N.Z. AND SOUTH SEAS EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19002, 26 October 1923, Page 7

N.Z. AND SOUTH SEAS EXHIBITION.

MEETING OF DIRECTORS. QUESTION OF THE SITE. LAKE LOGAN RECOMMENDED. A meeting of directors of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Company was held in Mr W. E. C. Reid’s office last night. The chairman of directors (Mr J. Sutherland Ross) occupied the chair, and there were also present Messrs C. Speight, H. F. Sinoook, T. Somerville, W. R. Hayward, A. Barnett, Peter Barr, C. Todd, and P. L. Halsted. The newly-appointed secretary (Mr H. R. Spenoe) wa.. also in attendance. Ther question of the site for the Exhibition was taken in committee. A lengthy report on the various sites was submitted by Mr Gtee Brown, of the firm of Messrs Blair Mason, Lee. and Owen, and after discussion it was unanimously decided that it bo a recommendation to the shareholders that Lake Logan be the site for the Exhibition. It was further decided that a letter and a deputation consisting of Messrs iSpoight, Todd, and Barr bo sent to the Mayor and City Council to ask, necessary steps be taken to give the access referred to m the report.

REPORT ON PROPOSED SITES. The report read as follows; GENERAL. Tins report refers only to the proposed sites for tfyo Exhibition at the Oval, Pelichet Bay, the Gardens, and Lake Logan. The sites will be dealt with in that older, and their relative merits discussed. All tu sites have beqp visited repeatedly, their area ascertained where necessary, and the various factors iuftuencing their suitability (or the purpose in view investigated, So far as possible in the short time available for preparation of the report, and in view of the undefined nature of the proposals, estimates have been made out of the costs to bo anticipated under the many heads of expenditure which must be considered in such an undertaking, and it is hoped that the resulting figures will enable the directors to form a definite estimate, not only of the relative value of the sites, but also regarding the allocation of funds to the various parts of the whole undertaking. . Of the sites enumerated above, a definite Layout has been put on paper for only one. This was Mr An scorn be’s plan for Lake Logan which he very kindly showed and explained to me. A lay-out for ti) Gardens has been thought out by Mr Tannock. though no plan has been prepared: Mr Tannock put his ideas at my disposal and spent some time in going over the ground, with me and discussing the possibilities. The only other definite lay-out so far proposed, so far as I am aware, was that for the site on. and adjacent to, the Caledonian Ground, but this docs not" come within the purview of this report, nor is it likely that a detailed investigation of that sit© would reveal any advantages over the other sites considered. An endeavour has been made to arrive at th© cost involved at the various sites, not only to the Exhibition Company, but also to the public bodies concerned —in particular to the Dunedin City Council and to the Harbour Board. Permanent benefits to the city have also teen borne in mind in making a recommendation. Th© official record of the New Zealand International Exhibition held at Christchurch in 1306 has been of some service as providing 1 a check and comparison with the cost-3 estimated, but that record requires very careful study if erroneous impressions are to bo avoidecl. The useful information which it contains does not lie on the surface, and it is probable that some false impressions have been created by it. A rapid survey hae been made of part of the Gardens, "the Oval, and the Market square in order to supplement ■ the plans available where these are incomplete. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS,

Before discussing the several sites in detail, it will bo well to review the general method which has been adopted in arriving <vt an estimate of the merits of the different sites from the financial point of view*, and also to discuss the more general features which influence the choice of a site The sum of £150,000 has been suggested as the total which is likely to be available before the opening of the Exhibition, and this sum has been taken as representing the total permissable preliminary expenditure; as soon as the Exhibition is openedi, the takings will go to provide for upkeep, do expenditure after that date is therefore not considered. The total of £150,000 is letrarded as including interest accruing up to the date of opening, and, m fact, all available funds to bo expended in the preparation of the Exhibiton and site. From this total, various sums have been set apart for unavoidable expenditure necessitated by the conditions of each site, such as fencing, preparation of grounds, etc. A reasonable allotment has also been made for items which, tnough not necessitated by the conditions of the sito, are desirable or necessary in order to make the undertaking a financial success, such as expenditure on sports grounds, boating areas, etc. The sum remaining after these deductions has been allocated to buildings, and after deducting the probable expenditure on certain special structures the remainder has been allotted to main buildings, which provide the area for exhibits, including a machinery hall. A tentative desgn has been taken cut for the roofing, flooring, galleries, •and foundations of these main buildings, and an estimate framed upon this basis. A sum has also been arrived at as the probable expenditure on a unit length of walling. From these data it has been possible to give a definite idea of the area which can be provided for the available outlay on main buildings. It must be understood that this estimate is necessarily approximate, depending, ag it does, on the particular design adopted, and particularly upon the type of front designed by the architects. The assumption is made, however, that this design will be severely plain, though handsome, and devoid of much of the ornamentation, towers, and turrets which characterised the buildings in Christchurch. It b believed that the figures will be found to be near the mark, arid to provide a sound basis for estimate. MAIN FEATURES.

In discussing the main features which have an important bearing on the selection of the site, the relative merits of the two northern sites—the Gardens and Lake Logan —will be mainly cited; it will be shown later when assessing the sites in detail that these two sites are the only ones which, on a detailed analysis, are in serious competition, the sites at the Oval and Pelichet Bav being eliminated by certain preliminary considerations. The area available at the Ova! is 22.73 acres, which is altogether inadequate for an Exhibition of the magnitude nroposed. The area at Pelichet Bay is ample, but, as will be shown later, other considerations rule out this site. At the Gardens the flat land available for main buildings is 7.25 acres on the west of the Gardens, including portion of King street, and a small unused corner of the Gardens, but excluding the bod of the Leith; by spanning the Leith, an additional 1.1 acres could be secured at a greater cost for floors. On the hill facing the Cemetery rood a further two acres of reasonably flat land is available. There are also very suitable sites available for the art gallery and concert hall. Thus lO.kO acres would be obtained if necessary for main buildings, which is more (ban sufficient. In addition, there are available about 5.5 acres of sloping land, not too steep for the location of the wonderland section. The only sports ground in the vicinity is the Opoho football ground, providing about seven acres. The areas available at the Gardens are therefore sufficient for the purpose. except in the case of wonderland, which would be decidedly cramnod on 51. acres of sidelong ground. It will bo shown, however. that the 7.25 acres of main buildings on the lower silo, which might be extended to 8.35 acres if necessary, would be as large as the available funds would provide The two acres of level ground on the hill could then bo included in wonderland, making 7.5 acres in all. which would be sufficient. At Lake Logan 65 acres of level ground are available. Ease of access is an important consideration, and one which constitutes the mam claim of the Oval to consideration. The pxncndituro hv the citv which will be required to provide traffic facilities to the Gardens or to Lake Logan is dealt with

!au-r, but in either case, the distance from the Fountain is equivalent to two ordinary penny sections by tram, and the journey can be. made in 10 or 12 minutes. The provision for motor traffic is also of importance. and either of the northern sites is convenient in this respect. A considerable area will bo required for parking cars outside the grounds. In the case of Lake Logan, there will bo no difficulty, and at the Gardens, motors approaching the upper end of the grounds by the Cemetery road would be suitably accommodated in the deer enclosure, while those going to the main gate could be parked in the eastern end of the Woodhaugh Gardens. At the Oval, the only suitable area for this purpose is the end" of Crawford street.

The natural beauty of the sites can be appreciated by anyone at a glance. TH© grounds at the Gardens site are already beautiful, and require very little, if any, expenditure, while most of the paths required are already in existence. At Lake Logan the preparation of the grounds will be an important item of expenditure, and it can hardly bo hoped to bring them to a state of perfection in any way comparing with that at the Gardens.

As regards the permanent advantages to the city which would result from the adoption of the different sites, ther© can be no doubt that these are greater by far afc the northern sites than elsewhere. This feature is particularly in evidence at tho Gardens, where the possibilities are such as to attract one strongly to this site. They include the provision on a beautiful and suitable site of a now Art Gallery and a Concert Hall, both of which, separately and in combination, would be great assets to the city. There would also be a kiost in one of the most beautiful sites near the city, while (he tramway extensions would all be on the lines of natural and useful development. At Lake Logan also, there are permanent improvements of. value "which, will result from the Exhibition. These consist primarily in a fine sports ground on a sheltered site with a stadium capable of seating, say, 5000 "people, tearing ponds to replace the boating area which has been, destroyed by the reclamation of Lake Logan, and the grassing of the whole area of Lake Logan in preparation for its future development in other ways. Ido not include the provision of a new Art Gallery or Concert Hall, because the construction of these permanently on this site would, I consider, be a very great mistake. An art gallery and concert hall are desirable features of an exhibition, and are usually popular. I have provided for temporary buildings for these purposes in my estimate for the Lake Logan site, basing the estimate on the ©o«t of similar buildings at Christchurch Exhibition, and allowing for an increase of cost of 50 per cent, since 1806. These buildings, being of special design, it is not possible to estimate accurately their cost until designs are prepared. . In my opinion, it would be undesirable to make these buildings permanent on the Lake Logan site,_ unless by provision for their conversion into schools, sports, enfbhouscs, offices, or other purposes. At the Gardens, however, there are_ ideal sites for permanent buildings of this sort, which, would be a great asset to the city for all time, and I trust that this will be kept in view, even though the Gardens site be not selected for the Exhibition. In estimating the cost of these buildings on the Gardens site also, I have allowed the cost of temporary buildings, on the assumption that the city, or other bodies, would make up the difference of cost between temporary and permanent buildings. - The provision of a good sports ground *9. in my opinion, a necessity if the Exhibition is to be a financial success. There should be a succession of tournaments and contests at intervals of, say, a fortnight right through the period of the Exhibition. These would do more than anything else to give the outside public a definite objective in visiting the city, in addition to more general attraction of an exhibition, which, in itself, might be insufficient to bring them, from a distance. Intercolonial cricket, sports tournaments, band contests, fire brigade competitions, hockey, tennis tournaments, military tattoos, fireworks displays, boxing contests, etc., would provide a series or attractions sufficient to augment very greatly the attendance and to distribute it evently throughout the period of the Exhibition. Tljgi particular value of such features is to draw people of widely varying interest's. If the provision of a sports ground is considered to be of great importance, as I believe it to be, it becomes one of the deciding in favour of the Lake Logan site. It could there be constructed with a stadium to seat SCOO people at the moderate cost of -£2300. while at any other site equal facilities can only bo provided at a coat approximating £14,000, including levelling of the ground, end even then the stadium, being of wood, would not be lasting, while at Lake Logan the structure would be in concrete and permanent.

The Oval.

The outstanding advantage of this site is its proximity to the centre of the city, and the fact that it lies at the junction, of two tramway routes by which a great proportion of the population travel to and from their work oaib-; this might be expected to result in a considerable number of attendances owing to the convenience of dropping in for a short visit en route from work in 'the evening.

The site has the further advantages of being flat and in immediate proximity to the railway, from which a siding could bo brought in at moderate cost, thus effecting a considerable saving in cartage, both of the materials required in the constructions of the buildings and of the exhibits. Tho siding would be more expensive than that at Lake Logan owing to the need of a tramway crossing. Owing to its limited area, fencing would be inexpensive, and drainage, water supply, and electric power are at- the door. The disadvantages of this site are so marked, however, that it became possible at an early stage of my investigation to eliminate it from consideration.

Hie principal disadvantages of a general character are now well known, and need only be enumerated. They include the necessity of providing suitable sports grounds to replace the six football grounds and six hockey grounds which are now situated at the Oval. These could be replaced by grass, mg about 25 acres of Lake Logan, or part of the reclaimed Land at the Pelichet Bay site. This would cost about £3OOO, anS though neither of these areas are quite so convenient of access as the Oval, they are not so far away as to exclude possibility of using them temporarily in lieu of it. They are both within 10 minutes’ walk of the Castle street car line. No other areas which are suitable for the purpose can be found within reasonable distance. The Montecillo grounds, where not already in use, are much too steep to bo of use. The Oval site is noisv. being surrounded with tramway and railway lines, which would interfere with band and concert music. The smoke from the engine sheds, which is carried across the site by the prevailing north-east winds, would be a decided disadvantage, rendering the buildings dingy in appearance, tarnishing some of the exhibits, and hindering the growth of decorative plants.

The foundations available at the Oval are not such as to cause any serious difficulty with light temporary buildings, but any permanent structures erected would require piling. In any ease it is doubtful, however, whether it would be advisable to place permanent public buildings on an area possessing the disadvantages mentioned above. Much more important than any of these defect*, however, is tho limited area available at the Oval. The Oval itself includes 22.73 acres. Of this nine or 10 acres would be required for buildings, and at least five —preferably 10—acres would be occupied by Wonderland, so that no more than about* seven acres at the outside would be available for the many amenities which make an exhibition attractive, including gardens, space for listening to band concerts, etc. A further disadvantage is that on the bad ground which underlies this site it would be a somewhat expensive matter io construct (he ponds required for artistic effect anu for a water shoot, while boating areas and sports grounds would be out of the question.

I have considered the possibility of ineluding the Market square in this site in order to obtain more space, but the addition would amount to only 2.21 acres, making a| total, with the Oval, of barely 25 acres, and the additional area could he connected with the Ovail only by overbridge or subwav at considerable expense. From almost every point of view, therefore. the Oval is unsuitable. It could bo adapted to the purpose only at considerable inconvenience and as a makeshift, r.nd the advantages possessed by other available sites exclude the necessity of considering it further.

Pelichet Bay Site. This site is not limited in areal and is best considered in comparison with the Lake Logan site, which it most resembled in area and general character. It fees the advantage over Lake Logan that it is nearer to the heart of the city, and that the cost of making an approach by road and tramway would he lesst Idle cost of a highway 100 ft wide to Lake Logan with a double line of tramway from Anzac square would be £43,150, plus £II,OOO for acquisition of land provided, that the Hallway Department granted the la ad on which Pelichet Bay Station now stands, free of charge. The cost of providing a similar highway to the Pelichet Bay site would be £23,000, plus £II,OOO for acquisition of;

land. It would be quite possible to reach either site by a cheaper routQ, however, aiul as there is no certainty that the city will bo prepared to make the proposed highway on these lines, it may bo fairer to compare the costs of the route down hredcriok street to the Peliehot Bay site with that down Union street to the Lake Logan tile. The former woidd cost £10,400, as again.-! £16,200 for the latter. It will bo Ktien that the difference in essential expenditure is not very great. The Pelichet Bay tile has tho further advantage of older and more solid ground to build upon but this would make little difference to the cost of temporary buildings, and it is nor likely that many of tho buildings creeled on this ■site would Ik* of a pornianerit chautclei. Would be an unsuitable location lor a concert hall or art gallery, and the Exhibition ■Jt.nifilings would hardly fit in with the development planned tor this area xfie disadvantages of the I ehchet Lay site as compared with Lake Logan are numerous and important. Ihe site is Idea and exposed to strong winds from all directions. and in particular to the north-east wind from the harbour, U w devoid ot natural beuutv. and its proximity to largo end unsightly factories is a disadvantage. The coo of buildings would bo much the farm- a# at Lake Logan, tho saving. “ jmv bf’iu'r unimportant, while cou-^icloic.l)l\ heavier expenditure would be required to ru’ovide a -ports ground and stadium and Water areas. It lias the further disadvaiu-a-'B that the imurovemenls effected would lie to a gn at extent temporary. very little, it any, of the expenditure contributing to the permanent advantage of the city.. These ccnsidorations appeared .sufficient ly wemhiv to ju-tifv the elimination of this Htc'hilso from the campiinson at an early leaving only Lake Logan and the Gardens sites’ in the field.

Cardens Site. ■The Gardens present great natural advantages as a site for .the inhibition The site is naturally luvunlul. the grounds are tihc idv pi (spared in a way winch would not be i-ossibie of attainment at reasonable cost ©a anv of die other sites, anil the foundations 'tor buildings throughout the aiea Kiin-fit he of the cheapest construction, the ground being everywhere linn and solid. A double line of tramway runs to the main entrance, and a second double line could b.- brought to the opposite gate ct moderate expense, and with permanent benefit to the neighbourhood. No approach road- need be made. The pciinunent benefit to the city resulting from tlie choice of this site would be very great, in that a new and permanent Art Gailcry and School of Art could be provided im ■mediately adjacent to the Gardens, in beautiful and suitable surroundings, a permanent concert hall could also be presided in the south-east corner of the level portion .if the e-rounds connecting with the Art Gallery by footbridge, and thus providing exceptional facilities, which file city a • present lacks. For receptions, coneerls. and similar functions The concert ball would also form the natural home for the Horticultural' Society, and would provide spacious shelter in the' event of inclement weather iluring garden fetes and similar functions Beth the Art Gallery and Concert Hall would be on a double Uric of tramway end therefore easily accessible from all parts of the citv. A permanent kiosk on the brow of the hill adjacent to Air TanuoeVs residence -and commanding an exceptionally fine view would also be an asset to tiie city on holidays. , Pur and other reasons the Gaidens *ito has groat attractiveness, and I have given particular attention to its possibilities. The scheme ''which would be carried out in tins case would be to place the main Buildings west of the. Gardens in the area -enclosed bv King street. Bine Hill terrace, and the Leith, including King street itself, winch would be closed temporarily for the purpose, from King street bridge to the Cardens gate. The land available m this area, without building across tho Leith, but including a small unused corner of the Gardens south of the King street . gate, is 725 acres. By extending the main buildtmr acro.-s tho Leith, an additional 1.1 acres could bo secured at an increased cost for floors. An additional area of sufficiently level ground of about two acres is available onThe bill facing the. Cemetery road on an area now ocennied by seed plots am! nurseries. Thus 9.25 acres would vie available for main buildings, apart from the Art Gallery and Concert Hall, and it will bo shown later tint this is more than can he provided on the funds which it is expeeled to have in hard before the commencement of the Exhibit ion. The Gardens would not be damaged permanently in any way by the presence of the Exhibition, and they would be available to the public on Sundays as at present. It is proposed to place Wonderland on ihe slore of the hill facing Opoho road, (part of this area is not so strep as to prevent its use .for the small structures which compose this part of an exhibition, hut tho area available is somewhat restricted, amounting to only about 5.5 acres. Access to Wonderland and the part of the Exhibition occupying the bill, together with the kiosk already mentioned, would he obtained on foot "and by means of a hill tramway. The probable costs of different types of tramway for this purpose to deal with a traffic of 1000 people an hour have been calculated. A circular route touching at ail the points of interest and worked by nelrol or electric oars on a narrow gauge track is the more attractive proposal, and would provide a pleasant run of 10 minutes, with beautiful views. This, however, would -mean an expenditure of £13,C00. A cheaper alternative is to provide a simple cable tramway, which would take passengers to any level on the hill, whence they, could walk on the flat to tho various points of interest, the distances all being short. This could be provided for £7500, and is therefore selected in my summary. The capacity of such a tramway could readily be increased at small cost.

Tennis courts can readily be provided at the lower end of the Woodhaugh Gardens. This would, of course, involve fencing- part of these Gardens and providing a foot overbridge or other means of access across George street. A better site for them would lie at Opoho Sports Ground, where there are already three courts. Bowling greens ■would be provided in the Gardens themselves without difficulty.

The cost of providing facilities of access to this site would be less than that required for Lake Logan. There is already a double line of tramway running to the Gardens gate. If the Opoho service is nm.nirig in 1925 this will provide direct access to the upper parts of the Exhibition independently of the tramway it is proposed to provide in the grounds. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a doublle lino to the end of Castle street and loops for handling heavy traffic would bo provided hero and rear the Gardens gate. rhe cost of these works, which would be of permanent benefit to the city, would be £11,6:30.

Lowing ponds are not so readily provided a! tin's site as at Lake Logan, and they would necessarily be of limited extent. By the construction of weirs, however, on the Leith near its junction with t ho North-East Valley Greek, a limited area of still water could be provided. Owing to the steeu gradient of the stream more than one weir would bo required to provide any length of stilt water. Tho weirs would be automatic and would bo arranged'' to collapse end leave a clear waterway in the event of a flood reaching a given height. This can ho easily and safely arranged. A porterage would have to be arranged to bring the beats up past a weir, and a “water slide ” on which the boats could “shoot the rapids” in descending, would probably be very popular.

Ihe water shoot at the Gardens can bo easily arranged to lead from the hillside down into the large pond already existin'* The outstanding disadvantage of the Gardens site is, however, th e difficulty of providin'* a sports ground anti stadium to aecornmo'ciate large numbers of spectators. The Opoho iootball Ground is of ample dimensions, covering fully seven acres, and could he properly levelled at moderate ’cost ■ £SCO would probably cover this. The cost of a large stadium, if constructed in timber is, however, very heavy, and I estimate that t 0 accommodate 5000 people an expenditure of £13,500 would be required tvieh a stadium would not be lasting The disadvantages of the. Gardens site are, therefore, the high cost of providing a suitable stadium, the comparatively restricted area of the space available for \VondßWand and tho very limited facilities for boating ’ Unfortunate!v, these are just the features of an Exhibition which provide Ihe chief attractions for the general public, and therefore the temptation to avoid the difficulties by makeshifts must he resisted if the whole venture is to pay. Supposing (hat the stadium at Opoho could be financed, the site is a beautiful one in warm weather, and ihe ground a good one, but it is very exposed, particularly to the S.W. wind, and rather seriously also to the north-cast wind, and this characteristic, together with the rather isolated position *which it would occupy after (he removal of tho Exhibition will render it unsuitable for use permanently as (ho chief sports ground of the city. It has the disadvantage that it is separated from the main grounds by tho Cemetery goad, which would be a main thoroughfare for motor

traffic. This could be overcome by means of an overbridge, but this again, together with the increased length of fencing required to enclose the Opoho ground, would put up the expenditure. If, however, this ■site were used, 1 would advocate (ho placing of all tennis courts at Opoho also, where there are already several courts, thus avoiding the inclusion of any part, of the Woodhaugh Gardens within the grounds. Lake Logan. At this site, the area available is ample, being about 66 acres, indeed, it is rather excessive for the purpose in view, as a somewhat, smaller area would have sufficed, and would have involved smaller expenditure in beautification of waste land.

The silo has the following advantages, some of which are well known, but 1 enumerate litem here for convenience ot reference.

It has natural advantages in being beautifully situated and sheltered from the prevailing i, rth-east wind, and in being level and tree from obstruction, so that there is complete freedom of cnoice in laying out tho general plan; there is also a natural stream, often it is true of small dimensions, but still contributing to the ease with which rowing ponds and artistic water areas can be provided. The Hat ground and neighbouring slopes provide an exceptionally favourable opportunity for a stadium of large seating capacity at comparatively Hindi cost. The foundations at Lake Logan need give no anxiety; the material which the Harbour Board’ engineer is using to till the urea is of a- sandy nature, and very quickly provides a suitable surface on which to erect temporary buildings. Much ot the area could be safely built on now, and hi this respect the site is much on a par with those at the Oval. The erection of permanent structures, however, would be appreciably more expensive than at tho Gardens site, owing to the necessity of piling or otherwise strengthening tho foundations. If it is decided to erect permanent buildings on (his sire, however, the question of their ultimate use should bo carefully considered.

The main buildings would be of a .very temporary nature, unless indeed a preliminary agreement wore arrived at with large commercial interests, by which the buildings would be constructed in a permanent manner and on lines suitable for the purposes of the interests concerned. In that ease, they 7 would be handed over after the close of the Exhibition intact, and the eventual owners would pay the difference in cost between temporary and permanent structures. If such an agreement were contemplated. it would be necessary to take Heps in that direction at an early date. The Lago Logan site provides ample area for Wonderland, and the area so provided requires little preparation, and will bring in a good revenue in rentals. It will not be difficult to provide rowing ponds of considerable area. These could have been made much more cheaply had a decision as to the site been reached earlier, but a great ileal of expense can be, saved if they are put in hand immediately, before the reclamation has filled, in tho full depth of material on the west side of the site.

An advantage of this site is the very near proximity of "a railway siding which can easily be extended on to the grounds, tnus effecting a great saving in transport of building materials and exhibits. The "neighbouring hill, known as Black Jack’s Point, provides one of the finest view in the vicinity of Dunedin, though the utilisation of this advantage may involve greater expenditure than can be justified. The provision of a kiosk on the hill, with a. cable train, or, better still, an aerial ropeway, to provide access to it, would undoubtedly prove an attraction; but there has not “been time nor opportunity to go into the details of such a project, and it is not at nl! an essential adjunct of the site. The* disadvantages of this site arc as follow:—The cost to the city of providing access will be considerable, exceeding thatnecessitated by any of the other sites. I estimate that to construct a highway 100 ft wide as proposed, with a double lino of tramway from Anznc square, will cost £43,150. plus £II.OOO for the acquisition of land. This provides for a tar-sprayed road, as the motor traffic along it will be very heavy during the Exhibition, and the dust nuisance will bo acute during warm summer months in which the Exhibition is open, unless such preventive measures are adopted. The cost of the tar-spraying makes up about £I4OO jof this amount. An fOi highway on the same route would cost £39,600 with the same type of construction. The highway would eventually be of benefit as an arterial route for traffic to the development on the reclaimed land; but-while the existence of the highway might encourage development in this area to some extent, there can be little doubt that it would bo at least 10 years in advance of its time. A perfectly feasible alternative to the construction of this highway, at mucly less cost, is to take the tramway down Union street from the Castle street route. A double line would be laid from the present Albany street loop, and it would be necessary to widen lower Union street where it crosses the front of Bake Logan. The cost of this proposal would be £16,200, including the tar-spraying of the length immediately in front of the Exhibition site. In the event of the Union street route being adopted for the tramways, the quickest motor route to the site would be by Auzae square and Harrow street to Forth street, and so to Union street This gives a distance of 109 chains from the fountain to the Exhibition gate, against 97 chains for the route by the new highway. The tar-spraying of the streets along the shortest routes would be desirable, but this is a matter which rests with the city authorities, and it -would be of benefit though not essential; it is therefore unnecessary to investigate the matter further. The widening of the Forth street bridge is another item which will soon be necessary in any case and need not be regarded as involved in the Exhibition proposal. A further disadvantage of the Lake Logan site is the great 'length of fencing required. Even allowing for the disposal of the boating lake- in such a way as to replace part of the fencing, I estimate that this item will cost £4OOO.

The large area of Bake Logan involves a considerable charge for putting the grounds in order.' 1 At present, this area is little better than a sandy desert, and it must at. least be grassed, while the provision of (lower beds and trees is a necessity if the impression of bareness and rawness is to be removed. Allowing that, out of the. totafi of 65 acres, about 10 acres will beoccupied by buildings, five by ponds, five by the sports grounds, and five by the wonderland section (actual structure), 40 acres remain, which must be grassed or otherwise improved. Allowing for paths and flower bods, this will be further reduced to, say. 35 acres. To grass this area will require £3500. The cost of the gardens at the Christchurch Exhibition in 1906 was £SOOO, and the area to bo dealt with was much less in need of improvement than that at Lake Logan, fcince that date, costs of such work nave nearly doubled, and in Christchurch the soil was available on the spot, while at Lake Logan it will have to be carted, the present material being impregnated with salt. An allowance of £IO,OOO tor this item would Iherelure not be at all excessive, but us it will be necessary to study economy very carefully if this venture is to bo a‘ financial success, I have allowed a total of £IO,OOO to include gardens and grassing; the grassing will, of course, be of permanent benefit to the site when the Exhibition is over. A further item of expenditure which is likely to bo heavier at this site than elsewhere is that of providing roads and paths within the grounds. For this purpose £2030 has been provided. At the Gardens site this would be saved, as also the item for preparation of the grounds, but against these savings must lie »et thy cost of the bill tramway at the Gardens. As before stated, one of the outstanding advantages of the Lake Logan site is the facility which it offers for the provision of a Siiitable snorts ground. There cun bo little doubt that the features which attract the crouds to an Exhibition are the amusements and entertainments provided. The educative value of the exhibits is great, but these exhibits In themselves would never suffice to make an exhibition pay. If a continual round of tournaments and competitions can be maintained, many will be attracted hv the combined draw of these features with the loss definite desire to see the Exhibition itself. With this in view, a good sports ground must be provided bv some means; it is noticeable that al Christchurch, though (he ground was provided, suitable facilities for viewing I lie events were not supplied, (he total 'outlay on the ground _ being £935. The Christchurch Exhibition, however, did not pay. At Lake Logan, the flat ground adjacent to a steep hillside provides exceptional facilities for making a good sports ground with a stadium of .any desired capacity. The cost of grassing the ground and bringing it into condition would amount to close upon £IOOO. The stadium will tie provided by cutting steps in the hillside and concreting these, providing a board on the edge of each step for seating purposes. I have not had opportunity to make any survey cf the site of this stadium, but from insneetion T estimate (hat seating capacity for SCOO oeople could readilv be provided al a cost of £I3OO. On any of the other « ; fes inspected a timber structure of similar dimensions would cost about £13.500, The storm water which at. times flows down the Opoho Creek require* considera-

tion. A channel to discharge this water along the eastern side of Lake Logan to the harbour is estimated to cost about £25.000. but this is a permanent improvement required in any case before Lake Logan can be utilised for any purpose. It may therefore be reasonably assumed that the Harbour Board would undertake this work. It would have to be put: in hand at once; otherwise any work done on the west side of tile site would be liable to destruction by flooding at any time. A small channel would be led of! from this storm water channel to supply rhe normal flow of the Opoho Creek to (ho boating lakes, but it would not do to allow a large, volume of flood water to pass through them.

FINANCIAL. I now bring together the financial considerations which influence the decision between the different sites. Some items of expenditure in connection with the different sites have been already explained in the sections dealing in detail with each site. There arc certain items of expenditure which are but slightly affected by the choice of site, whether at the Gardens or at Lake Logan, and these may be explained before giving a general summary of the estimates. A considerable, sum will be required before the Exhibition opens to to meet the charges of administration, correspondence, advertising, postage, wages, printing, insurance, etc. Tho directors will no doubt go into this matter and form their own estimate. My own impression is that the sum of £IO,OOO which I have set down lor these items is by no means excessive. Tho total charges under those heads throughout the whole Exhibition at Christchurch appear to have amounted to £76,500. Much of this would no doubt be incurred after the opening day, but it appears that careful and economical management will bo required if the preliminary charges in our case are to bo restricted to £IO,OOO. In any case, this sum is assumed as a basis of estimate.

Lavatories and drainage will be approximately the same in cost at the Gardens and at I-ake Logan, and I estimate the expenditure under this head aj- £4500.

Water supply and fire prevention will also be nearly equal in cost at (ho two northern sites, and for this I have allowed £I3OO. i

Lighting wilNbe one of the heavy charges which cannot be avoided. The wiring and fittings required are estimated to cost £IO,OOO at the Gardens and £10,500 at Lake Logan. It has been proposed to construct a Maori pa at the Lake Logan site; this feature could be equally well provided at the Gardens site, and no great amount would be required for it; £3OO has been allowed in each case.

The construction of side shows, scenic railway, etc., will be undertaken by contractors who rent the ground, and will therefore not be a charge against tho Exhibition Company. Below is given a summary of the estimated costs at the Gardens site and the Lake Logan site, atid these have been prepared in the manner already explained. •SUMMARY OF ESTIMATES. Luke Gardens. Logan. Preliminary administration charges ‘ ... ... £IO,OOO .-610,000 Boating areas, and ponds 2,500 -1,503 Fencing (including Opoho Sports ground) ... ;),f)00 4,COD Sanitary arrangements 4,500 4.500 AVater supply and fire prevention 1,?00 ' 1,300 Lighting ... ’ 10,000 10,500 Preparation of grounds 500 10,000 Internal communications—Paths 250 2,000

Tramway 7,500 Tennis courts and bowling greens fl-50 1,100 Sports ground 14,000 2,800 Overbridge to Sports ground ... 500 Maori Pa 000 200 Itailwnv siding Cartage 2,000 58,000 51,800 Art Gallery, ,£8500; concert hall (temporary), ,£!)SCO ... 18,000 18,000 • 76,000 60,800 Main building ... 74,000 80,200 Total £150,000 £150.000 Expenditure by public bodies, necessitated by the Exhibition. Roads and tramways £11,600 New Highway (100 ft) ‘. 54.150 Xew Highway (80ft) , 50,600 Via Union street . 16,340 The less expensive foundations available at the Gardens, will probably just about balance the increase due to cartage of materials, which at Lake Logan would be delivered on tho site by rail. At the Gardens site the building could not be an approximation to a square in plan, which gives the cheapest construction, and allowing for its shape, I estimate that it would cost £13,7C0 un acre, so that 5.25 acres of ground would lie covered by the main building, and the letting space available with the design of building assumed would be at the most 30 per cent, of the floor space, or 183,000 sq. feet. At Lake Logan, with an almost square ground plan, the cost of construction would be less, amounting to about £12,400 an acre, so that 6.6 acres could be covered, and the floor space would be 231,0C0 sq. feet, or 26 per cent, more letting space than at the Gaidens.

It is quite possible that the main buildings could be reduced slightly in cost per acre by careful attention to details in design and lay out; the above estimate is based on certain approximations mid a tentative design, and it might be reduced by perhaps £IOOO an acre at the most. In any case, the relative positions of the two sites would not be affected by such a saving. In this connection I may state that, in my opinion, the lay out which has already been, proposed for Lake Logan, while attractive in some respects, would be much too expensive to construct. Other things being equal, I believe that the main buildings in this lay out would exceed those of the above estimated lay out by about £2OOO an acre, or a total of £13,000 at the Lake Logan site. It must bo understood, however, that should any agreement be reached with other interests with a view to making any of the main buildings permanent at Luke Logan, then the cost of construction would be a great deal in excess of the .above estimate; it is impossible to say what the increase would bo until the requirements, other than Exhibition requirements. are known. CONCLUSION. The relative merits of the Gardens and the Lake Logan sites have been stated very tuily in order to enable the directors to appreciate the reasons underlying my recommendation of the Luke Logan site as the one which will promote financial success, while al the same time embodying developments which will be of permanent. utility to the citizens. The merits of the two sites appeared very evenly balanced indeed until , Uio detailed investigation of all the pros and cons was complete. In investigating the Gardens site the permanent benefits to be obtained for the city by placing the concert hall permanently in the south-east corner of the Gardens, and an Art Gallery, with eventually a School of Art included,' immediately opposite to it on the south side of the Leith proved very attractive, and oven though the Exhibition is placed upon Lake Logan, I trust that this possibility will not "be lost sight of as a desirable future improvement of the city. The limited area of letting space for exhibits, and the costly and temporary nature of the sports ground and stadium which can bo provided at the Gardens have been the ruling factors in deciding me to recommend the Lake Logan site. In addition, there are minor advantages at Lake Logan in greater freedom of lay out, in facTlities for expansion of letting space at a cheat) rate should this be called for and proved' financially feasible, in the better and more permanent boating area available. and in other lesser considerations. Lake Logan, therefore, has very decidedly the balance of advantages in its favour when an Exhibition of this magnitude is considered. The larger the Exhibition, the better will this site Ito adapted to its needs. Were the Exhibition of merely provincial or dominion magnitude, then there would not be the same need for large buildings and a capacious stadium; in that case the buildings at the Gardens could be of more economical lay out, and I should have no hesitation in recommending the Gardens us the better site for such a project. Under the circumstances, however. I am fully satisfied that the directors may decide upon Lak-> Logan with confidence, that the shareholders of the company will h" best served, and the financial results of the Exhibition will be mod _ favourable if tins site is adopted. In addition, the city will reap permanent benefits.