INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 316, 24 December 1862, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.

EXHIBITIQN.; {To the Editor of the BAitr Txkss.)

Sin,-The Uttle Industrial Exhibition is a pang of the past. . Hurriedly 'got...together as an; Anije?e to. the bazaar in aid of, the f v nds for building* a new Church, it" more Than realised thei expectation of % ipromptersi both as regards its own extent as ah :expbation ot? many ot; the more importan auctions of and the Wyoinißg ;proviace3y atidof articles Manufactured here, most creditable to the exhibitors. t ';";"":-'-::-".;■' ■'■y':^Ji;!:-\;:':y:~''r'^.:' ■ ]

But the provoters had ulterior views. They be- ' lieved that however imperfect such an exhibition might be, it would excite attention—would'be hailed as a " step in the right direction," aadLprove.thc forerunper of a real Exhibition -of the great natural j wealth of New Zealand, illustrating (he peculiar adaptability of its climate and soil for altabst every species of produce, ,ot its great Tichness in minerals, and thus, by material evidence, of: its JMsoureevalike ooaarm themitii of our present population in titam,

j aud powerfully ai-l-iu attracting that.surplin capital and :a!'cr which are 'now Peking an outlet .rom the mothe-coHufciy. Kiigkn«i teems- with unemployed capital, and j "jO-icy at 2 percent i--cu«*ap atnust bayon 1 precdeut.■ftofc utaqo onlj, hut Canterimry, .Souih'and, and other pccviucis uuei !0a...s in fhe HtJ-yrtg-ate amount- i mg to a consiiJerabJesum. to develop thtir resauives; I and suiely no fitter employ taent could ba jriveu to the surplus capital of the old country thau being lent to ncr own colonies, who need but tlie influence of money and population to become powerful and wea thy States. # Ho thoughtful person could visit even the past very imperfect Exhibition without seeing- there, in the stone, wood, and brick—the com, bread, ;nd beer ■•-• the wool, aud flax—the coal, -iron,.igold, : cinnabar, an 1 plumbago -the , chrome, copper, pktina, aud other minerals—ample evidence that development, aad not capability, is the want of the colony; that its natural resources aifoid abundaiit materials to hpuse, feed, and clothe a large population, as well as yield them the elements of most arts add luxuries. We had but to glance al. Mr Meluish'^ interesting series of photographs of Dunedin .from 1849 to December, 1862, to see how mnch this city, especially during the last two years, has progressed in every way; but in-doing .so we might learn the weiimdicated Jesson, .that energy and skill, without capital and population, are comparatively powerless. Only since the gold fields have bee a discovered has Dunedin increased rapidly, or risen to any importance. , ■ ; . m We must, then, labor perseveringly to develope our internal resources-enact good laws which shall iacuitafce their introduction, and then appeal to the mother country for tho-e powerful aids which we lack, capital and population. v r^°., t} lf se en(is nothing- would more conduce than an -Exhibition worthy of the progress, resources, aud physical characteristics of New' Zealand; and ids to be hoped that the Provincial Government will take immediate steps to have one held in Dunedin some time m the year 1863. Selectious from such an exposition, with maps, plans, and statistics, so far as the Province is concerned, might be seat to London and Edinburgh for permanent exhibition, in proof of the great, but as yet hard iy known, natural sources of wealth of Otago—belter specimens than a hundred pamphlets. 1 am, &c, VIDETTE.