MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2529, 25 September 1888, Page 2

MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

Our Melbourne correspondent writes:—l had no mention of that perennial topic—tha Exhibition—in my last week's epitome, so 1 feel justified in devoting a paragraph to it. " English," said one of the German Commissioners to me the other day, puzzling over the intricacies of some report or other, "is like this, I tmk. You spell ox and pronounce ass." That is just what the Ccmtnissioners have been doing, figuratively speaking. The bad management of the concern has become a household word now in Melbourne, and this has helped in a great measure to spoil the Exhibition's popularity. There is a great outcry being raised by the Carlton people against the switchback railway, the noise of which is proving a terrible nuisance to the residents about. But far from being dismayed at this, the Commissioners aro allowing a shooting gallery to be erected underneath. A shooting gallery! Just fancy. After that I would recommend Aunt Sally, throwing sticks at cocoanuts, Punch aud Judy, and other exhiliarating amusements of a like kind. Fancy the diguity of such an institution as the " Melbourne International Centennial Exhibition " being dragged in the dirt by such an accompaniment as a—shooting gallery. It will hardly be credited by unprejudiced readers, but it is not the less a fact that some of the exhibits are not even yet completed, and that unpacking is still going on. Final arrangements will be completed, I suppose, by the time the show ia ended —not until. "It is the worst managed Exhibition I ever had anything to do with," said one of the French Commissioners, whilst having a friendly glass of colonial wine at one of the bars, and I believe him. Apropos of colonial wiue, however, I am very glad to notice that the bars where this is retailed have become very popular, and eveu surpass tin lagerbeor kiosks in public favour. " A glass of wine, an olive, and a smile for threepence," is the announcement, and with the exception, perhaps, of the smile, which is slightly worn out from long and constant use, tha goods are worth the money. Mr Mnnro, the teetotal member of Parliament, christened the Exhibition tho "JDruaJkeries," but I really don't think it deserves the title, and I am sure if everybody patronised the colonial bars there would be obaqlntaly nothing of the kind. A man told me, •• For two shillings you can buy enough colonial wine to get drunk i»n," but the few cases of intoxication I have seen there were the result of whisky and gin, and not wine.