N.Z. INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXI, Issue 12061, 4 January 1907, Page 5

N.Z. INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.

ATTENDANCE FIGURES.

VARIOUS ATTRACTIONS.

By Telegraph. Special Service,

CHRISTCHURCH, January 3. In opening the Exhibition Dog Show this afternoon Mr Munro, the general man* ager, made a few remarks concerning the Exhibition. He said it was a splendid Exhibition, and it was a success. He wanted the public to appreciate the magnificent effort made by a young colony with a limited population. Up to date the attendance at the Exhibition for the two months had been 726,000, and it was interesting to compare those figures with other colonial exhibitions. At the Sydney Exhibition of 1879 the total attendance, including 'exhibitors, attendants, and workmen, was 1,117,536, and that Exhibition was open for practically seven months. The Melbourne Exhibition of 1880 had a total attendance of 1,309,496, and the Melbourne Exhibition of 1688 a total atendance of 1,963,436. This exhibi* tion was open for practically six months. The Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition of 1890, which was open for five months, registered a total attendance of 670,000. So one could fairly assume that the New Zealand International Exhibition would establish an attendance record so far aa colonial exhibitions were concerned. The Dog Show, which will be continued to-morrow, is the largest display of the kind ever made in the colony. The arrangements are particularly good, and elicited the warmest praise from the visitors. The benches are arranged under the shelter of four marquees, these opening out on a large open space containing the judging ring. The entries fail to cover quite the whole catalogue of dog fancy, but in all the more popular classes entries are very large. There was good attendance at the show. For the performances of the Besses o' the Barn Band, starting on Thursday next, the Exhibition sports ground will be festooned with coloured lamps and lanterns by Pain and Sons, London, who have brought out twelve thousand of these for the purpose. The firm is just as famous for this form of decoration as for its displays of fireworks, having executed many extensive Royal and other contracts. The band rotunda will also be brilliantly illuminated, and the general manager hopes to show to the visitors the finest display of outdoor illuminations ever seen in the colony. The orchestral concert this afternoon was well attended. A very lively feature of the Exhibition is the amount of band music provided, no less than three banda giving selections at once during most of the day and evening in the building and grounds. Mr Massey, organist at Bathurst Cathedral, New South Wales, will give a aerie* of recitals on the Exhibition organ, commencing on Saturday next. A display of Pain's fireworks will b« given on Monday night. The coming exhibitions of fireworks and the visit of the Besses o' the Barn Band have revived a. very strong demand for season ticket-*. ' . , A start was made this morning with the erection of a band rotunda in the sport* ground. The rotunda will hare some pretensions to architecture. It will be 26ft in diameter, and besides being used by the Besses o' the Barn Band will be available for use at the New Zealand International Exhibition band contest, which takes place from the 10th to the 16th February, inclusive. Mr Scott, Commissioner for South Aus-, tralia, says there never were so many Australians in. New Zealand at one time. .*• there are just now. Twenty-twoifrom Adelaide alone came in one boat. Most of them, besides visiting the Exhibition, are touring the colony. The committee of the Adelaide Art Gallery has instructed its director, Mr R. Gill, to proceed to Christchurch to inspect the pictures in the Exhibition Art Gallery, with the idea of making » selection for purchase. ' Over forty teams of gentlemen's doublet are competing in the toboggan races at Wonderland to-night. The floral fete in Wonderland next Thursday promises to be a most attractive spectacle. Several hundred pounds are being spent on a single sensational novelty, which will represent a woman's rescue, under most thrilling circumstances, from the top of a high blaring building.