EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18899, 27 June 1923, Page 7

EMPIRE EXHIBITION.

MR WINTOUR’S CONTRACT. REASONS FOR CANCELLATION. Press Association —By Telegraph— Copyright LONDON, June 25. (Received Juno 26, at 8.10 p.m.) Mr A. Buckley (Junior Lord of the Treasury), in replying to a question in the House of Commons, said that under his original contract Mr U. F. Wintour was given exclusive powers of management of the British Empire Exhibition till the Exhibition was wound up. It was found that such powers were inconsistent with the recommendations by the Joyn-son-Hicks inquiry committee. Mr Wintour’s contract was therefore cancelled, Mr Wintour receiving £14,730 as compensation. Mr Wintour was also appointed consultant at a salary of £IOOO a year. The Duke of Devonshire, as chairman of the executive, was consulted, and he approved of the course adopted.—A. and N.Z. Cable. The Board of Management of the Empire Exhibition announced a few days ago that in consequence of (he rearrangement of the organisation, Mr Wintour had relinquished the general managership and accepted the post of adviser to the board. This was practically an outcome of the recent report of Sir William Joynson-Hicks, as a result of which the management was vested in a board, comprising, the Duke of Devonshire (chairman), Sir James Stevenson (commercial adviser to the Colonial Office), vicechairman, Lieutenant-General Sir Travers Clark (late Adjutant-General to the War Offco), deputy-chairman; and an Executive Committee. consisting cf Sir Henry chairman of the Finance Committee ; Sir Charles M‘Leod, a member of a firm of Calcutta merchants; and Sir James Alien, representing the dominions. Sir William Joynson-Hicks. in his renort, said an arrangement had been oomc to between the Exhibition authorities and the High Commissioners of the Dominions, wherebv provision was to be made in all contracts that Empire material only should be used in the construction work, and Empire products only used in the Exhibition restaurants. Ho was convinced there had a grave lack of tact on the part of the general manager in his relations with those with whom he ought to bo working harmoniously. Nevertheless. Mr Wintour was a man of marked ability. There were various veiled suggestions that even he was not free from a suspicion of corruption, but. Sir William said ho was of opinion that there had been no corruption. Without hesitation he recommended that there should bo no change in the general management which might be fatal to (ho Exhibition at this late date. Mr Wintour, by his dominating personality, very largely controlled his committees. Sir William proposed that control over the general management should be vorv greatly strengthened bv the Executive Council meeting frequently, with a deputy-chairman, who should give his whole time to the work, and receive adequate remuneration. If such a committee had been in control of affairs earlier there would have been no possibility of the recent criticism. MEETING OF DOMINION COUNCIL. At a meeting of the Dominion Advisory Council of the Empire Exhibition recently, the following members were present:— Messrs W. S. Bennett (in chair), F. R. Bushell, A. Leigh Hunt. A. Seed. L. T. Watkins, and H. T. B. Drew. For some time the council has been forwarding complaints to London that very little material of a publicity nature concerning the Exhibition was being received from the London Executive. A letter from the High Commissioner was road at the meeting, in which he staled that, he had taken this matter up with the Homs Executive and the complaint of the council would be removed. The council discussed the proposal recently made by Mr Fenton M‘Phcrson, of London, while visiting Wellington, that a post-card day .should be instituted on which every New Zealander should be asked to send a New Zealand post-card to some friend in the Old Country, suggesting that a visit should be paid to the Now Zealand Court at the Exhibition. The idea was approved, and it was decided to do everything possible to forward, the idea to make it popular amongst the people of the dominion with whom the success of the scheme will ultimately lie. The proposal was also made that business firms and others in their foreign correspondence, especially (hat to the United Kingdom, should bo encouraged to enclose some card or other dovico calling attention to the Now Zealand exhibit at the forthcoming Exhibition. This matter is also being taken up. The council dealt at length with the layout plan of the Now Zealand Court which had been received from the High Commissioner and also counter proposals which had been submitted by the sub-committee appointed for this purpose. Messrs Llewyllyn Williams (architect) and J. T. Mair (Government architect) were present, and submitted a plan of the proposed amended layout. The proposals were deemed by the council to be a great improvement upon the plan received from England, as they enabled a very much more impressive exhibit. to be made of the New Zealand staple industries, such as meat, dairy produce, and wool, in addition also to the secondary industries. After careful consideration it was decided to adopt the amended plans and to cable the High oommissionor to that effect, and to forward copies of the plans to the High Commissioner try the next mail.