THE WELLINGTON COURT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3764, 4 May 1926, Page 26

THE WELLINGTON COURT.

COMMISSIONERS’ COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. In a review of toe past six months, the Wellington commissioner, Captain M. B. Macdonald deals with the achievements m his striking court as follows: — “The difficulties which at first were faced and eventually overcome by a body of men who formed themselves into d committee to further the interests of the Dominion having the Wellington and associated pro< vinces foremost in view, constituted no mean proposition, considering the amount of apathy which was shown in the first stages, particularly by a few of the local bodies, the largest inland town in the Wel« lington Province being the worst offender. Nevertheless, the great effort of the other local bodies and the splendid spirit in which they came -forward to maintain the welfare of New Zealand as a whole, and their own district in particular, will not be forgotten. “The provinces and districts which-asso-ciated themselves with Wellington were Wairarapa, Wanganui, Manawatu-Ranga-tiki, Nelson, Hawke’s Bay, and Taranaki, all of which were placed on an equal footing with Wellington. “The Court was designed to give a dignified and distinctive air; to place the main and greater things prominently and interestingly before the attracted multitudes that passed through the court. “The psychological effect of the display was borne out by the fact that, no matter at what hour of the day or night one mado an inspection of the courts to ascertain their respective attendances, it was always three to one in favour of the Wellington Combined Court. It was found by repeated tests that an average of one in every 50 to 60 signed the visitors’ book, nnd and as there are nearly 50,000 signatures, approximately 2.500,000 people must have passed through the Court. “This fact itself signified a wonderful success; but, coupied with the following striking facts, which those visitors now realise, that success was made even gl “That the Wellington Harbour is one of the finest in the world, and that to-day (after only 86 years since the first immigrants arrived) a imports and exports exceed £30,000.000 —practically one-third of the total of New Zealand. That Wellington, the capital titv is the hub of New Zealand, and wonderfully beautiful, besides her industrial -ogress being phenomenal. That Wellington province as i whole carries over 5,000,000 sheep, producing over 46,000,0001 b of wool in one season, carries over 240,000 dairy cows, and produces over £3,500,000 worth of dairy produce in cno year. That the Wairarapa district is one of the richest in New' Zealand, is a great sheep country, and a paradise for sportsmen. That the Wanganui River is tin. most beautiful in the world; thousands flock yearly to see it, and that Wanganui is fast becoming a large manufacturing centre. That Mnnawatu has the largest flaxmill in the world and the largest inland town in New Zealand. Thnt Rnngitikfi district is rich in all agricultural product* and is a great grain

country. That Nelson province is a great fruit country, having nearly 8000 acres under orchards, possesses a magnificent climate, and has enormous mineral wealth. That Hawke’s Bay province carries over 3,000,000 sheep, has a beautiful climate, and is the gateway to the tourists’ paradise. That the Taianaki province carries nearly 200,000 dairy cows and produces over f 3,500,000 worth of dairy produce in one year, and possesses a "rent scenic charm in Mount Egmont. “Al| the facts placed before the people in an "instructive and attractive form both statistically and in the actual product beautifully housed in a magnificent court, representative and historical, must have a lasting effect. “One can hardly realise that any of the provinces could have remained out of such a great undertaking. To have missed the opportunity of having over 3,000,000 visitors examine, think, and talk about the exhibits would be, to say the least, a disaster to all concerned. “How much does this apply to the youngsters who have flocked through the court? —these sons and daughters who have to carry on the progress and traditions surplanted by our forefathers. Rosebery's words on Empire building spoken to the students of the Glasgow University on November 17, 1900, are applicable to this occasion, and I may quote them just to instil that feeling of pride which has been responsible for all our great achievements. He said: — How marvellous it all is! Built not by saints and angels, but the work of men’s hands; cemented with men’? honest blood and with a world of tears, welded by the best brains of centuries past; not without the taint and reproach incidental to all human work, but constructed on the whole with pure and splendid purpose. Human, and not wholly human, for the most heedless and the most cynical must see the finger of the Divine. Growing as trees grow, while others slept; reaching with the ripple of a resistless tide over tracts and islands and continents, until our little Britain woke up to find herself the foster-mother of nations and the source of united empires. Shall we not, while we adore the blessing, acknowledge the responsibility? And while we see, far away in the rich horizons, growing generations fulfilling the promise, do we not own with resolution mingled with awe the honourable duty incumbent on ourselves? Shall we, then, falter or fall? The answer is not doubtful. We will rather pray that strength may be given us, adequate and abundant, to shrink from no sacrifice "in the fulfilment of our mission; that we may be true to the high tradition of our forefathers; and that we may transmit their bequest to our children, to their remote descendants, enriched and undefiled, this blessed and splendid dominion. “These words give us the true aspect of this great Exhibition, a great forward movement in the advancement of our really splendid Dominion. Those men connected with this undertaking, with whom I have been fortunate enough to come in contact, are filled with this same spirit in furthering the interests of the Dominion, and of the Empire as a whole. “What would our forefathers say if they should awaken to find our voices being carried miles through space by the farreaching radio? Our court has had the great privilege of being able to broadcast throughout New Zealand, Australia, and even as far as Panama, concerts held in Wellington combined court, which thousands of listeners-in have heard with delight. This magnificent form of publicity cannot be overlooked. “Handbook publicity was another important factor in our scheme. Publicity is one of the main cogs of progress, and what can be more striking than the knowledge one receives from the pictures of nicelyillustrated booklets showing the life progress, and wealth of our country? Over 700,000 booklets were distributed to visitors passing through the Wellington combined court. A great many people come to the Exhibition for educational purposes, and the significant fact that we have had at least 100,000 readers of the progress, possibilities, and doings of our provinces is in itself a great advertisement. “Last, but not least, came the publicity derived through the press. When I look through the files and see the amount of publicity t v 2 provinces represented in the Wellington Court have been given, 1 say, ‘Well done, the press of Dunedin. Not only have you done your duty to your own, but you have given equal share to all, and with abundance.’ The remarkable manner in which the Dunedin press worked up the enthusiasm was in a large measure responsible for the great success of the whole Exhibition. The honour is theirs, and I am sure that they are as proud of their success as we are of ours. “Then we come to the aftermath. Now the Exhibition is over and the doors closed, does the education, • the advancement, the traditions, and environments in which we were all interwoven in this great scheme end there? No, emphatically No! More so was this brought home to us by the many overseas representatives of various countries who visited the Exhibition and whom, incidentally, it has been my privilege to welcome to the court. The feeling of goodwill and friendship, the great generosity and kindness rendered by the Dunedin people—all thsse things may be forgotten for the moment, but they arc subconscious, and are always propelling us forward, giving us ideas of a lasting nature which I hope will stand as a monument to those great stoics who founded this Dominion, and who were responsible for the groundwork of our rapid progress. “The parting time is near, and everyone will soon be going his own way, but there still remains our memories and our friendships. That indefinable something which we exchange with each other will go with us. The kindness extended by the people of Dunedin will always be remembered. Unconsciously Dunedin has given itself a wonderful advertisement, and if our thoughts travel, then Dunedin will be blessed with a great force for a long time to come. “Here culminates a great achievement, a wonderful success, a lasting monument to thn progress and prosperity of the Dominion.** r