Zealanders m connection with this Exhibition. ■. ! ' ■ ■ Inquiries made amongst those m touch with the Exhibition authorities leave the impression that those authorities have not greatly concerned themselves m pressing for special travelling facilities, between Australia 1

and New Zealand, they taking the viewpoint that the "shilling admission fee" of overseas visitors would neither make nor break the Exhibition. If any such view has been seriously held by the Exhibition authorities, then it indicates that however cbmmercially fitted they may have been for the job of organising the Exhibition as a local Show, their qualifications for the task of staging an undertaking of national and international import is open to question. . The international • advertising value of overseas visitors is, of course, the primary object of an Exhibition held m any part of the •worl.d.. , "Truth" wishes the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition a rich measure of sudcess. If, however, there is to be any head scratching, let it be done now, and done to some purpose. Not one, but half a dozen steamers should be m

commission, running passengers from all the principal ports of Australia to Dunedin. Still Time. Whether these vessels run excursion fares or ordinary fares, they should make special provision for tourist traffic by providing orchestras, lecturers,. Exhibition guides, and such other special touring features as would attract- to; and advertise, the Exhibition. Following modern principles of tourist enterprise, they could also be made, at a^price, r to serve the purposes of accommodation for a week or so at Dunedin. By such forms of modern enterprise, providing for, say, fortnightly . or three-weekly return trips between Australian ports and Dunedin, ' with alternative monthly trips covering the gorgeous West Coast Sounds as well as:, the Exhibition, New , Zealand would have no difficulty m attracting thousands of advertising visitors from these shores. Between January and April approximately 500,000 Australians ; will enjoy their annual leave, and they are worth an effort to attract to Maori land. If NeAv Zealanders have little cause for gratification at Australia's display at their Exhibition,- Australians have less cause for gratification at the lamentable lack of advertising and travelling enterprise New Zealand has exhibited on their behalf. • There is time to remedy both grievances. Why not get busy and remedy them? i. - .