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Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 15162, 4 October 1913, Page 8

Offers of pictures which the Art Society has received from all parts of the Dominion afford promise of an unusually fine display at the Exhibition, which is now less than a fortnight distant, ft is expected that the Society will be able to show at least three hundred pictures, including those lent by private ,art lovers. A large inumber of .beautiful .curios Have also been placed at their disposal, and these should form an attractive section of the, Es■hibition. There is ; still room, jhpwever, for more pictures and more curios, and those, who ara unable to lend eitlier can h,elp the Society materially by becoming' members. The annual subscription is not- too high to be paid by anyone who desires to see *he object of the Exhibition fully rVand an' Art established in Timaru which will be a' permanent source of pleasure and education, as well as ail attraction to the town*

The gift by Mr A.. M. Myers, M.P., of £9OOO to convert an unattractive slum of Auckland into a public park continues a noble record of generous benefactions to the "Queen City" by its citizens. No , other city in New Zealand has received so many lavish gifts to art, education, literature, and for public pleasure grounds from its sons. The pxiblic reserves in the city and suburbs of Auckland cover now a total area of over 3000 acres—nearly five square miles—and include the late Sir John Logan Campbell's gift of Cornwall Park (600 acres) and Cornwallis Park 0800 acres) given by, the lajLe Mr John McLachlan. Timafu have as fine a park as any of these if any, patriot or group of patriots, not _ averse ■ to- immortality, should think of purchasing the Maori Reserve and presenting ib to the borough for .that.purpotie, before it is cut up into building sites. "With its broad slopes nul proximity. to the Bay the Maori Reserve seems made -for a public park. , The opinion- we expressed on the strength- >of a -telegraphed summary e of-the annual report of the . Tourist- Department, that little! was, spent in developing the attractions of-Mount Cook as compared with other resorts* < is confirmed by the' full' report,, now to hand., This 'phows'tha"t,'less wis spent' on the Hermitage last yea~ than on-: any other resort except Queenstown,' and 'the wete greater "than thotfe ffbnr any other resorts except Rptorua and

the "Waitomo caves." ,'At I^'to^tfo £IB,IBB was spent for a returjv l of £14,890, at the caves £2345/ for ar return of £2871, , at tfix, S^ lfa W e , £28 2? f or a,'xetura;.-ql £2676, and at Hanmer £4029*,W 'f. return 4 of' only £2299.- In "tha pieceding'ypar Rotorua' was abb" managed at a loss to the Govern 1 -" ment wfiichl' v amounted to £3OO, Hanmer at a loss of £1392, and' the Hermitage, on which- only £2813 was snent, as comparedwith £3558 on Hanmer, at a ! oss of £437. . , The figures only apply to the Government "institutions, in. each' case, and only a fraction of the money spent .at 'most of the > resorts goes into Government coffers direct, but the figures da seem to show that the Alpine district has a strong claim to nWd expenditure than has been' "devoted to it. ' ''",'.