Exhibition Hall

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 691, 17 June 1929, Page 11

Exhibition Hall

DISPLAY OF MANUFACTURES Novel Scheme for Auckland A NOVEL scheme for the establishment of new offices. exhibition hall and club room in the very heart of the city was mooted at a special meeting; of the general committee of the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association this morning. The proposal is to lease part of the second floor of the new Queen’s Arcade Building in Customs Street East, near the junction with Queen Street, and the extra finance required is to be found by the establishment of 14 imitation window displays of New Zealand-made goods round the walls of the hall.

'JUHIS novel idea owes its crystalllsation into definite form to the energy of Mr. S. J. Harbutt, and the scheme is the first of its kind in the Dominion. Mr. Harbutt told The Sun that he got the idea originally from New York, where he visited a 10-story building which housed sample imitation window exhibits from all over the United States. The main exhibition hall, which will be used for meetings of the association and other bodies, and will be 70ft by 31ft, is to be open to the public. It is thought that a shop on similar lines may be opened up on the ground floor at a later date for the purpose of attracting people to the bigger exhibition upstairs. Other accommodation will include lounge, lunch room, offices and kitchen. At the meeting of the General Committee held on June 4, the honorary organiser, Mi-. W. D. Munn. made three recommendations which he thought would contribute to a desirable forward move. One of them was that the association should secure offices more in keeping with the standing of the association. He stated at the time that the extra expense involved could be raised by having permanent exhibits round the walls. The General Committee referred the recommendation to its Publicity Committee, consisting of Messrs. G. Finn, A. W. Parker, G. Mills-Palmer, W. D. Munn, H. Welsh and F. W. Petterd, for a report, which was presented at the special meeting this morning. In introducing the business the president, Mr. G. Finn, referred to the remarks made at the last meeting to the effect that quite a number of members were out of touch with the association. That was true, he said, to a limited extent only, but if the recommendations of the committee are approved, anyone out of touch with this association would. in three months’ time, have no one but himself to blame. The Publicity Committee has considered the report of Mr. Munn, aijd recommends that more suitable office

accommodation be secured with sufficient space fur an exhibition hall, kitchen and eiubroom, said Mr. Finn. It is proposed that refreshments shall be obtainable at all times, so that instead of monthly luncheons as had been suggested, members would be able to meet at their own rooms and lunch together every day if they so desired. SELF-SUPPORTING SCHEME “In addition the club room will be a very suitable meeting place for members' wives and their lhends, who wish to meet lor morning or arternoon tea. suitably placed around the room will be imitation window displays of New Zealand-made goods. Tnese will be subject to frequent changes, so that there will be something new and attractive every week, it nut every day. “The ruom wuuld be open to' the public during business nours, and 1 venture the opinion that the manufacturers’ club room would in a very short while be the best-known and most-frequented spot in the city. Suitable premises have been located, and as these are now in course of erection the space we require can be ntted to suit our needs. The scheme is a self-supporting one, so that there will be no additional cost to the association,” Mr. Finn concluded. The motion that the committee’s recommendations be adopted was moved by Mr. Finn, and in seconding it, Mr. S. J. Harbutt said that the original idea upon the formation of the association, as outlined by the late Mr. A. Bell and started by him, was a permanent display of New Zealand manufactures. A display was arranged on one floor of the warehouse in Wyndham Street in ISB6, but proved premature. “Since then vast changes have taken place in the standing of local industry. The association during the years has developed, and today is looked upon as one? of the institutions of the Dominion. But the time is ripe for a step forward, and I believe the scheme outlined will be the stepping-stone to a big advance. “In the age of advertising, visibility is all important. Our present premises are most inadequate; in fact, I venture to say, a drag upon the work of the association. “In making the suggestion of permanent displays of our industries we are only following the idea laid down and in actual practice in old countries. “The scheme offers 14 sample spaces for the display of New Zealand products in surroundings tliat will be attract vie at a very low figure. "Immediately upon the idea beingoutlined. five or six spaces were applied lor forthwith,” said Mr. Harbutt. “However, it is suggested that the term of lease be six months, and if the applications are in excess of the spaces, then the ballot be applied. “Tlie benefits the display stands offer, are great, particularly to the small manufacturer, who will be able to bring bis customers up to the rooms and use the stand as a sample room. “It is a repetition of the old story. A man is judged by the clothes he wears. Just so an association is judged by its home and surroundings. This is a forward move. I am convinced it will be for the benefit of the association and members alike,” concluded Mr. Harbutt. “SERVICE TO CITY” Mr. Cl. Mills Palmer said that it was fully time that the ifianufacturers made their voice heard. They should adopt the scheme, he said, and rise to the position which they held as the foremost body of business men in the Dominion. The recommendation was adopted unanimously with acclamation. Mr. Finn thanked the committee and suggested that the exhibits should not be confined entirely to products of the factories —but that periodical exhibitions should be held of needlework. home industries, garden products, etc. In this way visitors to Auckland as well as city people would always find something of interest to attract them. He further suggested that there should be weekly visits to different factories. A visitors’ book could be kept at the eiubroom, where people could enter their names and addresses under the heading of the different factories they would like to visit. JWTien arrangements for the visits were made they would be notified by letters. The association, he said, was out to give the maximum of service to its members and in doing so would render a great service to the city.