GOVERNMENT AID TO THE DUNEDIN SHOW. Wellington, Dec. 1.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 322, 5 December 1888, Page 4

GOVERNMENT AID TO THE DUNEDIN SHOW. Wellington, Dec. 1.

The Government have adopted the Exhibition scheme propounded by Mr Twopeny, subject to the consent of Parliament, ana on the understanding that every effort wil* be made to raise the guarantee sum to £15,000. By to-day's moil, they have written to the Agent-General, requesting him to ask that the British loan collection of pictures , should be forwarded to the Dunedin Exhibition. The monetary and other aid which tho Government is expected to give to the Ex bibition is set forth m the following elaut-cs of Mr Twopeny's scheme :— 1. Officially recognising the Exhibition as being held in celebration of the 50th anniversary cf the foundation of the colony, and in order to illustrate the development of New Zealand's resources, and the progress of its industry during the first 50 years of settlement. 2. Writing to the Agent-General by tho mail which leaves on Saturday, to request him to write to the owners of the pictures now on exhibition in the British galleiies in Melbourne (both those in the National Loan Collection and those established for sale by private artists) requesting them to allow their pictures to be exhibited at Dunedin from November, 1889, to April, 1890, and undertaking the cost of their journey from Melbourne to Dunedin, and storage from their arrival in Dunedin until their departure, as well as to ensure them against s'ra risks during their journey and fire risk whilst in Dunedin, but not against thelt or other destruction, against which, howe\er, all possible precautions will be taken. Seeing that many of the ownei s are noblemen and prominent English politicians with whom our new G^vernoi, Earl Onslow, is likely to ha\e a personal acquaintance, I would suggest that the Government should also write to him to solicit his good offices and the exercise of his personal influence towards obtaining some of their pictures. 3. Writing to the other colonial Governments, including India, Canada (which is likely to be induced to exhibit in view of the Pacific mail service and cable scheme), and the French and German colonies in the Pacific, the majority of which will already have collections in Paris which need only to be transhipped, and also other Governments in Em-ope and Consuls in New Zealand, stating that an exhibition is being held to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the colony, and requesting their official co-operation in the enterprise, with particular mention of the advantages likely to lcsulb from the increase of commercial relations, consequent upon their exhibiting in New Zealand at a timo when the colo'-y has entered upon a new period of progress. 4. Instructing the New Zealand Commissioner in Melbourne to personally approach the Australian Ministers and Commissioners, as well as the individual exhibitors now in Melbourne, on behalf of this exhibition, and generally to act in our interests and as our representative. 5. To assist, and, indeed, undertake all expenses connected with gathering together the early history of the Maoris and scientific exhibits and the tourists' court, as well as to make official repiesentations to the Commissioner of the South Pacific and the native potentates, and generally use their influence to assist the priwite effort* to be made by the shipping companies andotheis towards securing a repiesentative South Sea exhibit, and appointing some competent person to take charge of these de partments. We hope, too, that the Government will invite a few native potentates to visit the Exhibition in a representative capacity, so as to give a political aspect to the South Sea exhibit. 6. To erect a temporary building-, to ioini the main entrance of the Exhibition, with some little architectural adornment to hold the national collections (i.e., scientific, Maori early history, South Sea?, educational) in galleries of works of arc, for which we cannot, of course, charge payment for space. Estimating the size of the building required at 1^ acres in extent, the cost of this- building should be about £3,500 net, seeing that in Adelaide they builb 9 acres of buildings for £19,000. The extra £600 on the proportionate cost I have allow ed for architectural adornment, and the larger cost of picture galleries as compared with ordinary buildings ; but, of course, this estimate must be taken as a very rough one.