THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1996, 17 July 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1880.

The Exhibition, now open, in connection with the Association for the fostering of local industries, affords us an opportunity of contrasting the display made in the various departments with that on the occasion of the Yienna exhibits being shewn. Before doing so, however, ifc is only right that a meed of praise should be accorded to the Committee under whose auspices the Exhibition has been projected and carried out, for the admirable manner in which their work has been done. The result of their labours must be as satisfactory to the general public as it is pleasing to them. Perhaps in no section of the Exhibition is our progress so marked as in that devoted to manufactures. The woollen industry, for instance, stands prominently forward on this occasion. The display made by our local factory and that of Mosgiel, particularly the former, shows what great strides have been made in this department alone during the past few years. Those who remember the preliminary show in connection with the Vienna Exhibition, will recollect what a comparatively meagre display was made in woollen fabrics. Since then improved machinery has been introduced, a sample of which is to be seen in motion at the Exhibition, and the result has been that our factories can now turn out cloth, tweeds, and woollen fabrics, equal, if not superior, to the imported article. The next item in which almost gigantic progress has been made is the pottery industry. Visitors to the Exhibition will probably have seen a small and Tory primitive looking exhibit of potteryware from the Thames, and then have compared it with the highly finished and artistic productions of Messrs Austin and Kirk. Here is an illustration apt and applicable of our progress which puts clearly what we are desirous of bringing before the minds of our readers. The exhibit from Auckland represents very fairly what our pottery industry was ; that of Messrs. Austin and Kirk, what it is. This has been accomplished in tho face of many difficulties, and at a great outlay. But the result has been progress, and such exhibitions as those form the epochs or eras by which we can estimate what tho amount of that progress has been. Take next tho manufactured timber industry Here, also, a wonderful stop in advance has been made. It only needs an examination of the splendid trophy exhibited by Mr. P. Jenkins, to show tho improvement made since the last Exhibition, where tho show of manufactured timber was not large. In the inoro artistic departments also wo can see signs of improvement, particularly in silversmiths' work. So it is in nearly every branch of industry, and the artizans and producers aro to bo congratulated, not only on tho fact that progress has been made, but also that they aro developing to such advantage the great natural resources of tho colony. Should the association, at stated intervals, hold those Exhibitions, we shall be ablo to traco tho history of our progress with groat precision. It may not always bo so marked as in the present case, for tho youth develops faster than the man, but there will bo little chance of stagnation, and every day, speaking comparatively, now ideas and now inventions will work their way. But, satisfactory as tho present exhibition is, it will bo incumbent on us to remember that continued oxortions aro needed to ensure our keeping up with outside manufacturers, It may bo that the oxhibitors from outsido will, by tho increase of attention which will bo drawn to their goods, bo further inclined on a future occasion to send exhibits to our

local show and may further set th» example to other manufacturers in their locality to do the samo„ But, nevertheless, it might ho well to consider if an exhibition, specially including all the manufactures and products of New Zealand, might not be desirable occasionally. Such exhibitions would naturally not be hold at such frequent intervals as the local exhibitions, but they might well alternate with them. Their mission would be a distinct one. The local Exhibition would show tho progress made from time to time by tho manufacturers and producers in one particular locality. The aim of a general Exhibition would be to compare the status quo of one part of the colony with that of another. The latter process would be, as the former, most valuable, and would servo as a further landmark in the career of our national prosperity.