AUCKLAND NEXT EXHIBITION.

Observer, Volume XXXII, Issue 21, 3 February 1912, Page 3

AUCKLAND NEXT EXHIBITION.

THE Auckland Chamber of Commerce a«(d the Industrial Association have between them decided that an all New Zealand display shall be held here next year, on a scale in accordance with the progress and importance of the Northern Province. And if there is to be a New Zealand Exhibition next year, there is certainly no city which has such claims for the site as Auckland possesses. A dozen and more round years have gone since our commercial pride and ambition found an outlet in the shape of an exposition of any sort at all, and on that last occasion the Metropolitan Grounds provided more than all the necessary room required to make it a big success and to blazon to the world our existence as a growing commercial community. The ground entrance building can still be seen by the curious who care to take a walk to the Railway Wharf, whence Messrs J. J. Craig removed it from the place of honour to do more prosaic service as a temporary home for coal and other chores.

We have truly advanced since those days and our ambitions have far outgrown the Metropolitan Ground as an Exhibition site. Our harbour is, barring some improvements in the shape of ferro-concrete wharves, suction dredges, and a floating crane, just as beautiful, however; our climate challenges criticism with the rest of New Zealand as it did then, while our attractiveness to the Southern and outside visitor is in no way diminished. As for Auckland's industrial and commercial progress in the last decade, not the least optimistic individual will deny them—in short, one might .say that we are ripe for an Exhibition. It is our turn to the honour, moreover, while exhibitions have advertised Wellington and Christchurch, we have been plodding modestly along, and our m<jdesty went so far that not until Christchurch mooted the possibility of jumping the claims already put forward by us, did our captains of industry and (decide to take hold of their courage and put it to the proof. And having resolved upon an Exhibition, it is to be hoped that every effoVt will be put forward to jnake it right worthy of our city and province. Exhibitions are notoriously costly forms of advertisement but if every shoulder is put ■to the wheel, there is no reason why the Auckland Exhibition of 1913 should not be as financial a success as was the last one, and while not being international in character as -was to some extent the Christchurch Exhibition of 1906-7, remain as a landmark of the period touching the industrial progress of New Zealand, and of our varied industrial life.

Christchurch has put ; n sov.e claims to an industrial exhibition •next year, but Auckland has a prior j-ight, and, undoubtedly, is the cenire that is entitled to Government aid for the next Exhibition. It is only five years since the New Zealand Exhibition was held in.Christchurch ; it ie something like twelve

years since Auckland held an Exhibition of any size- Auckland's remarkable progress during the last decade is also a very good reason why the suggestion should be sympathetically received by the rest of the colony. Christchurch may very well wait for another few years. It is Auckland's turn now, an|d all "Wellington folk will wish her success in her venture. We have no doubt it will be something creditable to Auckland and to the Dominion; and we may get some useful hints from it for our next Wellington Exhibition. Our little Exposition of last year might have been very much better managed by a more enterprising and representative set of people, but we look forward 60 an industrial exhibition on a bigger scale some day, a display that will not only interest Wellington people, but that will be attractive enough to bring people here from the outside world.