EMPIRE EXHIBITION

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 58

EMPIRE EXHIBITION

THE NEW ZEALAND COURT. By the last mail the Prime Minister received from the High Commissioner some information regarding the Empire Exhibition which is to take place in 1924. Sir James Allen said that under instructions from the New Zealand Government he had taken immediate action in regard to obtaining a site for the New Zealand court in the exhibition area, visiting Wembley Paik for that p'mpose. Two sites had been offered, and the one which he had accepted was in his opinion a most excellent one. It contained about three acres; it faced a long lake in the middle of the exhibition grounds, and was contiguous to the main traffic avenue of the exhibition. It was vis-a-vis also to the site of the court of India, close to the British art court, and, what was cf very considerable importance, was that it was near to the entrance for all visitors coming to the exhibition in private motor cars, tramcars, and motor omnibuses, and by one of the most important railway systems, the site was contiguous to a roadway. The land of the New Zealand site would provide a further two acres over and above the area mentioned, and in addition to this again was the land which had been made available for a New Zealand dairy factory. .Sir James Allen forwarded a coloured sketch plan of the exhibition grounds showing the New Zealand site and the proposed exterior buildings. As already reported, stated the High Commissioner, a Maori house named “Matatua” which was forwarded to England in 1881, and was 79ft long. 41ft wide, and 22ft high, had been made available for New Zealand’s use at the exhibition by the South Kensington Museum. The High Commissioner left it to the decision of the New- Zealand authorities as to whether this house should be utilised at the exhibition. Sir James Allen also staled that the exhibition authorities were desirous of having some Maori and Island canoes and boats plying upon the waters of the lake. At the request of the Government, the High Commissioner had made application for from one to two thousand feet of wall space for displaying paintings and watercolours by New Zealand painters, and he had received 550 ft only. He was making further representations for the additional space. The High Commissioner's letter was considered by the Dominion Advisory Council at its last meeting, and, at the invitation of the council, Air Alexander Crabb, of tho High Commissioner’s Office, who is now in New Zealand, was present. The council decided that a letter should be sent to the High Commissioner congratulating him on the very fine site which he had selected. In the course of the discussion Mr Urabb said that he would lay before the High Commissioner the advisability of sending to the council in New Zealand a monthly progress report in regard to the exhibition in addition to having any specific information asked for fully dealt with. The council also went into the matter with Mr Urabb of a refrigerating plant. The latter stated that at previous exhibitions a cabinet 20ft by Bft constructed of plate-glass had been erected free of charge by a British machinery manufacturer, and he believed that it would be possible to have a similar arrangement at the forthcoming exhibition, ms opinion was it would be necessary for the dominion to provide entirely for its own refrigerating requirements and not to depend upon other dominions. The council stressed the necessity for tlit? British exhibition authorities to send at the earliest opportunity all available exhibition literature. The Dominion Advisory Council of the British Empire Exhibition at its last meeting, in discussing the publicity requirements at the forthcoming exhibition, dealt with tne question of whether a separate kinerna hall should be included in the New Zealand exhibit or whether tho dominion should be dependent entirely upon the main kinerna hall which would be used for the screenings of all the dominions. The ouestion was raised apropos of a letter from the High Commissioner in which it was stated that a proposal was afoot to provide the large general hall referred to. The Government Fublicity Officer (Mr Drew) urged strongly mat a small hall in the New Zealand section exclusively for the use of the dominion w'as absolutely essential. The main hall would be used for the films not only of Britain and the dominions, but also of the 40 odd Crcwn colonies in w'hich British capital was interested. The probability was that with so much film to be shown the dominion would have its display only at brief and irregular intervals and that though every advantage should undoubtedly be taken to screen in the larger hall it would be necessary, in order to provide screenings for particularly interested visitors, school parties, business people, prospective tourists, and others who may want to see particular phases of the dominion life at any odd hours of the exhibition, that a small hall should be available The council fully concurred in this view, and it was proposed to inform the High Commissioner accordingly, at the same time requesting from him full information in regard to the proposal as to the larger hall.