OPENING CEREMONY

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 72, 26 March 1934, Page 14

OPENING CEREMONY

THE MAYOR'S TRIBUTE

LARGEST AND BEST

The opening of the eleventh annual exhibition of the combined Wellington Show Association and the Wellington Manufacturers' Association took place in the stadium of the Winter Show Building on Saturday afternoon before a large gathering of the public. The ceremony was performed by the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), who. was accompanied by Mrs. Hislop. The Hon.- J. A. Young, Minister of Internal Affairs, also addressed those present. Mr. Young's remarks are reported under separate' Headings. The Prime. Minister, the Kt. Hon. G. W. Porbes, was to haye been associated with the Mayor in :the opening ceremony, but ho was unable to be present. Tributes to the national value of the show were paid by the speakers: . , Among those on the platform besides the Mayor and Mayoress and Mr. Young were Mr. C. J. B. Norwood, president of the Show Association, and Mrs. Norwood, Mr. and Mrs. P. Butler, and Mr. T. A. Muntz, H.M. Assistant Trade Commissioner, and Mrs. Muntz. Bouquets wore presented to the Mayoress and Mrs. Norwood by Miss Gwendoline Goldsmith. Mr. Norwood, who presided, welcomed the-guests. "It has again -come rouad to the period of our exhibition, and I hope the conditions, under which wo meet are at least a little better than they were last year," said Mr. Norwood. A close survey of the exhibits indicated that the show was probably the best the association had promoted for many years. The reason for this was no doubt due to changing conditions. He believed that there woe signs on the horizon which were pointing the way to greater stability and greater happiness. The exhibition represented every phase of New Zealand's commerce and 'industry, and he trusted that everybody who took an interest in the country's welfare would visit it. He would like ■to congratulate stallholders on the artistic display of their goods. The local manufacturers' exhibits represented a high standard of workmanship. MUCH OF INTEREST. The stock section, continued Mr. Norwood, promised to be very good, andwould be a matter of interest for conntry and town talk alike. Everything possible was being done to make- the stock exhibitors feel that their contribution to the show was worth while. On the sporting side of the stock fair there would be plenty of thrills. In entertainment generally, the association had been able to make provision for something fresh every night. The interhouse girls' competition, in which nineteen teams, comprising nearly two hundred girls, had entered, would prove a great attraction. In conclusion, Mr. Norwood' stressed the educative value of such exhibitions. ORIGIN OF THE SHOW. The Mayor said it was a great privilege for him to open the show. One's mind went back to the origin of the Wellington Show Association. Some ten or eleven years ago a:group of enthusiastic men believed it was desirable to have such a- show, as it was necessary that there'should bo staged in Wellington an exhibition showing the local industrial capabilities, and as a result there was instituted in the Harbour Board's sheds on. tho wharf an annual show. . Such was the sueeess of their efforts that they aimed to make the show a permanent fixture. They banded (together and obtained from the City Council a long lease of portion of the Town Belt, and then set to work and raised the money to erect upon the site the building in which the show was now being held. Their work showed initiative, courage, and imagination. Along with other sections of the community, however, they suffered the full force of, the economic conditions which came upon New Zealand. The result was that during the last three years the association had had to work under extraordinary difficulties, and it was a"great tribute to the enorgy and resourcefulness of the management and executive that despite those hard three years they were able: to provide for the public this year a show which he believed was the largest and best exhibition the association had been able to stage for some time past. He hoped that the show was evidence not only of the association's ability and A'csourcefulness, but an indication that better times were ahead. GOOD QUALITY PRODUCTS. Ono of the principal objects of the association was to show the people of AVelJiugton and of the Dominion generally the capabilities of New Zealand manufacture and .production. It behoved everybody to examine the NewZealand exhibits so that they could afterwards spread tho message that Now Zealanders not only should but could manufacture goods as well as anybody else. If that was done it would help New Zealand, to ■surmount the difficulties that were being "experienced at the present time. Among the exhibits in the show, the Mayor particularly commended to thepublic the disabled soldiers' stall. He trusted that.after seeing the work of these men everyone .would do their best to bring about the sale of the articles. The Mayor concluded by extending to the Show Association his congratulations on the high standard of the exhibition. Mr. Young also congratulated the association on the extent and excellence of the show. - . Mr. Norwood paid a tribute to tho excellent work done by the manager of-the show, Mr. G. Mitchell, and the president of the Wellington Manufacturers' Association, Mr. MeLay.