THE EVENING GATHERING..

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 13

THE EVENING GATHERING..

The gathering in tho Chamber of Commerce was a fairly- . largo and thoroughly representative on»>. and the Commissioners were received with enthusiasm. Tho President of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. Mr E. G. Stareley, -crclcotted the delegates heartily. So far but little interest had been taken in the Exposition, and itwas a good thing that tho Commission bad journeyed to K ew Zealand. The speaker sincerely noped ite ro j s , sdon would be thoronghlv successful. The Canal -was one of the most stupendous and namlkw. aehicremfinte in the world and they hanllv osti . matae the benefit that would aecYue to the civilised world from it

AX IDEAL Country. Lx-Govomor Alva Adams. Commit

siouer-General of tlio Exposition, "was received with loud applause, and in his opening remarks was exceodingiy complimentary to the scenes ho had passed through during his brief stay in this { country, whicn he compared to a second .Eden. It sctniod to him as though ho had found tho model land, ] comparable as it was with tho best of many of tho most beautiful lands he had visited. Here tney seemed free rroffl tne entanglements of all countries and all conventions, and here should be tfco home of the itieal maxinood and tho ideal liberty and free government. There was not n. State in America that did not look to -New Zealanu and regard its progressive laws with sincere acuiuration, though in some- cases the legislation was not suitable for adoption. INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE. Tho Commission did not bring a kind's message, but they carried a message from Jnujily men, and President Wilson, and .-secretary of State IJryaii, were- men ho was proud to call _ nis friends. They carried a message ironi them to the people of New Zealand, mviting them to participate in this unique event. Trie Exposition wouia bave all the excellences of former impositions, and would typify the progress of tho aye that could complete sucn a feat as the construction of tho Panama Canal. They would find thero .tho highest achievements in art science, literature and genius, and ho asKea Now Zeatend not to be unrepresented as a member of tho great universal government of civilisation. New Zealand owed it to herself to bo represented at the Exposition. They were business men, and knew what meant; that was exemplified in too columns of their daily newspapers. « they missed such a chance f« thWj tnej could only bo compared with tho man who hid his talent in a napkinTho merchant tvho had goods to sell did not hide them up in his window, and a country which did not present n> needed publicity, andl tnjs VfJ™ £ spread all over the world.. Thi3 -nas tne gSest Exposition in *stop, ami * would bo the last, he Predicted, tho reason being exhaustion. California S,uld havo a bic deficit to,pay; go had put up 17-millions of dollars; tho other States had also contributed anu over 50 million dollars would havo boon spent before the doors of the .bxpo*ition would bo opened. Great Britain, he was sorry to soy. was not exhibiting, the reason Riven bein" , that Germany was not doing so, a reason that misht bo put down a* diplomacy. He had reason to believo that, now, as Germany had changed her mind. Great Britain wished the colonies to be represented. Canada had contributed 750,000 dollars, and was rroing to give more, and it was hoped that tho Mother Country ami the daughter States would combine for ~ue commercial honour of tho Empire. I be question of expense was to bo considered, but there was sometimes a loss in savins, and though he believed —cro ■was no crime greater than wasting tho ; people's money, yet there might bo a I greater loss and a greater crime involved in niggardliness. AN" ADVERTISING MEDIUM. Tho more- New Zealand became known the more people would wish to como to these favoured shores. They did not need clerks, or simulators, or Jiorsc- ! racers, hero, perhaps, but they <«id need sturdy men and women to till theland and increase the productiveness of tho country. He had ueen greatly struck with tho many advantages here. Thirinpc his trip through Australia and New Zealand no mendicant's hand had been outstretched for alms. Theso countries had no paupers and no millionaires but were nations of independent citizens. Any man who was will ing to work hero could achieve a living, and tho country and climate was of suck a character that energy, health, and strength werw tho almost universal possessions of tho fortunate people. It was better than a, land of opportunity, it was a- land of certainty. Ho foretold the 'time when under the skies of tho .Southern Hemisphere would bo found a great Anglo-Saxon people and nation, where every man was equal, and evenman was free. That was New Zealand's destiny, and tho world looked to New Zealand to achieve it. Ho refuted tho chargo that the Americans had a scheme at the back of tho Canal. The Commission -was typical of this; none of its members hnd any intorest in California, but had come at tho request of the President ar.d at their own expense to lay the whole matter before those who should be interested. In tho next fifty years the Pacific would be the theatre- of the world s activity, and as New Zealand exported more'raw products per capita than any other country of the world, sho was doubly intorested in tho Canal and all that it would mean to her commerce and" her prosperity. If tho peoples of America knew those- things about New Zealand that ho had found out during his stay, thero would not bo ships enough to carry over tho men and women who would bo £lad to_come over and shako hands with the people hero. DEFENCE MATTERS. Major 5. A. Cloman explained that his particular mission was to carry a. message to tho Defence Departments of Australia, and New Zealand to orgauise nnval and military representation at the Exposition. A great naval demonstration had been arranged for, but he felt -fchat if Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were not represented, the demonstration would not be~a completo success. They also hoped that the Government would send a section of the : land forces. Great, interest was taken in the military training hero, and all the best authorities were now agreed that time lost in compulsory service was not an industrial loss to tho country. Jt had beeu proved' that increased efficiency in after life was an invariable result of drill and physical exercise, and the net result*to the country- was a gain, and nor a loss. But among -Qjiglo-Saxon nations there was a rooted objection in preparing for war in the time or" peace, preparations which professional soldiers knew was vitally necessary. He repeated that the schemes of military training established in Australia and New Zpaland were regarded with the greatest interest in tho States, and he thought that as tho Canal had been a "soldier's job. , ' finished as it had bewi by the United States Army after a civilian failure, that H was particularly important that a suitable military demonstration should be held. Kβ had spent two years in the Canal zone, and naturally took the keenest personal interest in all the festivities that were to mark its opeaing. FACTS ABOUT THE FAIR. Major Clomaa then gave the audience eoiao intensely interesting particulars o; the Espwsuion, wuicn would have features never before aUemptcd at any esinb.tion of tht. kind. Tue extent of the area covtivtl by the Exposition was t>lo acres, aiid the trouble had been to concentrate it iut-o as small a tpjic*j as possible and not to spread it out. The site was one of the moot glorious ia the world, and the greatest attention had I been paid to ali the architectural de- j tills, colouring, lighting, transport, etc. Though many of the buildings were composed of different styles of architecture- on the different sides, yet advantage had been taken of the fact that no one could sco all four sides of a building at once, and the views from any part of the grounds were all thoroughly in accord. The transport would be on the most up-to-date lines, a novelty being the ekctric chairs and moving 'ways, as well as the ordinary

forms of light railway and tram transport. Thero would be no white buildings or glaring colour?, in fact, the only white would bo the "stripes in the national flag, and the colour scheme bad b»ien designed to emulate tho summer and autumn tiiits of California.. The lighting would bt> unique; night would be as bright as day, and all the buildings distinct, yet- no glaring lights woufd bo seen, and so carofully had everything been thought out that an ingenious system of concealed lights had been invented to prevent any shadows beinjj: tbrown on tho painoes by the tall columns. Tfacy could rpfy on him when he said th<» Exposition "would bo a very "wonderful and marvellous affair altogether. AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. Mr Stallsmith, Chief of the Agricultural l>epartnieni, of the Exposition, said when ho was a young man ho used to write letters to New Zealand as private secretary to }ir \V. I>eering, tho binder aud implement maker, and he had always wished to visit tho country. The Exposition was really a great educational institution, and the people there might bo likened to students. There was nothing liko travel and observation to edncato a man or a people. _ It was customary in such au enterprise for each great nation to have a building of its own, but at tho Exposition, tho products would be shown in the special palaces; the whole of the Apricultural produce would be shown in .the Pala«.> of Agriculture, and co on. But national pavilioas would be allowed _ for social purposes, and these pavilions, while in keeping architecturally with tho whole, should be furnished and decorated by tho products of the nation or Stat** which it represented. He sincerely hoped Now Zealand would bo represented. 31r Sevier briefly proposed the health lof the chairman, who responded by thanking th/> visitors for the'interestiuK and ins-tr'.3ctivc addresses thoy had civen. n voto of thanks being passed by acclamation.