H.—s

2

which were not sent by private exhibitors, but which were necessary for the proper representation of the colony. The space originally allotted to New Zealand was about 6,000 feet, but owing to the unexpectedly large number of exhibits this space proved quite insufficient. The difficulty, however, was met in the most courteous manner by Mr. P. A. Jennings, the Executive Commissioner, who arranged, though not without considerable trouble, for its extension, and the space finally occupied by New Zealand amounted to 11,876 square feet; to which has to be added 3,000 feet of space occupied by the Maori house in the Exhibition grounds, making a total of 14,876 feet, being nine times the space occupied by the colony at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. In accordance with a resolution of the Commissioners, a Handbook of New Zealand, giving a general account of the colony, its mineral and other resources, and the latest statistical information, and accompanied by diagrams and maps, was prepared; and 2,000 copies have been distributed and sold at Sydney, and 500 copies in the colony and other places. The following is a classified abstract of the total expenditure which has been incurred for the i*epresentation of New Zealand at the Sydney International Exhibition up to the end of February, to which will have to be added a further sum of about £600 to defray expenses up to the close of the Exhibition, and for the return of the exhibits; but against this may bo placed an almost equal amount, being the value of show-cases and other fittings to be transferred to the Melbourne Exhibition: — „ r, Summary of Expenditure. Local committees and assisted exhibits, £987 35.; salaries and office expenses, £437 12s. Id.; storage, packing, and shipping, £230 Is. j plans and publications, £548 10s. 2d.; freight, £442 14s. 7d.; insurance, £252 19s. 9d.; furniture fittings, show-cases, and New Zealand Court decorations, £932 Is. 6d.; Maori house, £165; maintenance of Court, £492 2s. Bd.; contingencies—passage money, advertising, &c, £90 2s. sd. : total, £4,578 7s. 2d. (Note. —The above amount includes some accounts amounting to £162 os. lid. in course of payment at Sydney.) Although the official opening took place on the 17th of September, the general arrangement of the Exhibition was not completed until the 10th of November, when there was a second official opening, with some degree of ceremony, on the Prince of Wales's Birthday. The only New Zealand exhibits affected by this delay were some of the heavier mineral specimens, the arrangement of which in the basement could not be accomplished until the space there was cleared; and the Museum collections, which were placed as part of the general ethnographical collection, arranged in a gallery over the New Zealand and Queensland Courts. This collection, which was formed at my suggestion, included exhibits to the number of over 6,000, from all countries and colonies exhibiting such articles, a share of the expense of the whole arrangement being charged to each. Some delay was occupied in putting up the Maori house, as the Executive Commissioner for the Exhibition wished it to be placed on a site that was, until a very late day, occupied by workshops, so that it was not until the middle of October that the erection was commenced. Finding that it would cost at least £700 to erect in the ordinary manner as a Maori house, the walls were reversed so that the carvings showed on the outside; and the total cost, including painting and roofing with Chinese matting, was reduced to £165. By the middle of November the whole of the New Zealand exhibits were in thorough order, and all details required for the information of the Judges completed, which enabled me to return to New Zealand, leaving the control of the New Zealand interests at the Exhibition in charge of Mr. A. S. Webster, whom your Excellency was pleased to appoint a Resident Commissioner in Sydney. Mr. Webster's services have since then been particularly useful to the colony as a member of the Conference of Foreign Commissioners, and I wish specially to acknowledge the judicious manner in which many difficult and delicate questions connected with the appointment of Judges and other matters have been desalt with by him. Up to the present time official notification has only been received of the awards that have been made in certain classes in the departments of Mining, Manufactures, and Agriculture; and from the accompanying return it would appear that, so far as at present ascertained, 25 per cent, of the New Zealand exhibits have received favourable awards; but the Judges' reports on at least half of the number of exhibits have yet to be received.

Summary of Awards to New Zealand, official intimation of which has been received at Wellington up to 31st March, 1880.

Depaetment. Class. G-EOTIP. Awards. I 1st. 2nd. 3rd. 4th. Com. I. Minerals 1. Manufactures... 100-107 206-216 229-241 251-253 Minerals, building stones, &c. Ceramics, pottery, &c. Woven and felted goods Clothing, &c. 9 1 2 7 1 3 1 4 1 6 1 3 2 20 3 14 4 iTl. Agriculture ... 600-603 623-626 636-637 Animal products used as food Agricultural products Fermented and other drinks 2 6 5 1 10 5 1 1 4 36 13 io 2 9 1 I i 25 23 24 15 2 94