PANAMA EXHIBITION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2357, 13 January 1915, Page 7

PANAMA EXHIBITION

NEW ZEALAND AND AMERICA COMMISSIONER CLIFTON'S REVIEW, (From a Correspondent.) The Dominion of Now Zealand is • gaining considerable prominence throughout the United States, and particularly at San Francisco, where, under the beneficent guidance of Mr. Edmund Clifton, of Wellington. Trade Commissioner of New Zealand and the Government representative at tlie Panama-Pa-cific Exposition, the Dominion's participation at the great World's Fair at San Francisco, commencing on February 20 next, New Zealand will prove to the American public, as well as the rest of the world s visitors, her special claims and potentialities in diverse respects. In the course of an interesting interview at his headquarters at San Francisco, Commissioner Clifton, said: "The New Zealand preparations for participation in tihe 'Panama Exposition are rapidly advancing and the national pavilion is practically completed, • so much so that the exhibits from New Zealand are now being installed in the Dominion's building. The last steamer reaching San Francisco from New Zealand brought Mr. M. O'Brien, the assistant commissioner, who acted as secretary for the committee in New Zealand. . Under his direotion the arrangements were made for the selection, collection, and transportation of New Zealand'B varied exhibits. Mr. Alex M'Pherson has also arrived in California as principal executive officer in assembling the exhibits, and to him is relegated the general control of New Zealand's participation in the Palace of Agriculture, where the Dominion's exhibits will be displayed for competition against the world. "Mr. M'Pherson's long experience in Australasia at various exhibitions held there at the winter shows throughout New Zealand where he is so well known, is an assurance that New Zealand's participation at San Francisco Panama-Pa-cific Exposition will be appreciative and interesting. i "For the New Zealand pavilion a large number of ferns has been provided for its conservatory, which' will serve as a Now Zealand feature in California. The plants that arrived earlier from New Zealand have been carefully ou't'roted by the Exposition executive that has extended every assistance to the foreign participants at the approaching World's Fair of 1915. The collection of fem trees received some time past has been under the care of the bupermtendent of Parks, Mr. Maclaren, and has been located in one of the Exposition's immense 2lass-houseß. Altogether the plants from New Zealand should form a collection that would appeal to all visitors interested in sylvan pursuits.

' It will be eminently satisfactory to recognise that through a concession obtained by the Commissioner from the Executive of the Exposition that New Zealand has been specially permitted to set lip its own distinctive court in one of the palaces—the Palace of Agricul-ture-having been selected for that feature. Here a space of nearly 14,000 square feet has been appropriated by the Exposition officials for Now Zealand s competitive purposes. This forms the 'New Zealand court,' and in this the whole of its exhibits will he arranged in one comprehensive display. Tlie exhibits that were received for New Zealand's agricultural contribution, such as food prodncts, together with displays under the separate headings of mines, transportation, manufactures, varied industries, liberal arts, and which would under the original plan haye been distributed in the different ! palaces'will now'all be'drawn into this one central court. This will afford New Zealand a splendid opportunity of showing these exhibits in a far more attractive manner than would have been possible had it been compulsory to erect so many smaller courts in these several palaces. Under the'old plan the widely separated exhibits of any nation would almost be lost sight'of, whereas now the New Zealand display for competition will be harboured in one specific court. Provision will be made in the New Zealand court of the duo display of all these different sections. In agriculture will be observed the cereals in sheaves with grain, seeds, etc., shown together with wool in fleece/ and the same material in the earlier form of manufacture.

"In the food products, beef, mutton, lamb, butter, oheese, and- fruit will be provided for in insulated show cases where the means of controlling temperature will be also provided. The installation of this refrigeration plant is m process of erection. The N<<v Zealand collection of mining with the exemplification, of met-' -is being set out. Provision for ,+" display required in liberal arts/ take in another section of this. ,(irt, and similarly will space he allocated for manufacturers and exhibits of transportation. "New Zealand's outlook regarding trade conditions on the Pacific Coast cannot be described as even reasonably good. The conditions brought about by the unfortunate war in Europe militated very reriously against the trade's increase. The promises of last year, where there was every interest shown in this developing trade, especially that for butter, meat, wool, and New. Zealand hemp, have been entirely disorganised. l-l"\ 'A vei 7 oaoouragrng to note that the butter from New Zealand is being placed onthe markets of the more northern mties, such as Vancouver and Seattle, and there it is now recognised as a Btandard of those northern markets. "The greatly enhanced price of wheat is perhaps the sole appreciation of the American farmer since the war -occurred. Wheat in the United States is demand almost beyond the possibilities of transportation. Wheat, indeed, has touched its record in the grain markets of the United States. Today it is quoted as high as two dollars twenty cents per hundred pounds, or the t\ew Zealand equivalent of slightly over nine shillings per cental. Possibly these are only factors—the increase in wheat prices and the demand of manufactures by tho belligerent states—that have appealed to the popular feeling in America. . "The entire sentiment of the people of America is at one with tho Allies. Certain neivspapors occasionally publish some adverse criticism, and 'the old feeling or idea may remain, that of twisting the tail of the British lion, ii ,ls ™ c Mt amusement, and the methods of the Germans in warfare in conducting the war are reprobated on all sides. A curious instance occurred lately in San Francisco of the feeling assertive of the Gorman people. The official representative of Germany, its tonsul, addressed an audience in San I I'mncisco, in which he recommended virtually a boycott of all goods not made m America or Germany. He made aa. appeal to the Gormans, and those of German descent that when making any purchases, the first inquiry should he Are those goods manufactured in America?' Failing that, 'Do they come tram Germany ' and unless they were ho products of one of those countries that the wonld-ho purchaser should retrain from buying. Ho declared that it was unpatriotic of the Germans to do otherwise; that those who permitted themselves to purchase the productions made by the Allies were committing a crime against their country. He asserted that the profit from all those articles was to be devoted to the maintenance of troops or of the building of battlesnips. « 3^ e i<"jPPjars te.hars been no re- ™>«* eSfot&-Ijo this .ftp'waL. Ji.wlA