THE EXHIBITION.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1923, Page 2

THE EXHIBITION.

GENERAL PREPARATIONS

PREPARING FOR THE OPENING

Matters are going with a great swing in regard to the opening preparations. The big Exhibition will be opened officially next Saturday afternoon at 2.30 o'clock.

The Ministerial party to be present will include Sir F. D. Bell, PA’., Act-

ing Prime Minister and Miss Bell; Sir |i. H. Rhodes, Minister of Defence; Hon \Y. Downie Stewart. -Minister of Customs and lus sister. Miss Stewart.

Among visitors from Christchurch will be Mr \Y. Jenkins, ex-President of the Industrial Association, Mr T. )Y. Woudrofl'c, and an official party trom the Canterbury Progress League, ami several leading citizens including Mr 11. Holland, cx-Mayor and Mrs Holland.

11. M. Trade Commissioner, Mr W. F.lmslie of Wellington, will be present at the opening of the Exhibition next week, as will also, Mr J. \\ . Collins, Secretary of the Department of Industries, and other Government officials.

The Exhibition Council invites the citizens to decorate and betlag their premises for the opening day. No doubt tiie citizens will co-operate readily in the effort to make the town as gay looking as possible tor so notable an event—the most imoprtant in

its sixty years of active lite. Mr William Evans now ol Timatu. who was one of the earliest business men in Hokitika, and took up the lirst business site in Wharf Street, beside where the Exhibition now stands, will he a visitor here next week, as also an exhibitor. The art section at tho Exhibition promises to he attractive. Paintings from Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury ami Dunedin will be shown. Ihe Ail Committee meets at the buildings at 2 o’clock on Monday afternoon to arrange as to the location and hanging

of the pictures. The Canterbury newspapers will lx* well represented at the Exhibition. The Editors of some ol the principal Christchurch papers will attend the opening, and the cliiel reporters will l-e here also. Both tlu* Christchurch Press Coy. and the Lyttelton Times C'ov. have considerable exhibition space also. Mr A. G. Henderson, manager of the Lytelton I imos, is here at present in connection with exhibition matters.

Cheap fares will obtain over the major portion ol the Exhibition. Certainly up to the Jubilee celebrations in mid-January there will be excursion railway concessions. The school excursions are to take place subsequent to the 12th January. The dates are now being booked up by the School Committees.

The ornamental work about the Exhibition buildings continues' the subject Tor general remark. The filial elfeet- of the painting ami decorating promises to be a pronounced success. All concerned are lo tie praised for the artistic effects which are being created. The Exhibition will he open daily, except Christmas Day from 10 a.tn. to 10.30 p.m. The daily charge for admission will lie one shilling. Reason tickets are now on sale. gents 12s fid. ladies 7s (id. children 2s fid. At these nominal prices there should he a verv large sale of season tickets. The local public will no doubt extend flip fullest financial patronage within their resources to this important project which should help the district so greatly.