INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2406, 21 December 1881, Page 3

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

A general meeting of the members above association was held last Tuesday, rooms, Hereford street, for the election of president and vice-president and other businessThere were fifty-one members present, and the chair was ocenpied by Mr Bowland (vicepresident). A letter was read from Mr J. P. Jameson, apologising for his unavoidable absence. Mr Bobert Allan asked if any steps had been taken by,'the committee to give effect to the resolution passed at last meeting in reference to Messrs JonbertandTwopeny's projected exhibition. The Chairman thought it would be better to proceed first with the election of officer?, as that was the first business fixed for consideration. The election of officers was then proceeded with. The following nominations had been made : President, Mr J. P. Jameson and Mr W. S. King ; vice-president, Dr. Von Haast and Mr B. W. England. The ballot reunited as follows :—President, Mr J. P. Jameson, 27: Mr W. S. King, 25; vice-president, Dr. Haast, 21 ; Mr B. W. England, 28. The chairman therefore declared Mr Jameson elected president, and Mr England vice-president. Mr England desired to explain that he had been nominated before Dr. Haast, otherwise he would not have consented to stand. Mr King thanked those who had voted for him, and said he was very pleased that he was not elected. Mr Allan said be would now repeat the question he put earlier in the evening, as to the steps taken by the committee in reference to the proposed exhibition ? The Chairman said not much had been done. The committee waited upon Mr W. B. Mitchell, the local agent, to obtain what information tbey could, and that gentleman had written a letter and forwarded a sketch of the New Zealand portion of the Exhibition building. Tbe letter which appears below in the report of the meeting of the committee was read. 1 Mr Mitchell gave some detailed information, and at the suggestion of the chairman was proceeding to read the names of those who had applied for space, when Mr Hnlbert objected on the ground that it was not the business of the association to criticise the action of persons outside. Mr Sheath, Mr Morgan, and Mr W. 8. King thought the names might be read out, as the association had a right to know what had been done. Mr Scott thought it would be sufficient if Mr Mitchell would inform the association of the quantity of space which the thirtytwo exhibitors would take up. After a desultory discussion on this subject, Mr Mitchell road the following extract from a letter which he had received from Messrs Joubert and Twopeny : " Apart from matters of argument. there wera several misconceptions as to facts which we may be allowed to remove. The first are those of Mr Mosley, who states that we are ' only travellers representing large houses at home, and bringing our commodities here to do as much business as we can.' Now, as neither of us are. or ever have been, travellers (in a commercial sense), as we neither represent houses large nor small at home nor elsewhere, and aro not even engaged, nor hove we ever been encaged in commerce of any description, Mr Mosley's informant must have practised a wilful deception on him. We have no commodities to bring 1 here and nothing to buy or sell, we exhibit nothing, are agents for nobody, and have no other connection with the exhibition than that which obtained between the official commissions at Sydney or Melbourne and the exhibitors at those exhibitions. Whether exhibitors sell, take orders, obtain prizes, or the reverse does not affect us in the least. Our office is to build the exhibition and to manage it, and New Zealand exhibitors may rely that they shall receive exactly the same treatment in all respects as those from foreign countries or colonies, and as exhibitors at official international exhibitions have received. Again we find Mr Mosly stating that in Adelaide watches were sold to such «n extent at the Exhibition ss to prevent the local tradesmen from doing any business whatever in that article for months. Mr Mosley is peculiarly unfortunate in the instance he has chosen. There was only one exhibit of watches in the whole of the Adelaide Exhibition. That case did not contain above three dozen watches at the utmost, and we happen to know from the exhibitor himßelf (Mr J.S.Barker), thf.t the greater portion of these were returned to America untold, being too expensive for the local market. On the contrary, all the local jewellers will bear witness—Messrs Heiner and Wendt, the two leading jewellers, have themselves thanked us for it, that owing to the influx of country visitors, their sales of watches and jewellery during the Exhibition season was unprecedented. Of people who should welcome, the shopkeepers of Christchurch should be the first, with the exception of the hotel [keepers, who are bound to reap a small fortune." Mr Mosley said his remarks app'ied to the Melbourne Exhibition. Mr Mitchell pointed out that Messrs Joubert and Twcpeny had nothing whatever to do with the Melbourne Exhibition. It was carried out by the Government. Mr England said before the meeting separated he would like it to be understood in, what way the committee of the association were to act in regard to distributing the space allotted to intending exhibitors, and arranging for the placing of the exhibits. Mr Hnlbert thought the committee of the association would be regarded as impertinent if it attempted to interfere with the arrangements of tradesmen and others who had applied for space. Their efforts should be confined to obtaining as large a variety of exhibits as they possibly could. Mr England said it would appear from the letter of Messrs Joubert and Twopeny that they themselves desired the committee to undertake the duty ho had suggested. Mr Allan said what the promoters wished was that the association should endeavor to bring about an amalgamation of exhibits and nothing more. It would be very desirable if the citizens' committee which had been formed and the committee of the association wonid work together. The former committee would probably not have been constituted had the association taken the matter up more warmly than had done. The Chairman agreed that it would be better to have only one committee, and Mr Mitchell was also ef opinicE that an amalgamation of the twe bodies would be desirable. Mr Allan said the matter might, perhaps, be left to the committee. During the progress of the meeting Mr Federli laid on the table some specimens of Bilkworms, and made Bome interesting statements on the subject at Bericicalture.lforjwhich he received the thanks c£ the meeting. The business having been concluded, the meeting adjourned. A meeting of the committee of the Association was held at 7.30. Present—Messrs Rowland (vice-president) in the chair, A. B. Kirk, Espenett, King, England, Ross, Toomer, Berg Bates. Hale, Waller, Backs, and Ford. A letter from Mr H. J. Boss was read withdrawing his resignation as a memb- r of committee. Mr W. B. Mitchell wrote as agent for Messrs JouVrt and Twopeny, enclosing a sketch of the proposed exhibition so far as the New Zealand portion was concerned, which waß one- fifth of the whole, and suggesting that the association and similar societies should take np the whilo of the bays, sub-let them to ensure them being filled, and pointing out further that thirty-two applications had been received, but as in many instances from the nature of tho exhibits only a small portion of each would bo required, the cost might be reduced by amalgamation. The letter was referred for consideration to tka general meeting.