THE EXHIBITION OF 1862.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1612, 27 August 1861, Page 2

THE EXHIBITION OF 1862.

Haying published in our last, the official documents relating to the International Exhibition proposed to be held in London next year, we may be allowed briefly to call the attention of the , public to the great desirability of early steps being taken to secure a suitable contribution from Wellington. The Commissioners appointed by His Excellency to superintend the interests of this Province; are His Honor the Supeeintendent and Messrs. Duncan, Hunter, Lyon, Moore, Stokes, Spinks, J. Smith, and Woodward, and on these properly devolve the initiation and carrying out of the necessary measures ; but in the meanwhile it will not be thought trenching on their duties if we call attention to the subject ; offering those gentlemen the use of our columns for whatever plans they may mature and wish to lay before the public. Little or nothing can be done without money, and money is just now so very scarce that we are afraid a public Subscription will' fail to place adequate means at' the disposal of the Commissioners: We should like to see a Grant in Aid contributed by the Provincial Government, as the effect produced by the display of our products to the capitalists and manufacturers of Europe is really a provincial and not an individual benefit ; but as we are ignorant of the effect of the Assembly's Audit Act, we advisedly abstain from recommending such a

3oui'Be, as no vote for such, purpose has passed the Council ; merely observing bhat as the Tesponsibility is personally the Superintendent,, he must be left free to - use his individual judgment as to whether he will at anytime assume a responsibility which subjects him to, the liability of a heavy penalty, however great the necessity of the case may be. In some of the Australian Colonie3 we notice that a sum has been subscribed to afford medals and money prizes to persons who contribute the best articles of manufacture or raw material, the commissioners undertaking to purchase such of them as they 1 may think desirable at a fair valuation, provided the parties owning the same do not feel disposed to allow them to be forwarded on their own account; and in Auckland, we' see 'that, amongst" other. .." things it is proposed to .subscribe' £100 ' to £150 for the manufacture of a piece of furniture displaying the beauties of ' local woods. Whatever method the .com- • ■ missioners of this province take, we may be sure that their business capabilities will guarantee the best use being made 1 of whatever funds shall be placed within their reach, so as to produce the greatest. effect from the smallest amount of means. The General Government Agent, Mr; John Morrison, being the London representative, to whom all the provinces will, have to send their contributions, wemavreckon that the industry, and materialf:' for the future industry, of each province , will be readily observable ; all the provinces being represented distinctly, and yet exhibited as a whole. We trust Wei- ; lington will take a good position. She ' can do so if she will. There is, however, no time to be lost, as the exhibition opens :. on the Ist of May, and goods ought to be ready for transmission by December, at latest. Country Settlers, and especially those whose . position gives them leisure to assist, will, we hope, lose no time in looking about them so that they ( may be ready to assist the Commissi-' oners when called upon. 1 . The following observations in reference ; to Dye Woods, made by some of the \ speakers at a late Auckland meeting, are so very pertinent, that we readily extract them, for the information of collectors/ and others. . * . Mr. li. ToDDSiiid several of the New Zealand trees were excellent dye woods, and it \vas.a matter of great consequeuce" at home to pro* cure good dyes. He knew one man who had been sixteen yeais tvyiug to discover one par* ticular dye, and had not yet discovered it. He ; theugbt, therefore, that the committee ought to \ take steps to show the usefulness of our indi- ' gonous woods for dyeing" purposes, and with that object would move: — That this meeting", believing that several of the New Zealand/ indigenous woods are valuable as dye-stuffs , instruct the committee to procure the assistance./ of s6ientifie n\en to obtain specimens and pre? paialions for the Inter-national Exhibition.", j Mr. E. B. Dickson seconded the motion. ... ; ". 1 Mr. Whttlaw agreed with Mr. Todd as -to the importance of the couise suggested by him.'; It was a fact that several of the New Zealand: trees contained valuable dyes, but care should be taken hvxv they were forwarded. He might 1 mention a circumstance regarding the hinau % which' would show what he meant. When in Liverpool 16 years ago, a ship was advertised as containing a cargo of New Zealand dye-wood. : He went on board to see what wood it was, and he found it was hinau. It turned out, " however, that there was not a particle of dyestuff in the wood, aud. as firewood was not required in England, the cargo was thrown overboard. Knowing that hinan dyed a deep blaok, he inquired of a scientific man why it; was that the wood imported to Liverpool froirt ['.■ New Zealand lost its dyeing properties, while, it was au excel Jeut dye-stuff there. . That gentleman informed him thut there were certaiu dyes soluble only in their own sap,, and., that when the wood was dried they lost their coloring properties, and that hinau possessed that peculiarity. On his (Air. Whytlaw's) return to Auckland, he found a ship loading with hinau as dye-wood for the English market, and he took advantage ol his knowledge and published a letter in the Southern Cross calling attention to tho Let. The; next day he Svas waited on by the owner of the cargo, who, ot'i being assured oft his sincerity, sold the. timber .. as firewood, aud thus saved, a heavy loss on freight. But the dye-stuff could be reduced from the wood and forwarded as a preparation. , It was quite right, however, that'thc capabilities of the colony to supply the English market with dye-stuffs should be fully known.' r (Hear.)r The CHAtRMAN said, if the wood was cut „ and dried with the sap hi it, the colouring.' matter would' be retained.' He knew this'from ' the fact that when he was gotug to England, in the ship with Dr. Martin- and' Mr. Brqwn, : who were writing their books on New Zealand'^ < he (the chairman) had manufactured ink froni „ the dried hinau on board, as the supply of ink >~ 4 had run out. (Laughter.) ' .■ : . ' The resolution was then put from the chair; • aud carried unanimously. ■