POverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, SEPT. 2, 1913. THE PANAMA EXPOSITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13170, 2 September 1913, Page 2

POverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, SEPT. 2, 1913. THE PANAMA EXPOSITION.

Under the "special circumstance that New Zealand lias expectations of building up a, considerable trade .with the Pacific Coast of America now that tlie tariff barriers against the admission of our products Itave been lowered, the decision; of the Government that the Dominion shall, be represented at the Panama Exposition to be held at San Francesco next year is one that should perhaps meet with approval., -But if our ■representation is to be effective it must be "Bo'methinjg'that will take tlie eye. No use sending a niisoellaneous collection of our products to be stowed m some out-of-the-way corner. New Zealand, if it is going to advertise^ must "advertise big," <especially m a country where so- much depends upon effective; advertisement. The New Zealand Court, to lise a 'hackneyed expression, should be "novel and striking,'" and the Govern-

meut would do well to invito competition tor original ideas upon the subject of our representation. Our staple products, wool, and meat, and butter. »iust, of course, be given full prominence, and al_o our manufactured woollen goods, which should prove quite a revelation m quality and price to the American consumer. New Zealand timbers of the finer grades and those especially suited for cabinet making and veneer work should be attractively shown, for we are confident there is a big market m this direction. In view of the fact that there are always thousands -.of wealthy Americans breaking new ground every year m their desire to acquire a knowrledge< of geography -»t first hand, New Zealand's attractions as a tourist resort must not be overlooked, and altogether there is abundant material with which to build up a very fair representation, if it can only be done with original de-j sign. Much comment has lately been passed m America at the announcement that Great Britain and Germany would hot" be officially represented at the World's Fair, but British and German manufacturers have been '-j 'viewing the; matter solely from the business -stand l point of what they are likely to gain by exhibiting their wares: The idea of these great international expositions which have been held from time to time to celebrate some such accomplishment as. the opening of the Panama Canal is that all nations of the earth will get together and show the particular industries of which they are inordinately proud. It has been thought- good for business, and m the past it may have been/ but td-xtay if a man desires anything- in a particular line, 'he - : consults catalogues, which, the can get from the agents of the manufacturers' and sets out comfortably across the world to see samples of what he wants at work, dr to acquire, further informamon. He does riot goto an exhibition to- buy goods, He . goes' there with a sneaking idea of enjoying himself and makes business the excuse. But to tho exhibitors, there is no question J of enjoyment. International expositions are a great' expense, and the.' return they bring m comparatively small. They may make a new customer ox* two, but it would cost- far less to send out an extra traveller to the region m whi_h business may be -won. . -In these l days -of- quick communication, international exhibitions are something of an anomaly. Of the thousand, and thousands of visitors to the exhdbition-hardly one buys anything but-knick-knaoks or souvenirs, things he does, riot want, but which somepne else "thinks he does. He also likes the 'restaurants and bands, the lights, the general - gaiety and cosmopolitanism of the whole thing. He rubs shoulders m a free" and easy way with* 'what he imagines is the world, and it broadens his mind- and improves his -knowledges It is not to be imagined that the Panama Exposition will not be a success •if Britain, Germany and other nations do not exhibit. The - United States itself is perfectly well' able to show sufficient manufactures to make the exhibition interesting, (and the Americans have sufficient originality of thought m the amusement line to niak'e the big show highly entertaining, which 'is mainly what the multitude of visitors' will *want. An exposition is not interesting for, the inanimate. things7that are spread on every side with such. a l.ivish hand. People who come from. ;, a'fa J ' are not anxious- to see stereotyped repr xluctions of what they have left, at l:ome. What they * desire to see m San Francisco is the peculiarity of that city. They want to know whether it is quite so bad as it, has been . nainted, and whether it is really the wickedest 'city on earth or only beasts of that 'a. an advertisement. They want to see something of American life* and customs, of the blaze of light, and gaiety of the people. They do not want to be bothered and wearied walking up and down long avenues of dry goods, as m a department store, but expect to be just "tickkd to death" with some of the cutest notions whether m the machinery line, m the way of amusements, or m the toy department,, that can possibly be invented. New Zealand, therefore, if it is going .tp make a hit must present an attractive and original display ; if it cannot do that it had better stay at home.