MOTOR OLYMPIA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 28 September 1926, Page 3 (Supplement)

MOTOR OLYMPIA.

TIMARU’S INAUGURAL SHOW. A GREAT DISPLAY. •• That the organising of a Motor Olympia in connertion with Shopping Week proved a very happy thought, wag fully borne out in the evening. Although the Committee had secured one of the largest buildings available in the C.F.C.A. wool store, it proved by no means too .large in order to comfortably accommodate the 1200 people that thronged its precincts shortly after eight o’clock, when the official opening took place. In addition to a large attendance of residents, the various parking places and garages in the town bore evidence that the country districts were well represented. That the present period could well be termed the motor age, was :also borne out by the countless numbers that thronged eVeiy stand and exhibited such a keen and discerning interest in all there was to be seen. In the general arrangement of the Show, it is difficult to conceive an improvement being effected. With the building brilliantly illuminated with special lighting effects, the exhibits were shown to splendid advantage, while a profuse display of bunting effected a bright colour scheme, providing a vivid contrast to individual decorations carried out by the various exhibitors. On the numerous stands a great deal of time had obviously been spent, and no little expense spared to make the Olympia worthy of the occasion. With 25 exhibitors represented, the display was indeed of a most varied and comprehensive nature. At every stand experts were in attendance, to answer questions and supply any information that might be desired, nothing being left undone to cater in every respect for the convenience of patrons. The Soutl?' Canterbury Automobile Association was also represented by a stand, on which general literature of interest to motorists was available. The secretary, Mr E. A, Scott, was in attendance to answer inquiries, and receive suggestions regarding motoring matters which motorists might desire to be brought before the Another very pleasing feature Of the Show was a rest lounge, provided by the Waimate Borough Council, and in which were displayed a number of very interesting views of the town and surrounding districts. Miss Dewar’s 'orchestra was in attendance, and with radio concerts provided at intervals by Messrs Brehaut .Bros, and G. Id. Nicholas, a variety of entertainment was not difficult to find.

| THE OFFICIAL OPENING. | The official opening was held at eight o’clock, when | Mr C. W. Wood, president of the South Canterbury | Motor Traders’ Association, issued a hearty welcome to | all present. Mr Wood said that from the inception, the | members had worked together Avith one object before | them —the advancement and progress of Sunny Timaru. | All trade rivalry and individualism had been eliminated | Avith results that all could see before them. The credit | in -a large measure Avas due to their fellorv townsman, | Mr Arthur Honvell, who had approached the trade for 1 some years to j oin him in a Motor Olympia, and he Avas | sure that no one felt more proud of the Slioav than he | did. The Association hoped to make it an annual | function, and asked the public to support them by their j presence and interest in their undertakings. On behalf | of the Association, he appealed to the general public to I support them in the same Avay that they had been sup- \ ported during the last Avcek by the Shopping Week | Committee, and all business men and shopkeepers. 1 Nothing had been too much for them, and everybody had | assisted and Avorked to the utmost of their endeavours. | He also paid a tribute to the Mayor and Councillors 1 Avho had done so much, and particularly Mr Wilson, 1 Electrical Engineer. Mr Wilson had entered fully into i the spirit of Shopping Week, and that the present light--1 ing Avas a credit to him and his staff, he thought all 1 Avould admit. The Association Avere placing before 1 them some of the world’s best products in motor cars, | and those Avho already possessed cars Avould have no I difficulty in making a choice of exchange in a new up-to- ! date model, for the coming .season. To those Avho did 1 not own a car, he strongly exhorted, them to listen careI fully to the gentlemen Avho Avere Avearing yelloAV badges, 1 and their advice, he felt sure, Avould be such as to make 1 them join the happy, merry, healthy throng of motorists, 1 Avho enjoy the open spaces and fresh air of their f district. It Avas their hope to make the Olympia an I annual institution, and Avith such a capable, solid ad- | ministrator and organiser as their secretary, they enterj tained no doubts for future success. Mr Wood also I referred to the fact that the first motor-car built in New i Zealand, Avas built by him in Timaru in 1897. The J days Avhen they slept under stacks and Avere dratvn home I by horses, had happily ceased to exist, but nevertheless I they Avould all feel proud to think that Timaru avus the 1 pioneer of the motor industry in Ncav Zealand. Mr Wood I concluded by exhorting the residents of Timaru to gaily I throAV in their lot with the festivities of the Aveek, and do I the best to put the toAvn avcll on the map. (Applause.) I Mr George Dash, president of the Ncav Zealand 1 Motor Trade Association said that although realising j Avhat Avas possible in such matters, he Avas nevertheless 1 astounded that such a galaxy of beautiful cars had been *. ..■■••■••■BKsiMiinttmMiKiititiiiifiiitiiiiiiKirniiiiiiiil

gathered together. Knowing as he did the keen sense 3 of competition that existed amongst motor traders, he g was also beginning to think when he saw them working B together in such harmony, that a spirit of Christian jj brotherhood must he creeping in amongst motor sales- jj men. (Laughter.) Mr Dash said that the Motor Trades’ jj Association existed for the principal object of seeing B that the trade was conducted on lines clean and fair to §j all. He considered that the Olympia, representing as jj it did, the finest gathering of cars in the South Island, g reflected great credit upon Mr C. W. Wood, the presi- S dent of the South Canterbury Association, and his strong and energetic committee. On behalf of the New Zealand Motor Trade Association, he extended a hearty welcome to all present, and trusted that as a result of the Olympia those present who did not own a car, would not remain long without one. (Applause.) Mr E. D. Mcßae (president of the Shopping Week Committee), said he felt indeed grateful to the Motor B Olj'mpia Committee, for the opportunity of saying a few jj words. He congratulated the Olympia Committee in jj compiling such a' wonderful exhibition, which was a B great credit to the district. They were making a big f venture to hold such an exhibition, and he hoped that B it would be crowned with nothing hut success. (Ap- s plause.) He was sure that the two committees could B work in’conjunction, as much benefit could be derived g by this. When the census was taken for South Canter- g bury recently, it was found that the district had not m advanced, but he was sure that a Show such as this jj would be an excellent way of advertising and improving jj South Canterbury. On behalf of the Shopping Week g Committee, he again congratulated the Motor Olympia §| Committee, and wished it all the success it undoubtedly gj deserved. (Applause.) In officially declaring the Olympia open, the Mayor (Mr G. J. Wallace) said that the Show was one of the best that he had seen for many years. He congratulated the Executive not only on the magnitude of the Show, hut also upon the very artistic arrangement of the exhibits. It had been said, said Mr Wallace, that motor cars were too expensive, hut nowadays the motor-car was rapidly becoming an important commercial proposition to those engaged in practically all walks of life. He trusted that the public would support the Show to the extent it deserved, and that at the end of the week, the traders would have received some benefit for the enormous trouble and expense they had voluntarily undertaken iii their attempt to further the objects of Shopping Week and the interests of Timaru. (Applause.) Mr Wallace then officially declared the Motor Olympia open, and concluded by extending his best wishes to the executive and those participating. (Applause.)

The Executive of the South Canterbury Motor Gar- B age Proprietors’ Association, responsible for the excel- B lent arrangements governing South Canterbury’s in- 8 augural Motor Olympia, were also present as follows: — I Messrs C. W. Wood (president), A. Ward, P. Downey, 1 j. Richards, F. Sheed, E. D. Hunter, J. McPherson, J. C. 1 Trengrove, A. Dunnett, J. A. Lash, H. Bennett, and W. jj D. Revell (secretary). g Those exhibiting were as follows: —Amuri Motors, 1 Ltd.; E. 0. Henshaw; Adams Ltd.; Mt. Cook Motor Co., g Ltd.; J. C. Trengrove; Sim and Sheed; Cecil Wood Co., B Ltd.; South Canterbury Rugby Motors, Ltd.; C.F.C.A., H Ltd.; Dominion Motors, Ltd.; British Imperial Oil Co.; g Dunnett and Downey; G. H. Nicholas; Hatrick and Co.; S R. A. Rodgers; Dalgety and Co.; Brehaut Bros.; Simms 1 and Sons; Vacuum Oil Co.; C. G. Wakefield and Co., g Ltd.; Young Bros. || Afternoon tea and supper is available in the build- g ing, which will be open for the remainder of Shopping jj Week both in the afternoons and evenings. j A store in Lyttelton advertised in 1863 prices of jj clothing as follows: All wool Crimean shirts 6/6, Scotch 1 twill shirts 2/6, boys’ serge shirts 3/6, doeskin trousers 1 12/-, moleskin do. from 5/-, tweed coats 14/-, tweed caps i 1/6, felt hats 5/-, men’s socks 7d, blucher boots 5/-. g The “Jubilee History of South Canterbury” 1 states that in 1860 the wages of ordinary | labourers was 8/- and of skilled workers 9 to | 12/- a day. These were increases on the a wages of 1850, owing to the finding of gold in | Australia. From 1860 to 1869 the wages of | brdinary labourers fell to 6/- and 7/- a day, | and in 1869 fell to 5/- and 6/- day. The pay | of skilled labour was but slightly less in the | latter year than in 1860. In 1864 experienced jj domestic servants were paid £25 to £3O a year, jj In 1870 young “married couples” received £SO | to £6O a year, and single men for farm work I £3O to £4O. I The first white man to see Caroline Bay | and the site of Timaru after the whalers of the | ■'forties left, was the famous Bishop Selwyn, j who travelled southward along the coast track j of the Maori, and was at Timaru in 1844. The | second was Mr. Shortland, who travelled north- | ward and met Bishop Selwyn at Makikihi. 1

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