DUNEDIN EXHIBITION

Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1924, Page 4

DUNEDIN EXHIBITION

OPPOSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, October 23. The Canterbury Industrial Association unanimously decided last night to stand firm by its previous decision not to support or officially recognise the •>e\v Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition, which is to be hold in Dunedin in 1925-1920. Lengthy correspondence was received from the Exhibition Company asking the association to assist in connection with i\ Court of .Secondary Industries of New Zealand. Mr W. .1. Jenkin, after reading correspondence that had been referred to him by the Canterbury Chamber of

Commerce dealing with the matter, said that as far as the association was concerned be did not think it should depart from its previous decision not to take part in the Exhibition in any wav. Ho bad recently stated to Mr L. J. Schmitt, of the Department of Industries and Commerce, that lie would not alter his opinion or lower his standard one-eighth of an inch for anyone. The association should stand firm by its pre-

vious decision and make no effort to assist the Exhibition. 'What individual manufacturers did was another matter, but as an association they would not l>e true to their principles if they did hot stand firm. The association should start working for the next industrial exhibition, to be held in Christchurch at the end of 192(i and the beginning of 1927. He moved that replies be sent to the Exhibition Company and to tho Chamber of Commerce stating that the association could not see its way clear to alter the decision previously arrived at, to take no part in the Dunedin International Exhibition.

“I hope this association will stand to its guns and not show any weakness in this matter.” said Mr T. "W . "Woodruffe, who seconded the motion. lie declared that if the association was to live up to its principles it should not join ill with the Exhibition. One large manufacturer in Christchurch who usually took part in exhibitions had informed him that he was not going to take part in the Dunedin Exhibition. In the course of tho discussion n member said they would not be loyal In their members if they did not take a firm stand. He had noticed in the newspapers that Mr IV. R. Hayward, one < f the directors of the Exhibition, had been to the West Coast and that at one meeting a resolution was passed congratulating the directors on giving New Zealand manufacturers an opportunity of comparing their goods with goods of foreign manufacture. (Laughter.) If they recognised the Exhibition they would be. assisting the New Zealand manufacturers to cut their own throats. The gentlemen who were in the Exhibition were not in it for the interests of New Zealand manufactur-

ers. The motion was agreed to ilium motislv.