The Chicago Exhibition.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7198, 5 February 1892, Page 2

The Chicago Exhibition.

A moeb popular appointment of a Commissioner to take charge of the interest* of Canterbury for the great Exhibition at Chicago, the local Com mittee could Bcaroeljr have made than they did on Tuesday, when they unanimously selected Mr J. J.Kinsey. That gentleman is by no means a novice aB regards the duties of the poßt, for he represented Canterbury at the Dunedin Exhibition a year or two ago. No doubt it is a compliment to anyone to be thus selected for a post requiring energy, industry, good taste and geniality, all of which qualities Mr Rinsey possesses in a marked degree. But we are not eure that Mr j Kinsey may not hesitate before accepting the compliment in right down earnest. The work imposed upon him cannot be done perfunctorily, and Mr Kinsey is not the man to do any work perfunctorily. He is so constituted that he must put his heart into his work. Now there ia nothing so likely to take the heart out of a man as to find those who should encourage him, if not actually assist him, absolutely indifferent to the matter for which he is labouring. And there is danger of Mr Kinsey finding himself in such circumstances. During the preparatory work for the Canterbury Court at the Dunedin Exhibition Mr Einsey, we fancy, met with many a rebuff where he had expected if not enthusiasm, at least moral and tangible support. He battled against the opposition, whioh was perhaps more of a passive than of an active character, and we all know what a success he achieved. It may, however, t . well be aßked if the experience he then met with is to be repeated now. There . appears to be a disposition amongst our ! representative men to lay upon his shoulde 1 the whole of a responsibility of which they should take a share. Of course ) it is desirable that there should be * unity of action, and this requires that I there should be cne who may be called . the executive officer ; but the unity of one , person is not worth much as the motive 1 power for any great work. The represen- - tation of Canterbury in a New Zealand 1 Court at the Chicago Exhibition should be * well organised and carried through, or it - should not be attempted at all. The New t Zealand Court will of necessity be very f , small compared with the courts of other b Colonies and nations, but there is no- * necessity that it should be inßignifi- - f cant. That it shall not be insig- ' nificant depends npon the concerted ac- - tion of those who are connected ' with the various interests of the 2 Colony. Those various interests are * not of equal comparative magnitude in all 1 the Provinces, and it will probably be ' found desirable that each centre should I, endeavour to give the best specimens of £ its own best products. Under snob an r. arrangement there is a division of labour '* which greatly lessens the responsibility of - individual Provinces. Canterbury, we y trust, will not shirk its responsibility, and * we think that no better man to prevent [. her shirking it could have been chosen than '• Mr Kinsey. We wish him every success, a and we are sure that he will deserve ifc.