IMPERIAL WEMBLEY

Southland Times, Issue 19287, 4 July 1924, Page 8

IMPERIAL WEMBLEY

LOCAL RESIDENTS IMPRESSIONS. An Invercargill resident who has just returned from England writes the following account of his impressions of the Empire Exhibition:— “In the first place I should like to state that although I have only been in this country for a short period, I am convinced that, considering the size of the pavilion, that New Zealand has played her part welt I am quite prepared to admit that the Canadian and Australian pavilions are very fine, but, nevertheless, the New Zealand portion does its organisers credit, considering that the country has not had the experience in such matters as the other dependencies. “ The entrance leads into the main hall, where historic exhibits, sporting trophies and features of particular interest to visitors are shown, The design and decoration of the various bays, as well as the general scheme of decoration, were carried out in New Zealand, and I also understand the furniture and interior fittings are all made in native timbers. The cold storage section, to my regret, was not complete at the time of my visit. “ The wool display, hides, skins, furs, fruit, minerals, grains, flax and timber are a few of the other exhibits. There are also some very fine series of photographs of the uses of the kauri gum. “The Mata-Atua, or carved Maori house, I understand, was built in New Zealand iu 1874. It was not quite complete at the time of my visit, but I was struck with the magnificent carving of the portion already constructed. There was no special representative of the Maori race—a regrettable feature. “ Canada is represented by three buildings. The splendid main pavilion shows the natural resources and commercial activities of the dominion, and the smaller buildings on either side represent the Canadian Pacific railway and the Canadian National railways. The decorations of all three buildings are Canadian in design and workmanship, and all the material used comes from this land of wide spaces. For those who are interested in figures, upwards of two million feet of lumber and 200 tons of metal in the shape of nails and bolts have been used in the building. “ The palace of engineering contains the largest show of general engineering that has ever been gathered for any one exhibition. There are five sets of railway lines, and the great cranes overhead for the purpose of placing the machinery are in themselves interesting exhibite, as each is capable of lifting a load of 25 tons. Over 300 of the leading engineering and shipbuilding firms of Great Britain exhibit there. One could spend a week in this pavilion, but want of space prevents me from describing them all. “In variety of produets Australia certainly can hold her own with the world, and her industries are shown in full detail. The mineral output is illustrated by very interesting exhibits, and the beautiful woods of the Australian forests are seen in great variety. “ I should like to touch on the other pavilions representing the Empire, but one could write for an indefinite period and then not be able to give a tenth of the wonders to be seen. “ The setting of the Empire City is beautiful. Mr Rudyard Kipling has named the streets, and it is interesting to note the various names. I should just like to mention the Hongkong section, as it reproduces a typical Chinese street with the strange sign* and gay-coloured wares characteristic of fife in Hongkong. In the main building is a cafe where the visitors may dine off genuine Chinese delicacies to the accompaniment of a Chinese band. In addition there are the exhibits in the Palace of Arts, which contains the “Doll’s House,” a marvellous reproduction in miniature of a present-day mansion. The central heating, electric light, lifts, telephone, wireless, are all complete. The paintings and books in the library are all carried out by famous painters, poets and writers. There is a complete garage, miniature garden, and just outside the entrance hall the miniature golf and croquet sets. There is an extra charge in the Palace of Arts for admission to the Doll’s House, but it is well worth it. “ The Malaya, Sarawak. Bermuda, Fiji, Burma, East Africa pavilions, and the Sudan section, Zanzibar, Nyassaland, Malta and other sections are all interesting. Also South Africa, Gold Coast and Nigeria, and lastly, the Indian pavilion, which is magnificent, showing the famous Taj Mahal of Agra. Here is a fine big game exhibit, carpets, curtains, silks, fine carving in wood and ivory, and the setting and cutting of precious stones. “ All sorts of shows are to be found, chief amongst these being the giant switchback, old woman in the shoe, the glyda, the whirl of the world, the illusive lamp of Aladdin, and scores of others. “To any New Zealand visitors making the trip to Wembley I should like to mention that the Exhibition is easily accessible from any part of London. The railway services give a direct journey without change from 120 city and suburban stations. The Tubes have a station within a short walk of the entrance; trams pass the south entrance, and there is also an excellent omnibus service to both entrance. A Press Club has been opened, and any journalist visiting the Exhibition is welcome to use the club, which is provided with all conveniences.”