SCHOOL ESSAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16939, 13 January 1923, Page 7

SCHOOL ESSAYS.

THE EXHIBITION AND ITS LESSONS. PRIZE WINNING ESSAYS. Thirteen prizes were given by “ Th© Star ” for the best essays on “ The Exhibition and its Lessons.” and the awards were announced last Wednesday. A very large number of pupils !of primary an<l secondary schools comI peted and prizes of £3, £2 and £1 were | awarded to the three best essays, while j ten prizes, each of 10s, were awarded |to the essays next in order of merit, j The three best essays are a-s follows : FIRST PRIZE. (By Margaret Blackwell, “ Waihui,” Kaiapoi.) The aim of the promoters of the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition is to show the public the many and various industries of our fair land—New Zealand. Naturally, the first years of any young country like New enland are devoted to the development of the primary products. The farmers take up the land and grow grain, food or stock, which are exported, and so provide the first source of wealth. New Zealand has aliendy become famous as a primary producer. and actually stands first in the world for the value of primary exports per head of population. But if any country is to be fully developed so as to carry all the population that it should, it must also develop other sources of wealth, and the best way to do this is to use the primary material and turn it into the finished manufactured goods. For example, if wool, which is now exported raw (worth, say, £1,000,000) were manufactured in New ealand and exported as clothing, it would bring into New Zealand, as payment, at least £3,000,000. This would increase New Zealand’s wealth by £2,000.000. and give work to thousands more people. Similarly, every industry which can he founded in New Zealand adds to the wealth of the community, and makes its development possible. England’s commercial greatness is founded by her wonderful secondary manufactures. It is the need of making our people understand the value of the secondaryindustries that has caused the Christchurch Exhibition to be belch The principal secondary industries of New Zealand are meat freezing, woollen manufacturing and flour milling. Of these, ancl many others, we are reminded as we pass along the avenues at the Exhibition. Probably all of the big manufacturing firms have displays, and it is certainly an education to see nil the products which combine to give us our daily bread, and all our other necessities. In the heavier section of our manufactures we may inspect various kinds of machinery and appliances for sterilising. etc. : also cooking ranges and gas ovens, which are constructed to reduce th© old kitchen drudgery to a minimum. Passing on. we see some interesting samples of New Zealand wood, and perhaps some structures built from them. There are exhibits of beautiful fancy and plain leather, and in the returned soldiers’ Exhibit we are shown what can be done with these. A largo showcase displays the woollen manufacturers’ exhibits. Foodstuffs, such as bread, biscuits, confectionery, drinks and patent foods, have also their place. An exhibit, showing the making of sugar from beet, and the useful way in which every part of the beet is utilised, is also very instructive. New Zealand art is not forgotten, for it is represented by paintings, sculptures and locally made gramophones. Surely a visit to the Exhibition must send a New Zealander away with an intense feeling of pride that in such a comparatively short time his country should already hare established such splendid industries, and also with a determination that all one’s needs should be supplied bv goods made in New Zealand.

SECOND PRIZE. (By Verna M. Dailey. 49, Hawkesbury Avenue, St Albans.) This is essentially an advertising j age, and probably no better method of : advertising could be found than an ex- J hibition in conjunction with the public j Unfortunately there is a groat deal of ignorance on the part of the public as to the resources of the Dominion in material, enterprise and skill. Fortunately there were enough public spirited citizens with sufficient confidence in the patriotism and common sense of the people, and our magnificent resources to guarantee the cost;, and as a result we have an exhibition that does credit to the Dominion, and Canterbury in particular. A visit is, as it was intended to be. an education, and should be availed or by all classes, especially those who persistently decry home products, and l:• should have the effect ot stimulating a demand for our own goods. .1 ncreased production would provide employment, not only for our own people, but for a much larger population than we have at present, and would materially help to make New Zealand the Britain of the South, it would also provide a home market Colour primary products, and create prosperity generally, in which the farmer, j imiiiity would participate. This is most I essential as no country can be truly I prosperous and happy unless there is I a proper development of its primary and secondary industries. It would also keep our wealth in the Dominion, and help in no small degree to solve | some of our most pressing economic problems. A careful scrutiny of the exhibits v\ ill convince any intelligent person that the quality of the locally made articles is equal if not superior to the imported The woodwork sections demonstrate the suitability of our timber for almost any purpose, while the machinery an 1 many other sections are a revelation in utility. workmanship and finish. Especially is this true of our woollen goods, which have a world-wide reputation for quality. Our leather goods, too. are excellent, and in common with, the exhibits in other industrial sections u proper appreciation of their quality would tend to eliminate the demand for the imported article. The exhibition proves that we have enterprising business men, capable >f catering for the public of all classes. r*ot only in our utilitarian require ments, but for our comfort and Measure also. The promoters of the exhibition and the manufaeturePs have done their share, and it only remains for the public to do theirs by putting aside prejudice and mistrust, and recognising and rewarding merit.. Bearing in mind the fact that a comparatively short time ago civilisation had no place in New Zealand, one can»ot but feel proud of our splendid

country, with its magnificent natural resources, and the enterprise and skill of its people, backed by a genuine patriotism on our part, should enable New Zealand to achieve greatness ; n the future. THIRD PRIZE. fßy Sydney "We aliens, 46, Rochester Street, Ldnwood.) I’he project of the Industrial Exhibition has aroused much interest all over the Dominion to those who are directly concerned and realise its real worth, to those who are merely curious, and to some as reminiscent of the great International Exhibition of 1906. Whil'e not so spectacular as the exhibition of 1906, it is perhaps of greater importance to us. The International Exhibition advertised New Zealand to the world ; the present exhibition is to advertise New Zealand to its own inhabitants. In all new countries, that is. countries that have just been settled, the wealth is in the raw products. The settlers go in for the industries in connection with these, and export the products to European and other markets. If the country has a hot climate and tho bulk of the people are natives, this will continue, but in a country like New Zealand the stage where the export- of the raw products is the only source of wealth has passed. Here, in our nrosperous sea-girt isle civilisation and progress in all its branches have made the country fit to support itself in every way. Our population is increasing; we have big towns which are still growing; we have tho raw products, with every facility foi manufacturing, and the people to make us the manufactured . goods. Manufacturers of all' kinds are progressing on a small scale. "What is needed is to show the people of New Zealand what can be done to foster support for New Zealand manufactures and to promote enterprise. For this purpose a body of men representing the industries and manufactures of New Zealand decided to hold an exhibition. They brought the scheme before the public and the exhibits of practically a 9 their requirements—manufactured and preserved foodstuffs of every description, domestic utensil's, and clothing in every form, machinery for the factory, for the farm, and -for transport. The company of men who founded the Exhibition did so solely with the motive of educating the public to a proper understanding of the growth of industries during recent years. A person sees at the Exhibition manufactured goods which he never dreamt could be produced in New Zealand. One learns that millions of pounds that arc paid for imported goods coukl. instead of being sent out of the country, be kept tin it, thus increasing the w-alth of the Dominion. So one must remember that when one buys imported goods which can bo bought of New Zealand manufacture one does not add wealth to the coffers of the Dominion, but really depletes it. Thus has begun a step : n to a new era when the pieople of New Zealand will have a fuller appreciation of their country's powers, when that country, with all its resources brought into play, will make a truer “ Britain of the South.”