THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9,1923. THE EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19014, 9 November 1923, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9,1923. THE EXHIBITION.

The directors and shareholders of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Company are to be congratulated upon the substantial unanimity with which the questions of the scope and site of the Exhibition were settled last night. Upon the question of site, indeed, the unanimous recommendation of the directors in favour of utilising the Lake Logan area was accepted without opposition. This fortunate result may be ascribed perhaps to a graceful recognition by the advocates of other sites of the fact that in a matter of this kind it was duo to the directors, who had given a groat deal of time, and thought to the consideration of the subject, that their unanimous judgment should be respected. Whether that be so or not, it seems to us to be certainly of favourable augmy that, upon a question respecting which wide differences of opinion had been expressed, the shareholders wore prepared in the end to accept without one word of demur the recommendation that was submitted to them. Nor was there more than a feeble protest against the recommendation that the Exhibition should bo international in its scope. So trivial were the arguments that were presented in favour of restricting the Exhibition to products and manufactures of the Empire that it was quite evidently felt by the meeting that it would be a waste of time to discuss them. Apart from the fact that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to decide in the case of many manufactured goods whether they were or were not of Imperial origin, it has to bo remembered that there are no_ limits to the markets which we in New Zealand desire for our products. If, however, foreign countries are to buy from us, it is broadly by an exchange of goods that we are to be paid for our commodities.. And it would clearly be the height of inconsistency on our part to say that while we seek foreign markets we are not disposed to allow foreign countries to show us thenwares. The fact that an Empire Exhibition is shortly to be held in England .constitutes no reason why the Exhibition in Dunedin should be confined to Imperial goods. The Exhibition at Wembley Park is designed to enable the British, nations to take stock of their resources, to help them to gain a fuller knowledge of other as well as of the great whole which they compose, and to show them where they can find fresh markets and fresh sources of the materials of industry within the Empire. It is of special importance that this should bo done at a time when some of the foreign markets are inaccessible or have shrunken to shadows of their former greatness, but the development of the markets within the Empire is not incompatible with the aim of the extension of foreign markets for British goods. The ideal of trade within the Empire is one that appeals strongly to British people, but the Empire is not self-con-tained, and even if it were it would be neither possible nor desirable to exclude foreign trade. New Zealand is protected naturally and artificially against severe competition of foreign products with products of Imperial origin, and she has nothing to fear, but she has something to gain from opening an exhibition to such commodities as foreign countries may desire to submit for her inspection. Now that the shareholders in the Exhibition Company have decided the question of scope as well as that of site, the ground has been cleared tor action on the part of the directors in respect of a thousand and one details of greater or less importance that will have to receive attention. A very great deal has to be accomplished, but the fine spirit that marked the meeting last night will encourage them in the undertaking that has been entrusted to them and will be an inspiration to them to carry the project to the successful issue that, we believe, is reasonably assured.