The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1884. The New Zealand Exhibition.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1385, 21 November 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1884. The New Zealand Exhibition.

When the idea of establishing annual exhibitions in the principal centres of population in the colony was first mooted by the Government, we expressed ourselves strong'y in favor of it, as affording a far more satisfactory means of developing local industries than either protection or the granting of bonuses. From the very full details as to the carrying out of the proposed scheme given by Sir Julius Vogel in answer to the influential deputation which waited on him yesterday, it is evident that the Government is thoroughly in earnest in the matter. It is not proposed to waste money in erecting expensive buildings, and we think that the Colonial Treasurer was not over-sanguine when he stated that the whole cost would not greatly exceed the Lx.ooo already passed by the Legislature for the purpose. There is, of course, to be taken into account the money to be obtained by the sale of refreshment and other privileges, the charge for the admission of the public, and the amounts to be paid by exhibitors for space, which would probably come very near meeting the whole of the absolutely necessary expenditure. Another wise provision is to make the Exhibition of a distinctly colonial character, all imported articles to be treated simply as exhibits and not allowed to enter into competition with the manufactures of New Zealand. The mam object is to let people know exactly what is the nature of our local industries, and this is likely to be more satisfactorily done by adopting the suggestion of Sir Julius Vogel, than by the establishment of a huge bazaar like that of Messrs Joubert and Twopeny at Christchurch. The question of an Executive Council to carry out the undertaking has been considered, and it is proposed to ask the Industrial Associations in the colony to assist in this direction. Taking the Christchurch Association as an example, it is doubtful whether these institutions have done much good up to the present. Nevertheless, there are many men connected with them who possess special knowledge which would be invaluable to the Government in preparing the details of an Exhibition, and time would be more profitably spent in this way than in discussing exploded theories like Free Trade, which seems to have hitherto formed their principal business. In fact, the Treasurer has opened up a sphere of usefulness for these Associations which it is to be hoped they will take advantage of. What we cannot so clearly understand is the proposition to reward successful exhibitors by granting scholarships to their “ sons, daughters, nephews and nieces,” bringing with them the right to secondary education for a period of eight years. The principle of our system of education is that these scholarships should be given because their recipients have I gained a title to them through some I special merit of-their own, and not be-1

cause their fathers or their uncles have managed to secure a prize in an Exhibition. Local industries should certainly be encouraged as much as possible, but to adopt this idea of Sir Julius Vogel would be pampering them to an absurd degree. The Treasurer was perhaps carried away by the exuberance of the moment when he threw out this extraordinary suggestion, and it is to be hoped that it will be abandoned by the Government before a final decision is arrived at on the question. The speech to the deputation was throughout tinged with that kind of enthusiasm which is contagious, and we have no doubt it will have the effect of inciting, not only the people of Wellington, who will reap the greatest benefit from the first Exhibition, but the whole colony, to take energetic and organised action, and if this is done the projected Exhibition cannot fail to be a success.