AN AUCKLANDER'S OPINION OF THE EXHIBITION. THE COURTS COMPARED. NEW ZEALAND NOWHERE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 291, 18 August 1888, Page 6

AN A UCK LANDER'S OPINION OF THE EXHIBITION. THE COURTS COMPARED. NEW ZEALAND NOWHERE.

A gentleman fiom Auckland wlio passed thiough Melbourne en lou/e for England, and .spenL some time in the Exhibition, wiite* to ut> as follows, undei date 4th August :—: — Tho morning of the 2nd inst. brought us to Port Phillip Heads; three houm nioio, and we wet e made f;i>t alongside the W il-liani-town pier. The scene is changer! immediately ; all is stir and business ; railway porters, Customhouse oiliccis, waterpolice, and a ho«t of other olhcial-., too nmncrous to mention, are 1 mining to and fro, each trying to outstrip die other in smartness. Lying in Hobson Bay is tho Au.stialirm squadron, which has come round from Sydney for the .Exhibition. The Calliope, Diamond and Rapid arc lying in ihe stream, while the llag^hip Nelson ib in dock (not the Calliope Dock). Thc<o \> also a French ci ui»er in port — the Decre.-^, one of the French Pacific squadron. Half-an-hour's lido in the train In ings me to Spcncer-sticet stition, Melbourne, and I am once more travelling the splendidlypaved streets of tin* great metropolis. I was not long in Melbourne when I accidentally met some of my New Zealand acquaintances. At times I imagined I was transpoited by somo miraculous process to Queen-plrupl, Auckland, tlieio were so many familiar faces about. I visited the Exhibition, of course ; but it is a pity that the opening was not postponed for a month or two. Everything is in a state of chaos, and, w ith the exception of one or two court*, cannot be complete for some considerable time. Germany, in my idea, has tho best display, while Great Britain and the United States aie also well represented. .Referring to the colonial courts, takeaway Victoria and comparatively speaking, lea\e nothing; everything is Vietoiia. You cleared me to compaic New Zealand with the other com ts; theio is absolutely no comparison whatever. New Zealand ib tho worst lcprescnted colony of all, and with verj few exceptions the exhibit-; arc veiy poor. Of coulee the colony at the present time could not a Mend to spend a large sum of public money, but I think something should certainly have been done ro make the court moic complete. The Mosgiel Woollen Company, of IHip.edin, ht\e a splendid show of their woollen good"' ; it is the best exhibit in the couit, a- d reflects gieat cuodit on Mr Jno. 11. Mon i-on (the manages of the Company), who Ikii been in Melbourne foi sonic tim^ -u pei intending tho erection ot it pcisonall^ . 1 had a chat with him for a few minutes, lie lias' gi eat f.iitii in New Zea'and, and led-" confident that in a few years it will be one of the leading colonies. Mr Morrison nl-o infoimcd me that lie found a read} market for his goods both in Sydney and Melbourne, and tho Company send a tiii\ol'er tlnough all the colonies twice a \e,n. T uas intioduccd to Sir James Hector, manager of the New Zealand Com t, and alt*o to his secretary, Mr Callis. Beth ihc-o gentlemen were exceedingly, kind. Some of the pictures fiom New Zealand arc \ yiy good and much admired. Several are by local amateur art sts. In the hurry 1 noticed two Auckland names, y'v/,., Mcssis Sbcel and Wright. Mr \Y. Norrie, of Sliorl];ind-stree< , "-hows a handsome wardrobe made of Now 7,- aland wood.s. There is fil-u a la i izo kani i tiee at the entrance to the oo'M i, which aj^peai ed to uttiact tppcial attention. New Smith \Vales, though it takes precedence in many things, is a long way behind in exhibits. The court, however, is an attiar tivo one, and will become a favouiitc at the Exhibition £coo& on. Tasmania, considering its sue, has a splendid show, and for mineral exhibits i think it iho best. The timber of the colony i^ also well lopioscntcd. South Austialia in fairly well lcpicsentcd. Tho Queensland Court was not open to the public. Vietoiia has the best, show of machinery now, it bein'_j in woi king ouloi . The wine \aults arc also an attractive- rcsoit for (.he thirsty son Is.

ACTION OF THE GOVERNMENT. 3\Jv J. Young, .Secretary ot the Auckland Cham bci of Gommeico, has received the iollcnvinjr telcriam fiom Wellington with refoionoe to the f>endinj; of shipiuents of iiuiitoiouh ovo to tho Melbourne Exhibition :—": — " (iovci mncnti agiee thab 'ill bona ft tie exhibits may be sent free of duty without any conditions. — J. H. Eliott.'"

The most trying position a truthful clergyman can be in is to be preaching fcho funeral service of a man who died lich and mean. 11' everyone who ployed the fool 1 hid died and turned to clay, How many people would bo loft Alive and well 10 day I • A {ii>t picking: of the new English hop cron has been sold at Cl 5 per cwt. The piivate bar question — "What will you luivo ?" A vote equal io C 40,000 has been passed by the Loiporation of Paiis lor the lighting ot that city by electricity. *