THE EXHIBITION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13206, 9 February 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

RECORD MAORI DISPLAY. (Special—By Telegraph.) CHRiSICHURCH, February 8. ' There lyas it good . attendance at; the Exhibition again to-day. Tlie natives irom Hawke's Buy gave, their first per r formance. of liakaa alid pois in the pi ihis afternoon,! before a. large . numberspectators, and made an excellent vjiinpres,sion. , Thirty jnen and an, unusually-largo number of women.- todk.port in {the li'a.kaS which • were given : witU immertse energy and enthusiasm. The experts 1 pronounced the performance, without doubt, the best that lias. been seen iii tlie pa. , The'men were practically naked,' except for their piu pius, and the' froiit rank especially had: been retijiaticiaily ," tatooed " lor the occasion by Dr Buck. , A party of seven girls danced the,.'pol., djince veiy,. gracofully. , l ,The,.' Lord Mayor of Melbourne mally welcomed to the Exhibition by tlie Maoris. , . . .. ■ ' There was ii large attendance lat the orchestral concert -thjsj afternoon. Arrangements have, l)een;m?de for the orchestra to play in, the concert hall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.;;afternoons next week, ■-intervals betSveeii jtUe bolo competitions of the liaiid cohtefi£; on Tuexdiijr, Tliiitsdiiy and , Saturday ivifeinooM and evenings, tlie conceit hall being-dis-engaged, the orchestra will render programmes of music. Some glowing references* were made to the imbibition at the JMuyoiul banqueb last night. The lion. Mr Weedoli, Lord Stayed" of Melbourne,: saidiit; was •«. credit to New Zealand, and any part of Australia, would be proud to share in the honours that would fall upon New Zealand; by, reason of the Exhibition. It would be productive of much pood to tlie colony,, and e.ven if it cost tlie colony ip fair sum, the people Ought not ti> grudge it. _He Ayould like. to congratulate . the visitors from abroad,, lie would also, like to coll: gratulate New Zealand on its own splendid display. , . . ■ t : The special popularity of features of tlie Exhibition is being, proved, by the inability.. of,, Cliristcbuvcl) citizens, even at thift .early, stage, to contemplate m?y equanimity . the prospect ,of losing them at tlie close, of the undertaking ...Theso are the . femeiy and the.. ■ aquarium-, the former, in regfird ~to. which iv desire for permauent reteution .is-particularly strpng. 1 It is a singularly, beautifill . resprt. Out of 130; specif of.ferns, native to New Zealand,- it contains f more.th4n eighty, and it is so aiTunged,i witlv.falling ,Btveaml^®> little cascades; and .nioijs .qpvered bndgeHi as to. resemble,, a: perfectly lovely .corner of tli? iiatural Probably nevei »«e fore has such, it large'lpropoition of >e« Zealand ferns, lifen. toughf, together in ;,»> public fernery. .liikau paljns, tive. species of .tree and wpecnuieu of lancewood, add- beauty n-nd ,dignity, to the collection. Miuiy of t lie ; ferns seem to be. thriving almost better than m the bush itself.- . ■ , , - . ' Next week will be,,commenced .the plan of choosing the. Saturday. ev.coiing: prograiiime for the orchestral concert from writteii requests sent in by patitnis .of' •concerts during the week,, and, subjected to a ballot on Friday. • Tlie programme for to.-morrow afternoon's concert will, consist entirely ,of items specially requested, but a,, selection : has, not been niade iu tlie.- Preventiom of cruelty to; Animals. -, Wonderland, attracted: u large attendance to-night by means (if toboirgan ' races for teams .of . both sexes. Eighteen. ,teaniK competed and some; exciting finishes weifl .witnessed. - . Wonderland^;. next .special feature will be. a. big slioxv of. pete, and babies which . will take place on Mawh' Ist, undet the control of . tlie: BpCiety for the prevention: of'cruelty to: animals. . Nihe hundred bandsmen- .will, take part in the band contest stnrtbg on Monday. Thirty band 3 and four hundred .soloist" will, forni the contestants. The solo fcnmpptiti'ons will be, held'in the coiwjerfc hall on ilonday,. Wednesday, • and Friday and the grand selection, and quickstep an the sports ground oil Tuesday, Thursday arid Saturday. , ■ : -, ~ A battalion' of 300 ..school > cadets is expected to arrive at-the Exhibition from, Dunedin,: on : the 15th hist.