GREAT NATIONAL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 186, 3 May 1940, Page 6

GREAT NATIONAL SERVICE

Courts Officials At Exhibition

ENTERTAINED BY THE PRESIDENT

The president of the Cenieuuurl Exhibition, Mr. Sullivan, Minister or Industries and Commerce, last mgnt entertained the directors and management of the Exhibition, the commissioners of overseas courts and Pavilions, and the management and stalls or tue provincial reception-rooms, at a reception at the Exhibition. ••The Centennial Exhibition has licen an outstanding event in our history, said Mr. Sullivan. “Now the end or a gloriops achievement draws near. Here we have seen the indisputable evidence of Hie indissoluble ties that bind us to our sister nations in the great commonwealth of people who constitute the British Empire. Our overseas cousins have joined with us in the celebration of our first 100 years of ordered settlement, and we are grateful to them for their co-operation and assistance. We had a fine gesture of goodwill from our American cousins, and we are deeply indebted to our Californian friends for their most interesting exhibit. “The directors of the Exhibition Company, the Government, and Hie shareholders who subscribed the capital that enabled this exhibition to be held performed a great national service. Each of you has performed the duties devolving upon you with credit to yourselves and distinction to the organizations or Governments you brfvo so Worthily represented. “We here in New Zealand appreciate fully the representation of our sister nations, particularly at a time when more stern duties and vital calls were being made on the resources of the Empire. It would have been easy for each of them to express regret that the exigencies of the international situation prevented them joining with us iu the celebration of our centennial. They chose the better way; the way ot friendship and goodwill; and we are grateful to them for the prestige exhibits they forwarded. “As president of the exhibition, and, as the representative of the Government, I extend to you our sincere thanks and appreciation. I would ask vou to convey to your Governments our warm gratitude for their help to us. “For those entrusted with the care of the reception rooms in the Dominion Court, and the task of answering the thousand find one questions that visitors ask, theirs has been a strenuous duty. The other day I had some inquiries made as to the number of signatures that appear in the visitor’s books of the rooms: Hawke’s Bay, NelsonBuller, Canterbury, Northland and Southland all report well over 20,000 names each. These figures represent only a fraction of the numbers of persons who have passed through the rooms —probably one-third. Men from overseas ships and men of the Royal Navy have often expressed their appreciation of the helpfulness and courtesy that has always been shown to them, and throughout New Zealand there arc countless thousands who have pleasant recollections and happy memories of the time spent in the provincial reception rooms of the Dominion Court.”

“To all who iu any way whatsoever assisted to make the exhibition what it has been I extend my thanks. Now we approach the end of a great; adventure. We commence a new epoch. I feel sure that from the inspiration the exhibition has been we will all go forward into the second century imbued with the ideal of service, and determined that no effort we can make will go undone iu making New Zealand, in particular, and the world in general, a better and a happier place. If the message of the exhibition can do that then its success will be incalculable.” The chairman of directors, Mr. Hislop, mayor of Wellington, replied for the directors and management, Mr. G. If. Meadinore, commissioner-general for Hie United Kingdom pavilion, on behalf of the overseas representatives, the deputy-chairman of directors, Mr. Charles Todd, for the Dominion Court committee of which he is chairman, Mr. B. M. Bardsley on behalf of the Wellington court, Mr. C. H. Clibborn for the Canterbury court, Mr. T. \V. Leslie for the Westland court, Mr. C. S. Mac-’ kay for the Southland court, and Mr. J. J. Pollard for the South Island Travel Association.