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Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1924, Page 2

BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION. Tkk great Empire Exhibition wide has been so much in the public min of late, oi'ens at LVcmbley to-day. 1

“ is a remarkable inaugural day, for today is St. George's Day, as it is also “Shakespeare's Day". The occasion is therefore intensely British, 'lhe progress of preparation for the Exhibition has had its set hacks, but in the end all worked with a will, and matters will be well enough advanced for lI.M. King George to open the great exposition of the Empire's resources to-day. Not that it will lie ready com- — pletely for some time to come, but oven with its shortcomings, the display promises to be remarkable. The • work of preparation has been going forward for some time. Palatial premises, skilfully designed highways, landscape gardens, amusement parks,—all have been under way, and these will lie all fairly, complete. A. great city has grown up, and it wall be remarkably self-contained. It will be a great Empire in 1 educed perspective. A ramble in and about Wembley will reveal the story of the Empire, what it is, and how it is! It will be educational at every turn, and it is not too much to expect that when the Exhibition closes in October next, millions of people will have learned for the first time something intimate and real of the vast Empire to which they belong. All who visit Wembley will marvel that the Empire is so great and so grand, and realising its vast ness, must resolve with pleasure and pride to play the part of Empire builders so that the trust of such a vast responsibility will not be neglected nor allowed to fall into ruin. There are many general features about the Exhibition whic h will impress even those who are V" fortunate enough to see it with the glory and magnitude of the occasion. In the first place it will lie the largest Exhibition ever hold covering an arm of 21G acres. At a cost of over £10,009000 it will reproduce the whole of the British Empire in miniature, and it is expected that between April and October at least twenty million people will visit it. Among these there will inevitably be a large proportion of buyo s. The Exhibition will he devoted expressly to the exploitation of British goods. It will bring to light as never before the vast potentialities of the Empire. The Exhibition buildings are almost entirely of concrete and steel. They consist of pavilions, gardens, conference halls, the Imperial Stadium and two huge industrial halls, the Palace of Engineering and the Palace of Industry. The Palace of Engineering alone covers an area of more than eleven acres. In the Palace of Industry extensive displays of chemicals, cotton, wool. silk. gas. boots and shoes, furifiture and other industries will he given. Practically every branch of British industry outside engineering will have its own particular exhibit in this building. Conference halls, cinema displays and a Palace of Art are attached to the Palace of Industry. The British Government pavilion will l.e a nlace of peculiar interest. The exhibit of H.M. Government will illustrate the functions of the home government as a whole, hilt with special reference to the British Empire, and will show something of what the responsibilities of the home government are in regard to Empire defence, communi- ' cations, settlement and economic de- i 'velopment. Round a large Court of Honour in the middle of the building will be galleries, accommodating the ex- .

hibits of a large number of Government Departments and semi-official bodies whose functions have a direct bearing on the welfare of. the home country and of the Empire, while on another floor, lit entirely by artificial light, will be a collection of models and other devices notable chiefly for their originality and ingenuity. A special feature will be a large scale relief map of tlie world, measuring 40ft. by 20ft. and set in water, through which model ships will run along the main ocean routes connecting various parts of the Umpire. Another large scale map will illustrate the industries of the United Kingdom, their grouping, their requirements of raw material and the destination of the finished products, together witn the ports through which trade flows. There will be many wonderful things to he seen arousing the pride < all Britishers who love their country for what it has been and what it can he. The overseas section will present the most unique features, because of their national customs and settings. These are referred to in another -part of this issue. Now it remains only to join in the chorus of good wishes to follow the kindly words which King George will utter to-day in opening the great Exhibition officially. Let us*hope it will he attended with out-standing success, and he of that educational value we all hope in enlightening Britishers as to the might and majesty of their country, the glory of which they should seek ever to uphold.