THE EXHIBITION AWARDS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 374, 7 May 1866, Page 1

THE EXHIBITION AWARDS.

Jtotdr Articles.

(From the Hawke’s Bay Times, 16tk April)

A correspondent has directed our attention to the awards of the jurors of the New Zealand Exhibition, lately held at Otago. We have not had an opportunity of referring to their report, which (probably through oversight) has not been forwarded to us ; but our contemporary has given a list of such of the Hawke’s Bay contributors as have been honored by the award of silver medals, bronze medals, and honorary certificates. Of fc he silver medals, there are three—one to W. Colenso, Esq., for his interesting essays and numerous exhibit • one to D. M‘Lean, Esq., as a Vice-President; and the other to J. Wilkinson, Esq., for his services as Chairman of Local Committee. Of bronze medals there are two—one of them to C. Weber, Esq., for forwarding specimens of woods for testing purposes; and the other to the Misses Wilson for dried fruits. Of honorary certificates there are twelve, of which three are for tobacco—S. Begg, D. M‘Lean, and J. Wilkinson; one for specimens of woods, C. Weber; one for cheeses, F. Powdrell; one for stone, S. Locke; one for map of Hawke’s ■ Bay, A, Koch ; cue for geological collection, W. Colenso; and three to Maoris for mats, weapons, &c. We doubt not that ail the above were worthy of the honor, but we do doubt whether some of them were as worthy as the person referred to by our correspondent. We have been informed by parties who visited the Exhibition that the model of a life-boat forwarded by Mr H. Morrison was one of the main attractions of the building > that it was visited again and again by nautical gentlemen, who were most enthusiastic in their admiration of it as the perfection of what a life-boat ought to be in principle as also in execution ; and it seems that there is no reason for the omission of the name of H. Morrison from the list of exhibitors to whom awards should be made beside that he is of humble station in life. A proposed Inter-colonial Exhibition is already before the public. It is intended to embrace the Colonies of New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Victoria. It is proposed to be held at Melbourne during the present year. We are aware of the great value of tnese Exhibitions in giving a stimulus to the inventive and productive powers of a community, and we therefore wish the projected one ail success. We are at the same time aware how by mismanagement on the part of the directors and jurors real but unobtrusive merit is liable to be postponed to glitter and show, and that many a promising production of genius is nipped in the bud by unmerited neglect, and we would strongly urge on all connected with such affairs the duty of rising above all considerations of the class, standing, or reputation of exhibitors ; their decisions should be based entirely upon the intrinsic merits of the exhibit itself, which it is evident has not been the case hitherto, or we should not now be called upon to notice the neglect of Mr H. Morrison, whose model was as much a credit to the Province of Hawke’s Bay as to the exhibitor himself.