B. 6

XVI

Table showing the Increases in the undermentioned Industries for the Years 1885 to 1900.

NEW ZEALAND INTEECOLONIAL FAIE. It is now some years since the colony promoted a national exhibition. In several of the large centres industrial exhibitions have been successfully held, and this is a. good augury for holding a Fair, and on a scale unprecedented south of the Line. This is requisite if full justice is to be done to the settlement and development of the colony, its resources and manufactures, its commerce, its grand, unique, and beautiful scenery, and its arts and products. Next year the St. Louis Exposition, to which we propose this colony shall send exhibits, takes place, and an Exhibition is also to be held at Cape Town, and an Industrial Exhibition is to be held at Wellington. And to hold an Intercolonial Fair in New Zealand in 1905-6 would be most opportune. It is hoped that by that time railway connection between Auckland and Wellington may be effected, and that Christchurch may have complete connection by rail with Cheviot. The selection of the place in which the Exhibition should be held has given the Government much concern. Finally we came to the conclusion that Hagley Park, Christchurch, is the most fitting place. There space is available, the lake and Eiver Avon lend themselves to gondola, water-chute, and switchback, and with the electrical installation of the city and the electric city trams the means of transit are provided. It is now nearly twenty years since the last colonial Exhibition was held in the City of the Plains, and under all the circumstances I refer the suggestion herein contained to the favourable consideration of honourable members, feeling assured they will not from local considerations object to that which will prove to be of immense benefit to our colony. The necessity for giving timely notice, and for obtaining shortly the opinion of the House upon the matter, arises from the fact that it will be necessary to communicate with the Imperial Government, the Governments of other countries, India, Canada, South Africa, the Commonwealth and State Governments of Australia, and inform them of the time fixed for holding a grand Intercolonial New Zealand Fair.

Industry. 1885. 1900. Increase. Meat freezing and preserving and boil-ing-down works... Tanning, fellmongering, and woolscouring Butter and cheese factories... Sawmills and sash and door factories ]ron and brass foundries, boiler-making, machinists, &c. (not including Government railway workshops) Clothing and boot and shoe factories... Printing establishments (not including Government Printing Office) Breweries and malthouses ... Woollen-mills Gasworks Furniture and cabinetmaking Coach building and painting works ... Flax-mills Biscuit-factories ... Chaff-cutting works Bacon-curing Soap and candle works Aerated-water factories Agricultural-implement factories Brick, tile, and pottery works Spouting and ridging works Tmware-factories ... £ 543,878 3,834,891 £ 3,291,013 634,915 43,094 1,177,713 1,888,107 1,535,150 1,268,689 1,253,192 1,492,056 90,976 368,919 514,506 924,171 858,280 555,252 343,774 273,886 421,197 194,311 194,653 162,375 128,346 20,059 47,784 54,440 58,799 130,745 94,098 111,823 91,797 25,478 8,500 704,285 659,298 359,382290,567 241,024 216,077 203,492 197,989 169,313 159,564 158,649 151,811 138,094 122,230 112,691 98,587 430,399 238,101 165,071 95,914 78,649 87,731 183,433 150,205 114,873 100,765 27,904 57,713 26,271 30,433 87,213 90,087