THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1379, 31 December 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1872.

The inhabitants of Hokitika have already bsen congratulated upon the spirit and taste which they displayed in organising at this season an exhibition illustrative of the arts, manufactures, and the natural products of the country, and now they can fortunately be congratulated upon their efforts in that direction having proved a perfect success. According to the accounts in the local papers, notwithstanding the counter-attractions of land and aquatic sports during the day, and of the theatre or dance-room during night, the popular taste proved sufficiently elevated to induce a very large attendance at the exhibition, and the exhibition is admitted on all hands to have been well worthy of being so numerously visited. This success of a first attempt on the Coast to vary the monotony of the attractions presented to sight-seers at the j Christmas season is highly encouraging, ! and deserves to be known and properly appreciated by other West Coast communities than that of Hokitika. The similarity in the sources of entertainment at this and other holiday seasons haa been enough to become tireaome to even the most patient portion of the public, and it is well to know that any diversity that is effected, does not terminate, commercially or otherwise, in failure, but the reverse. It is true that we have got a grade above being gratified by witnessing such wonderful achievements as climbing greased poles or chasing greased pigs, but there are still particulars in which our tastes might be elevated, and one is the practice of making athletic exercises the sole source of attraction to country visitor* at such seasons as these. Athletic feats are, of course, worthy of all encouragement, especially in v community of auch fine athletic people

as this community consists of, but there is a possibility of ovor-doing ovon a good thing, and whon tho sun also ovordoos it, as it has decidedly dono during tho past week, one could well .wish that thoro should be somo other invention than outdoor sport 3. This invontion Hokitika happens to have happily hit upon, iintl a hint may be got from its succoss as to tho arrangements for other holiday souaona in Greymouth. In its natural products, in its industries, and in othor olomonts out of which such an exhibition cau bo organised, the Grey district possosaos, at least, equal advantages with that of Hokitika, and the example givon by ilokitika on this occasion is one which is worthy of becoming generally fashionable in Wostland. Such collections of articles as aro made on these occasions may, in fact, serve more than a mere temporary purpose. They may become tho nucleus of a permanent collection, commonly called d, museum, which for many reasons it is desirable to form. It was only the other day that we had one or two distinguished scientific visitors, and it was remarked by them that it was much to be regretted that, in a community such as this, no such institution existed. It would have contributed much and readily to the information which visitors such as they were desirous of procuring, and they only felt its want in common with many others who have visited the district. Apart, however, from any ultimate design of that kind, the exhibition idea is one which should not be lost sight of, and we hope that before many months pass we shall not only possess here a building in which such an exhibition can be conveniently and successfully held, but that we shall be justified in writing as jubilantly of its being held and of its being a success, as our Hokitika contemporaries do with regard to the results of the local effoii which they have ci the present occasion the pleasure of recording.