THE EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8627, 17 October 1889, Page 2

THE EXHIBITION.

THE REPRESENTATION OF SOUTH

AUSTRALIA,

INTERVIEW WITH THE REPRESENTA-

TIVE OF EXHIBITORS.

(By Oub Special Reporteb.)

Mr H. 3. Scott, who has been appointed to represent the South Australian exhibitors at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition) having arrived in Dunedin by the Melbourne steamer this week, I placed myself in com-

munication with him, and was fortunate enough

to obtain from him some opinions and information of interest. Mr Scott was one of the royal

commissioners for the highly successful Jubilee Exhibition at Adelaide in 1887, and was also assistant executive commissioner on the uccasion of that exhibition. Prior to that ho was connected with several exhibitions in Europe and in Australia, among other posts of honour that ho has held being that of commissioner for South Australia at the Calcutta Exhibition in 1884, and that of assistant to Sir Samuel Davenport at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in 1886. Mr Scott's experience, in short, has been of such a nature that his views with respect to exhibition matters are worthy of being treated with the highest respect. The people of Otago are, perhaps naturally, rather proud of the' rapid way in which the exhibition scheme, started some months ago, has grown, and of the extent of the building in which it is intended to hold this world's fair. On the question of the building itself, and of the probability of having matters ship-shape by the day fixed for the opening ceremony, I was desirous of obtaining Mr Scott's opinion, and it, with the succeeding questions and answers, is given below: —

The building, said Mr Scott, I consider to be well designed and compactly built, and the arrangements for the convenience of visitors to the exhibition are first class. The arrangements with respect to the avenues are such that, when they are finished, with flags and decorations, the appearance should be very pretty and highly effective. The building is in a much more forward state than that of Melbourne was a month before the opening, and I do not. anticipate any difficulty in having the whole of the courts completed on the 26th of November. I can see no reastn why all the courts should not be ready then. It is rather the fashion to speak of exhibitions as being in an incomplete and unfinished state on the opening days, but those both at Adelaide and London were quite ready at tbe appointed time.

Your Adelaide Exhibition was conducted on similar lines to this one ?

Yes; we had a guarantee fund of upwards of £20,000, and of this sum not one penny was ever called up, the guarantee bonds being returned to the guarantors at the close of the exhibition. There was a surplus of some few hundred pounds after all expenses were paid, and this was divided by the commissioners amongst the employes. From what you have seen, do you think the commissioners of our exhibition will be equally fortunate in making it pay its expenses ? That is a difficult question for me to answer. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the habits and customs of your population to gauge their capacity for entertainment, but you have a population twice as large as that of South Australia, and, as I have said, we made our exhibition pay. It depends, however, on the support you obtain from season ticket holders. You have a skilful general manager, who is running the exhibition very efficiently and economically, and no doubt he will arrange for such entertainments and attractions as will bring the people time after time to the building, and thus make the venture pay.

Have you many exhibits from South Aui traliaf

No; there will only be a few exhibits of dried fruits, raisins, preserved fruits, &c., together with a selection of the most celebrated wines made in the colony. Our Government declined

to pay any of the expenses of exhibitors further than by subsidising the Winegrowers' Association of Adelaide, in whose hands the collection of wines was placed. About 500 cases have been sent over, and merchants will have ample opportunity of obtaining samples and prices. Yon have observed what Mr Fletcher, the official representative of Victoria, has said with regard to the matter of a wine bar ?

Yes. Personally I would prefer to have a separate bar for the sale of South Australian wines, because of their distinctive character j but I think you have enough bars already, and I do not object to a united Australian bar, divided so that each colony can supply its own wines separately. It must not be forgotten that consumers of wine are generally to be found amongst the better classes, and it is not for the purpose of selling so many glasses over a bar that our vignerons have sent a selection of their choicest wines here, but it is for tho purpose of introducing wines that are not yet generally known here. New Zealand imported last year upwards of £42,000 worth of wine, of which the South Australians only supplied £2746 worth; and we are fully prepared to compete against the whole world for purity and quality of our wines. I hope that the exhibition will be a means of establishing a large trade between the two colonies.

Have you many exhibitors of wine ?

No ; only about a dozen. Vinegrowers are a distinct class from wiuemakers. The large winemakers purchase the grapes from hundreds of small growers and make the wine, thereby securing year by year uniformity of character. Is there anything further you would like to add, Mr Scott?

Yes. At previous exhibitions it has been the invariable practice to present the representatives of other parts with open passes over the railways for the term of the exhibition. There will be only four or five representatives from the other colonies, and tho courtesy I have men-

tioned has always hitherto been extended to those similarly situated, whether travelling over private or public railways. As an instance of this let me point out that on my arrival last week at Servicetown, the border town of Victoria, a pass from the Victorian Railway Commissioners was awaiting me to convey me over their lines to Melbourne. At previous exhibitions I have used my pass to travel occasionally to agricultural shows so as to give or receive information useful for agricultural societies. Wo have not yut received passes over the New Zealand lines, but I presume thoy will come in due course.

The interview then terminated.

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