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Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1922, Page 2

Tjik visit to New Zealand ol the members or t..e British Empire Exhibition -Mission, Major lv. A. Belcher, Lieut.-Col. A. Cluistie and Mr F. \Y. Bates has caused a great amount; of interest in commercial circles in other parts of the Dominion. Tile object o. their visit is to explain fully the arrangements for the largest trade exhibition yet undertaken, and which will lie held in London in 1924. One hundred and twenty acres of ground will la- covered b.v buildings to he erected for the housing of British Empire exhibits, and a sum ol £2,000,000 will ho spent. Of this sum half has already been guaranteed and the remainder is in sight. Tee members of the mission whilst in New Zealand will take the opportunity of discussing practical methods of developing the Dominion’s law materials, and how opportunities may la* afforded by the exhibition for the development of inter-imperial trade. Tile mission are at present on the West Const, being at Westport yesterday, and they leaeli Hokitika on Friday. For the purpose of enabling the public to meet ttie visitors and hear them explain the objects of their visit, the Chamber of Commerce has convened a public meeting to he held in the Town Hall on Friday evening at 7.30 o’clock to which a general invitation to attend is extended, when an official welcome to the town and district will he extended. During their brief stay in this district the opportunity will be taken to show them as many points' of interest as the time at their disposal will admit.

In the course of an address at ‘Welling, ton k’st week when addressing the bends of Government Departments on the subject of the British Empire Exhibition Mission, Major E. A. Belcher emphasised tlie tremendous importance of t'is centralised exhibition for the gathering together under one project of the products of every part of the British Dominions. Ho spoke, particularly of the advertisement that would he given to New Zealand, ns fine a country with as fine possibilities as those possessed by any land. Its attractions to the tourist here were too little known in competition with those of Switzerland and other lands noted for the picturesque. As for New' Zealand industries lie had visited, he said, on Wednesday as splendid ns industry in the way of

meat works a s the world could produce He alluded to the Gear Company’s works at I’etone, a factory of immense size, beautifully organised, and scrupulously clean. To all such matters as these due publicity should be given to the world, and he could conceive of no better method of giving that publicity than by the exhibition proposed, which would place this Dominion in touch not merely with Great Britain but with all othfer sections, and particularly witn .South Africa. When in South Africa recently he discovered that all the lioxes used for that country’s immense fruit industry were obtained from Sweden and Norway. When asked why South Africa did not buy .such cases from New Zealand, he had been told that the fruit interests of South Africa did not know such boxes could be obtained in tne Dominion. Vet in New Zealand there were just fhe right sort of woods for that very trade, and the matter needed only publicity, and. organisation to find for New Zealand another opening commercially. Major Belcher estimated that, for the needs of the Dominion’s exhibits, a pavilion of 40.000 square feet, net exhibition space would be required, and the esti- , mated attendance of spectators at the exhibition 1c placed at about ten millions, as a fairly conservative basis. As a matter of fact, a large number of season tickets, would Ire sold in addition to tlie ordinary 'admissions, so tliat be considered the basis of ten millions would be largely exceeded since holders of season tickets would Ik' certain to attend several times instead of merely once.