The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL, 19, 1890

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4822, 19 April 1890, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, APRIL, 19, 1890

The Now Zciilund and South Seas Exhibition will be finally closed to-d;iy with fitting ceremony, ihe Government lieiai; vcpriaenUd on lliii occiiuion bj - Hi- Hislop. 'i'iio time Ui\a couio to ixsk whether the game bus been worth the candle ? Haa all tlie expenditure of energy, time, and money been co much waste, or b»a there been a return, si nil i£ ko to what extent and m what direction? has the benefit been felt ? Finally, if then; has been no immediate advantage, is it, to bo hoped that so nit.* substantial good umy yjt epriug from the Exhibition ? It is impossible to a:iy lit preaeat what thy actual fiaaucial outcome will be, but it ia iind'.Tstood that the position of tbosi.' who backed the undertaking will Ije bettui- than was

anticipated at tbo commencement. Exhibitions do not pay ia the ordinary sense m which the word is used, and the promoters o£ the show which has just been brought to a conclusion at Duuedin did not go into it with tha expectation that it would provo an exception to the rule. They took a moro publicspirited view of thu matter, and it is right that that fact should not be lost, si^'ht of. At the time tbo Exhibition was first mooted, Duuedjn, and indeed all parts of the colony, were showing si;juH, more or Ices pronounced, of ft hale ing oil the depression which had co long prevailed, but it was ntill a very present and troublesome reality, and nmuy people almoat dospnired of nny great improvement m tbe near fninn;. The more hopeful npirits thought tiiat the colony was on the eve of far better times, I>ul, that Romething was needed to rouse the people from their apathy, to restore general confidence, and to nbow to outeiders Ih lit m spite of debt and deprension New Zealaud wan m;>lcing remarkable progress, and wns a country of which great things might fuiily be expected. Wo do liot know who it was that first proposed tbo Exhibition, but it was with such ideas aa wu have briefly indicated that it was taken up by those who becamo ito promoters. Just at the outset — perhaps for the first week or two — the project did not Hccm to tnko a very firm hold of ■ tha public mind, and there was nonie little hesitation about the guarantee. But tliiit feeling of biiokw.u-dness speedily underwent a change, and before long it, wan wonderful to iintr; Ihn cheerful (inpijort tho pr«)j"Ct commanded not merely locally but far and wide through the colony and elsewhere . The management worked with indefatigable zeal, and displayed great tiict m securing co-operation. As far ns making the Exhibition a good show the efforts were crowned with a largo measure of sticccß.M. Thero were- defecta, it ia true, and some diutriets of tbu colony might have done a great deal more than they did. But we have no desire to be hoalilc critics, and it m acknowledged on till bauds that the Exhibition asi a whole wan excellent — alike creditable to the colony and m thotii; who had takeu tbo work m hand nnd eiiried it through. We \<;\vn r.ri<\ that tin; yrnuiotuv.-i \ .■ il l m ib; no ni'.'in-y by their lubouni. 'i'o noino extent llu'y will lose directly on thu venture, but il, it) moi'e difficult (o (lMcruiinu wlnil; Uil 1 monetary effect of th-j, Exhibition' hni

ooL-u on tbo shopkecpinij nnd hotel interests iv Dunedin. There Las been a large crowd gathered m the place for some months, nnd there bus been .a constant succession of visitors from other parts of the colony, from Australia, and from Great Britain, the Continent, and America. All that means an abnormal expenditure, and it miglit be supposed that it wuiild bi'iufj birge profits to the Dunedin traders of all classes. No doubt many have made money, but we are assured on good authority that the golden shower has not been very equally distributed, that m some quarters it has not lighted at all, and that there is much disappointment at the result. Two main onuses have been mentioned to us as having contributed to that state of tliiugs. Many people, induced thereto by anticipations o£ expanding business, Q'.ade preparations, and additions to buildings, at a cost which was afterwards found not to be warranted by the result. Another substantial cause of loos to many was that a very widespread system of hospitality prevailed m Dunedin. Crowds of citizens, including those of the huinbW classes, had friends aud relations quartered on them free of coat. The hosts have no reason to complain for their hospitality wns .spontaneous, but nevertheless •. they were out of pocket by the friendly invasion, whilst at the Bame time those persons who kept hotels or had lodgings to let found their market considerably damaged. It is enrious to note how the stream of expenditure was thus lessened, and diverted into unexpected channels. Wo have been made acquainted with more than one instance m which a business m Dunedin has actually suffered substantial loss during the Exhibition and solely through its inllnence. The facts are interesting but we are debarred from giving particulars. In some businesses very large profits have been made from the beginning to the finish, and there can be little doubt that on the whole Dunedin has reaped a rich harvest. We are of course pleased to think that it is so, though much of the money collected m the southern ciiy has been drained from the rest of tho colony. But all those considerations are of minor importance when estimating the value of the Exhibition. First aud last it has cost a good round sum of money, but we are strongly of opinion that there has been and will be au ample return for the expenditure. The Exhibition has been a huge nnd attractive advertisement for the colony. A most legitimate advertiseuiriit moreover. The crowds from abroad have come and seen fur themselves what sm'l of country New Zealand is, and many of them have been shrewd enough to form an intelligent judgmeut of what it must assuredly become iv tho future. Guide hoolcs, newspapers, private correspondence, and smooth-tongued agents at Home, may help to direct attention to N«;w Zealand, but there is nothing; like ' ocular demonstration, and multitudes at those who have, visited these shores iv the course of the last few mouths will return to their own homes on tho other side of the world full oi what they have seen at the antipodes aud quite prepnrcd to sing tho praises of New Zealand. For it must be remembered that these visitors, or a large proportion of them, did not confine themselves to au inspection of tbo Exhibition. It would have been something it they hud done no more than that, ; but thuy travelled through ihe l-.-uyth and breadth of the laud, saw the marvellous scenery, the capabilities of the soil, nud the strides which civilisation bus iilrendy made. Thus tho Dunedin Exhibition has done a :;roat woik m bringing New Zealand more m touch with the Old Country, m removing prejudices uud misconceptions;, and m itiidiug to make the colony n popular field not merely for touristy but. fji- immigrants of the best cl,.i-:.