BIRD'S-EYE VIEW.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1921, 2 December 1913, Page 9

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW.

FEATURES OF THE EXHIBITION. ITS SIGHTS & SCENES. (By Tolcsrapli.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, December 1. The Exhibition will remain open for at least live months. It is in somo respects tho largest and most important yet held in New Zealand. Tho grounds and buildings, are contained within ail area of '18 acres, and a sum of over £30,000 was spent in their preparation. On present appearances tho Exhibition should make a considerable profit, and the wholo of this is to be devoted to improving and beautifying the Domain in. a portion of which the Exhibition is situated. The floor of the principal' building, the Palace of Industries, is 02 acres in extent and contains two miles of stall frontages. Tho building, which contains the Government courts, covers nearly two acres of ground, and the machinery building about one acre. In addition to thoso there is a great number of smaller buildings scattered about, somo of flipm occupied by sections of the Exhibition proper, and others used by persons who arc conducting independent enterprises. Wonderland Park, to which visitors aro admitted free, is immediately behind tho Exhibition Buildings, and it occupies another 15 acres. It is said to bo tho finest, amusement park ever brought together in New Zealand, and is expected to prove a source of great attraction.

Three Sptclal Features. There are three special features of the Exhibition -which are worth mentioning. The first is the, presence of the band of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, which has been brought to Auckland by the Exhibition authorities at u cost of about £70110. Tlio second feature is the splendid collection of over GOO paintings which has been brought to Auckland by Mr. John Ikillio and which are now on view in the Exhibition Art Gallery. They represent some oi' the best work of all of the leading modern painters of Britain, and some very fine examples of the work of the older masters are also shown. The third special feature is tho fairy Fountain. Tho basin, which lins ;i diameter of CO feet, is siLuatod just in i'ronj. of tho Palace of Industries. ■ Thirty pines send columns of water to a height of 70 feet, and powerful lamps let into the bottom of the basin play coloured Ijirhts upon the. fountain. Tho effect which is obtained at night when the grounds and buildings are lit up with thousands or- lamps can be heller imagined than described. The cost of such an installation has been considerable, but the expense has been more than justified by tho resultTlio exhibition may be seen long before one readies it The two towers

of tho main building show up vividly among t%o green trees, and behind them tho huge structures of Wonderland are plainly seen, suggesting something at onco mysterious and colossal. Tlio main gates are designed to accommodate big crowds. There aro a number of turnstiles designed to automatically count t'lio peoplo as they enter, and there aro special entrances for season tickct-holdcrs, officials, employees, ctc. A Scene of Beauty. Inside the gales the visitor comes upon a very beautiful scene. Here the Exhibition supervisor, Mr. A. K. Pearce, and tho City Council's landscape gardener, Mr. T. Pearson, 'havo done wonderful work. When the work was commenced in September, 1910, the present site of tho Exhibition was a rough volcanic hillside, sloping down to tho old Domain ponds. On one side was a group of pinus insignis trees, many old but richly-foliaged oaks, poplars, weeping jvilloivs, and northern pines. The main gateway admits tho \isitor to a, kind of shallow basin, the I rim of which is crowned with white and red-roofed buildings, partly concealed by tho luxuriant foliage of English trees. Tho basin is split into lawns and gardens .by winding .pathways of pink-coloured' scoria, leading in all directions. Tho restrained and wonder-fully-harmonised colours of tho flowerbeds catch and gladden tho eye everywhere. Tlio visitor turns constantly freni one pleasing-, combination of colour to another. Here, a piettily-design-ed tea kiosk peeping out from among tho foliage of oak trees, which spring from among beds of beautiful and seasonable flowers; thero a red roof shows enticingly over tho luxuriant vegetation which surround tho ponds. Tho ponds themselves havo bqpn cleaned up and rearranged and ma'do gorgeous -with water-lilies and artistic with rustic bridges and ornamental shrubs.

Some Strlkins Fieurss. An enormous quantity o[ building material lias been used in tho Exhibition. Mr. Pcarcc gives the amount of timber as one and a half million feet, in other words, if every piece of timber were placed end to end it would reach \ery nearly to Palmerston North, over 300 miles. The bolts used numbered no fewer than 36,000, and tho ironwork and rails weighed 43 tons. _ Tho. corrugated and galvanised iron weighed 900 tons, and tho paint used amounted to six tons. The grass seed required to sow the lawns was contained in '23 sacks, and the uSitermains and pipes in tilt) grounds, measure nearly two miles. Tlicro wero 5J miles of spouting and ridging used. Tho sashes and doors of the buildings if laid all together would cover one-third of an acre. The main buildings crowning the slopo immediatelv in front, of the principal entrance to the grounds, and clearly distinguished bv reason of its twin towers, one of wliich rises from each sido of the doorway, covers no loss than three and tvrolifths acres. Under it.' roof are more than half tho exhibitors, and. from tho managerial and other offices 'which it contains the whole elaborate machinery of the Exhibition is controlled within the main door. Stretching to tho right and left are the offices wliicli have been piloted to tir-; president, tho secretary, tho manager, tho supervisor, the post office, tho Customs, etc. Two Miles of Street FrontageTho remainder of tho building has been divided into six bays and into each'bay'there arc two passageways. Along each side of tho 2-11 exhibitors who occupy this building tho stalls rango from tiny affairs three or lour feet square to Jingo displays occupying a great part of an entire bay. Eacli passageway is 350 feet long, and as there are twelve of them a person desiring to ceo tho whole of tho exhibits in this building must walk very nearlv. a mile. Therefore, there aro -stalls on cither hand there aro nearly two miles ot stalls lron.tages in t!:o building. Within tho stalls aro displayed a' great mass of goods, impossible of classification or of reasonably comprehensive description. AMiilo a considerable proportion of theso articles are shown in order 10 advertise the merits of some' particular manufacture, a very large number are offered for sale. As a quick cash.salo and a largo turnover were tho 'inducements winch brought all of tlicso stallholders to tho Exhibition, it can bo understood that the articles which are displayed aro of a character likely to attract a holiday-making crowd. There aro, for instance, some lialf-a-dozen stalls devoted t-o tho sale of Exhibition souvenirs—all sorts of quaint and unusual tilings that people like to buy at a big fair and send to their friends. Stalls of a somewhat similar character tell goldwiro jewellery, postcards, tapestry, carvings, Maori curios, aluminium gcods,"lndian goods, Swiss embroidery', foreign stamps, otc. Almost all ol these stalls contain tho novelties that give an Exhibition its spccial charactc/ and attract a crowd.

Some of tho Exhibits. Soino very line exhibits have J)ccn made by the retailer:; of the cily. 'Ihe;:_e indeed are tho backbone of the Exhibition. The drapery firms, particularly, have gone to great expense and trouble to arrange effective displays, and some of their stalls are really works ol art. I'ractically every trade is represented. The Union Stenin Ship Company, the Northern Steam Ship Company, tho llnddart-l'arker Company, and tho I'. and O. Company have madt> large exhibits that are a credit, to the men who have designed and carried out, the work. Considerable space is occupied in the Government building by it line exhibit by the llailwayn Department. This is divided into three seclioiiK'-oiie lor the maintenance branch, one for tin' locomotive branch, and the third lor the signal ami interlocking branch, 'Jlie last-named embrace!! the electrical ooctioJis of tho Department's work-;. Tho Postal and 'Megr'anli and Agricultural Departments also have line displays. Quite ono of the most inteiTiitinij and instructive of the Government exhibit:'/ is contained in the mining court. An important portion of tlm exhibit in placed at the entrance to the building, in the shape of two gilded <jh"lisks representing tho £82,000,000 worth of gold produced in New Zealand to (late. Alongside the entrance also is a partially polished block of greenstone, weighing about five tons. A special feature of the mining court UsHf is the fire-damn observatory. Iluilding stones from the most important ((Uarries in the Dominion aro shown in cubes, and on tho wall of tho court aro two mineral maps of New Zealand, each 75 fct in r.rca, also geological maps. The decorations of the court are in handsome old lettering, and a gorgeous coat of amis is conspicuous. There are, too, panels showing in gilt letters and figures the mineral output of New Zealand to tho end of 1912 as being valued at £118 159,12 L. An innovation has been made in the manner of exhibiting the eountrv's various and varied mineral ore's. A line of ornamental gilded tubes containing bulk samples of ore stands on an upholstered platform. There are specimens of quart/, from the \\aihi, the Talisman, the Waihi Grand Junetion, and the Thames mines, and alluvial samples from the AYost Coast and Otago goldliolds. Specially rich sampler, of the following ores are also displayed ; Cinnabar, seheelite, silver, lead, tellnridc iron, and manganese. There are also' exhibited largo blocks of nativo copper from tile Aniseed mine Nelson, oil shale from Orcpuki, phosphate rock from Otago, and a line piece of greenstone Nuggets and specimen stones of "rent whitess are exhibited iu glasscovered cases, including some ISonanza ore from the. Talisman mine, ranging m value up to £302 per ton The exhibit contain:', also one of the largest lumps of Taupo sulphur ever won, weighing about 1501b., and samples of kauri gum in commercial ornament form. The educational court is a notably

lino one from lh" educationalists' point of view ami I lie Tourist pops rtinciit has a splendid collection oi - New Zealand views. Tlio Aquarium. A cool mid inviting appearance is given lo I lie interior of the aquarium by'its (Tillnil pool and lountaiu and tho dororalivo palms and pot plants placed in a favourable place. Then the Kishoriet Department has an exhibit of live and dead members oi' the liiiiiy lillie. In the artistically designed m|U:iuum building tiieie aro eight wall (auk* which have been let ill oil each side of I lie building. These contain fresh water and backed in by rocks and stones a different variety of lish can be seen swimming around in each tank. .Through Iho glass front in tlio JO receptacles are specimens of quiunaf salmon fry, brown, rainbow, and American brook trout,, perch, tench, common goldlish, silver carp, six varieties of Japanese goldlish, fresh writer tortoises, Japanese newts, and eels. Tno pool in tlio centre of the floor which has raised walls and in the middle a rookery and fountain contains yearling and two-year-old rainbow trout, two-year-old American brook trout, and £omo of the largest perch procurable. Tho .Marine, Defence, and Labour Departments aro all represented by good displays. Fiji's Quaint Court. The quaintly embellished court of tho Fiji Government will at onco attract tlio eye of the visitor. Native mats and dresses made from dyed librea, and grasses of various hues hang from the upper portions of tho court's partitions, giving it character and local colour, Contained in this unique exhibit from the Islands are many valuable and interesting curios, models of surf canoes, pottery,. tappa (.native cloth), screens, etc., collccted for the purpose of tho Exhibition. The resources of North Auckland aro very strikingly set forth iu the district court. The collection of mineral.'!, dairy produce, wool, flax, timber, fruits, and other products of tho territory represented is a very comprehensive .and impressive one. and tile arrangement is happy. Tho eye is first attracted by a 25-I'oot waterfall, which is a cleverly-con trived representation or the Whaugarei Falls (with plants and foliage reproduced), and serves as .a background to tho Court.

Tho Machinoi-y Hail. ' 'Jo tho left of the main hall, opening off i'-ic pathway leading to Wonderland, is tho entranco to the machinery hall, a building covering about an aero of ground, and divided into thro*? spacious bays. Some very fine displays of motorcars arc made in this section. Tho very latest and most modern ears are shown. Exhibits especially interesting because they guide us inevitably to tho tutur© development of machinery are those showing various kinds of clcctric appliances. Tho industries represented in tho machinery hall are almost innumerable. Cement-making, rope and twino work's, flour milling, and brewing aro all represented. Engineering goods occupy several stalls, and building materials and paints aro shown in many places. Occasion has been taken to advertise many proprietary lines, and the range of articles on view varies lrom olive oil to extension ladders, from phonographs to ocean launches, from whisky to brown coat. Wonderland Par!;, Wonderland Park is the playground of the Exhibition, and it will prove an irresistible attraction to the largo majority of visitors, not simply because it provides a medium for enjoyment to people who aro on pleasure bent, but on account of the excellence' and novelty of its manifold amiu-emcnts, I'ho area, devoted to Wonderland is very much larger than that at tho Christehurclr Exhibition, and considerably greater scope has therefore been afforded tho authorities in carryisiK out their scheme. The number of actual attractions is also greater than at' Christchurch. Great care has been taken in designing tho nark, and, the general scheme which lias been "followed will obviate the confusion which visitors jiHiietiincs experience through tho jumbled arrangement of shows. In one tour the visitor may seo everything there is to bo seen, and from tho lawn on tho highest point of tho ground visitors may survey the animated sceno from cud to «nd of the park. Ouco insido tho imposing entrance one first meets with tho continuous picture show adjoining which is the ever-popular water-slnitc, which is destined to form 0110 of tho delights of the playground. Tho chute itself is of large dimensions, and immediately attracts tile eye. There aro two other amusements of the same kind oil tho ground—tho toboggan slide and tho "Figure eight coastal railway." Tho former has a descent of over 400 feet, down which small passenger cars will run at llio same time, thus giving their occupants the thrills of racing. Tho latter is a gigantic framework now to' New Zealand, and it is likely to'bo one of the greatest attractions of tlie park. It has a track a quarter of a milo in length, and in the shape of the figure S. Passengers will bo hauled in small carriages up an inclined plane to the ton of tho structure, and then "coast" down tho sinuous track to the bottom. An imitation iceberi forms the entrance to a circular buildini;, in which is shown the cyrloramn ".Scott's Dash to the Polo." There is also r. hippodrome, a "soa trip," a haunted castle, a helter-skelter, aerial . flight, "rowsy towsy," "uigsrer splash." "collapsing staircase," and many other features. Tho Art Gallsry. In the art gallery the finest of this year's Royal Academy pictures now on show is probably E.' A. IJorncl's rein a rkabl" st.iulv, "Wh-cre Larks and Seabirds Call." ft is a bold and wonderful composition that is certain to attract attention. "A T.trk's Battle Story of ]!)1 y," with its clover and efi'cciivo suggestion of the Orient, is a good oxamph} of the work of John Clark? R.J. Other Ifll.'l Academy pictures now in the Gallery aro "Kgton Fair," a .mountain study I)v John Atkinson, "A Berkshire Upland" In- Fred. I-Inll. "A Study of a Lady" by W. Frank Caldcron, a famous painter of portraits. "A Winter's Afternoon." a very fine picture by .J. llntcbiK'Mi Lobl"V, "Afl"r the Storm" by Thomas Hunt. H.S.W.. "Ere the Flying flours Oo By" by S. Melton Fisher, who is showini' several notable paintings; "The lied Cloak," a striking pielure by Mouat T.oudan, which is already being sought after bv probable mireiinsers; two pictures by Geo. Clausen. P.A., and "On the Lookout," bv "Robert AHcn, Ti.W.S. Pictures which attracted some attention at the Intemational. and wliicli are liow on view here, are "Oil the Lifl'cy," by William Ortsen, A.P.A., P.IT.A.; a portrait of Mrs. Harrison, liv Herald Kelly, whose other portraits cf the same lady ha v o been purchased by art societies in different P'irts of the world, and who "dso sWmvs "Tho Basket mnker" and "Tlie .Thii'd Floor Pack." One of ihe most remarkable and liov.'erful pictures now being shown is "The Yellow Coat," by Miss If. L. Gloag, R. 0.1., a pi inter who. after years of hard work, has sudder.lv become famous and sought aftc- As an illustration of how an extraordinary effect may bo obtained with a brush, it ■stands alone. A considerable number «f If)l3 Academy pictures are on exhibition, among others hoini; Fred Unc' I '- "Tho Barricade,." .Tames Clark's "Hero," Clievallier Taylor's "The Christmas Tree," and pictures bv Bertram Vri".'*man, P. 0.1.. Clias. W. Simpson and C../. Coutts Mileh.ei, A.U.S.A.