THE EXHIBITION.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1923, Page 2

THE EXHIBITION.

OPENING TO-MORROW. The British and Intercolonial Exhibition opens at 2.30 o’clock to-morrow altoriiocn. It will he Hie most important event in tile history of Hokitika for the function is the greatest yet recorded in local history. The doors of the Exhibition will open at I p.m., which will be the hour of nriivnl of the Rooftou special trains. Avt the railway station, the Hokitika Band will meet the train, which will have the Bunanga Band aboard. The Hokitika hand will play the visiting hand to Bevcll stieet via Stafford street, and the Bunanga hand will play (fijv.ir Bevcll street eu route to the Exhibition Buildings.

The official opening is fixed for 2.30 o'clock, shortly hefoie which hour a special train will arrive from (Itcyniouth. The opening will ho graced bv iiiany distinguished visitors, including three Ministers of the Crown, many members of Parliament, leading citizens of Canterbury and Otago, and many representative Coast men. It should be in fact the most representative public gathering ever assembled in the district.

The Exhibition Choir will he placed on the band stand, and the hands will group in Arthur's Pass Avenue beside the band stand. A number of the visitors will bo provided with seats oil the band stand, and the speeches will be delivered from a rostrum just below the hand stand in Greymoutli avenue. Mr \Y. J. Butler, President of the Exhibition Council, will introduce the speakers, and the opening address will he (iilevered by Hon. W. Dowuie Stewart. Minister of Industries. The

Acting Prime Minister (Sir E. 1). Bell) and the .Minister of Defence (Sir Heaton Bhodes) will be invited to speak. Then; will bo a number of visiting newspaper reporters, and the knights of the pen and pencil will he accommodated at it special table in the avenue in front of the stand of Aulsobrook .iiul Cay.

At the opening coienmny, the Hokitika hand will play the National Anti,mu. aiid the Exhibition Choir will lender two choral numbers, the Hallelujah chorus and the "Gloiia” (Mozart). Following the speech making, the proceedings will close with the National Anthem, and the Exhibition will he launched. The specially invited guests will he entertained at .afternoon tea in the Town Hall, admission by special ticket. During the afternoon and evening the Bunanga. band (which is the champion "B" grade hand ol New Zealand) will lender s ‘lections ol music from the bund stand. There will not lie any special entertainment in the Orpheus Theatre at night. as patrons will he hilly engrossed inspecting the nume--1 on;- stands, of which there are about 150.

The Exhibition will ■ lose nightly at 10.3!) o'clock, leupeniiig at, 10 a.m. each day. The daily charge for admission will he one shilling. Those who contemplate I'ioquent attendance, should possess themselves ol season tickets which will he on .sale to-morrow at the entrain.e from 12 o'clock. The train service for to-morrow will Ijj a special one, and facilities lor residents not lit and south ol Hokitika are ptovided to visit. Hi- Exhibition and '(turn home the *amo evening.

During next week there will hi' a

round of entertainments at llm Orpheus ’J heat re each evening 5 lie Exhibition is open. On Monday night

t me will he darning; Tuesday. Greyiiiouth Orchestra ; Wednesday, Greyicoutli male choir; Thursday, Hokitika (i.chestra : Friday, dancing; Saturday Christchurch Concert party. Every (wcniiig, commencing to-morrow night, there will he radio concerts upstairs in the T<nvn Hall, where also thme is a splendid display of .exhibits by the Air: ieulturnl and Forestry Departments, ns well as also a splendid collection of wo; ks of art. Visitors to the Exhibition should not omit t« pass upstairs in tln* Town Hall. A CHRISTCHURCH EXPRESSION. MB AY. .1. JEN KIN PLEASED. ••A wonderful achievement on the part of the Hokitika people.” was llm comment made by Mr W. J. Jenkin. ol Christchurch, when lie visited the Exhibition. Mr Jenkin was president of the great New Zealand Exhibition held in Christchurch and he speaks with a full knowledge of all that is involved in carrying out an undertaking of the kind.

"The general arrangements are excelhnt,” Mr Jenkin added, “and reflect the greatest credit on those concerned in the organisation. .Canterbury manufacturers, of course, are particularly interested, because they have supported tlie project splendidly. On the eve of the opening, when they see what has Ix-eu done, they ought to lie well satisfied.”