THE MELBOURNE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 279, 7 July 1888, Page 6

THE MELBOURNE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

The buildings are beginning to assume the aspect of bustle, which will intensify up to the date of opening:. No one with much experience of exhibitions has entertained any" expectation that this one would be ready on the date fixed for opening. Doubtless the opening ceremony will take place ns fixed, but many exhibits will not be in their places. The British Court will apparently be one of the most backward, as the delay in the allotment of space by the Melbourne Commission has thrown matters into confusion. The Melbourne Commission have consequently .granted the concession that machinery exhibits arriving late from sailing vessel, shall be admitted. We give a few scattered notes of the principal points of interest to our readers that have transpired during the month. Mr A. Girdwood, secretary of the Lancashire Court, has arrived, and is getting forward as far as p>ssible with his preparations. The Chamber of Manufactures of New South Wales decided some time ago that the 1 members would not exhibit, as " the protected manufac u ers of Victoria hud been able to offer such inducement's to skilled mechanics that many of the beat workmen had left the colony so that the local manufacturers would not be able to advantage against their moie favoured rivals." Nevertheless the Isiew Bouth Wales Commission appointed a manufacturers' committee, consisting of Mi John Macgregor (Macgregor and Harris) as Chairman, and Mes-rs A. C. Shadier, J. S Mitchell, and M. Howden to wait personally on the manufacturers Mr C Cillis, secretary of the New Zealand Commiss'on, arrived on Muy 15, bringing the bulk of the exhibits: The Court will occupy 20.000 feet exclusive of fernery and art gallery, and there are 339 exhibitors, including about 80 of machinery. The entries for the Queensland catalogue closed only on May 23. Messrs T. M'Dnnuld Paterpon and John Fenwick have been appointed joint executive commissioners for this colony. -Probably six hundred exhibit-* in ihe Victorian Court will be of direct trade interest to our readers. Mr E. Chatelaine has been appointed superintendent of this court. Canada, it is understood, will occupy 15,000 feet with machinery, cnierly agiicul- • feural, and 5,000 feet with other exhibits. The United States Commission will c nsist of Colonel J. M. Morgan, United States Consul-General for Australasia ; Mr J. K. Smyth, Vice-Consul, and Mr j. P. Lord (Lord and Hughe*). Belgium will be well represented. Mr Jules Renard, Consul, is the commissioner, and M. Thierry the secretary. The German Commi^ion are in full work. The Government Architect, Herr Jaffe, has - been in Melbourne some weeks The Special < Commissioner, Her Yon Wermuth, arrived by the " Hihenstaufen," accompanied bv his Secretary, Herr Dobogoro » sky, and by Herr M. F. Bahse, representative of the Saxon Chamber of Commerce. Herr I'aul Gutike, representing the Berlin Union of i manufacturers and Herr Otto Peez, representing a large number .of other firms. -There will be nearly 200 exhibits of interest to our readers in the German court. The Export Verein of Vienna takes " charge of the Austrian exhibit*, and has ■>' despatched an executive commissioner, who '*>„ will' 'arrive in Melbourne shortly. One of his duties will be the establishment of an "agency in > connection with , the Austro- ' - The French, Conwul, M. P. LeMa^stre, has applied for 2000 superficial feet in the machinery annexe. " ':lw Space hap. been,., plotted bv- the; British jCommissioners'tx) foreign and minor courts as follow:— lndustrial exhibits:. Italy, 4,000 feet; Switzerland, 900 feet; India,

2 500 feet ; Holland, 1,000 feet ; Spanish colonies, 1,000 feefc ; Japan, 1,000 feet ; Hungary, 200 feet ; and others, 1,000 feet. Machinery exhibits : Switzerland, 900 fee t; Hungary, 1,000 feet. Fiji will probably be represented, as Mr Wm. K. Thompson has undertaken to collect some exhibits. The new annexes, it has been found, will require a further installation of the electric light. Messrs Johnstone and O'Shannessy and Mr J. W. Lindt have secured the right to photograph the buildings and exhibits. For the prevention of fire a high pressure double action pump haa been erected by Messrs Robinson Bros, of Melbourne. This is driven by two Otto silent gas engines of 16 and 8 h.p. respectively, and will supply water at a pressure of 1301 bs to the square inch to pipes reticulating through the building. An offer of Mr J. C. Oakland to fix 40 or 50 electric fire extinguishers in the building has been accepted. Mes3rs Halse and Co., Ordsal Works, Salford, Manchester, will exhibit machine tools for use in constructing and repairing sugar and mining machinery ; not the machinery itself as previously slated. — Australasian Ironmonger.