THE EXHIBITION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81885, 12 November 1906, Page 2

THE EXHIBITION.

ME MUN 110 INTEIWIEWED. SATISFIED WITH THE AllKANGEMiiNT PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Ghristchureh, November 10. ■Mr Mi 1 nl'o, when .seen respecting- the change made in the munugvineiit of the Exhibition, said: "I am quite satisfied with the fresh arrangement. 1 ttoliove 1 call carry on under it with greater satisfaction to the public and comfort to myself than under the old system."

Messrs Recce and lioolh, tho Commissioners who arc mainly affected, reg-ard tiro proposed solution of the Exhibition difficulties as unsatisfactory, but, iA'foro ro'soMitg upon any course of action, they propose to await the result of tile conference with Colonel Pitt, referred to in the Government official memo. Tlvoy do not regard tho position as being improved, but will communicate with the

Prcmklr 'lio-day, ami reserve any delinite action until after the conference.

Both morning papers have articles 011 the subject. The Times, while admitting that the now aiTanpomcnt will not give unqualified satisfaction, Bays it is probably the best tihat could be come to in the circumstances. ''Mr i\lunro," adds the Times, "will, in the changed condit'imis, have a directorate to control him, and if the lU.inister ill charge is only firm it will be impossible for the old grieva!ices to recur." The paper looks upon tho frequent change of Minister in charge us tile weak feature of the reorganisation. The Press heads its article '"Lame and Impotent Conclusion," and is very drastic ill its comments on Mr Muni'o and the Premier. "The conduct ol the Premier throughout the crisis," it s u vs, "lias been characterised as extraordinary weakness and vacillation." It proceeds: "Whether it is that the .Ministry seo in Air Jlunro some 'hidden virtues which tliO Ghristcliurch people have not been able to discover, or whether they fear the mulish acrobatics of which he gave them timely warning, we cannot say. Certain it is, the Ministry have decided to stand by Mr Munro regardless oi the feeHiigs a nd wishes of the volunteer workers who have laboured so cheerfully and assiduously to render the Exhibition a success." The Press concludes by saying that it would not i If; s)ui'prisod if "this amazing 'display 1 of weakness should go some way to- . wards wrecking the Ministry."

COMMITTEES AND THE COMMISSIONERS. MATTERS NOT IMPROVING. (Ffcr Press Association.) Christchurch, November n. Outside and inside the Exhibition yesterday, tiie chief subject of discussion so far as the International hair is concerned was the Cabinet's reorganisation of some of ihe management. The generally expressed opinion is that Mr Munro has not had his powers curtailed in any way, and that the change in his official designati.n signifies nothing. The Government proposa.s fiavo provided much dissatisfaction amongst the committees, and c-pcclally the ceremonial and entertainment committee, also amongst the Commissioners. Messrs Reece and Booth yesterday endeavoured to obtain art interview with Colonel Pitt, to have the position of the Commissioners defined, the object being to enab c them o decide what action they should take. For some reason or other, the Minister was not available, and this afternoon Colonel I'm >aya thai he lias not had any commtmiction from either the Commissioners or the committees, and that there are no fresh developments. A prominent member of the entertainment committee' last night indicated that a meeting of the committee had been called for yesterday afternoon, but as the day was practically a liolidy, nothing could be definite y decided before Monday. There is a strong impression that the committee will resign. One committeeman, earlier in the day, informed the Star that he had no doubt other committeemen would feel as ho did, that the only course was to resign. For the past six or seven months the members of the committee had, he said, worked hard in the interests of the Exhibition, and had put up with an amount of unpleasantness and even-insult-that no outsider could appreciate, and now it was announced that "it was not suggested that the entertainment commitee should be disbanded but that there should be a focu-sing of the. authority under the direct control of the Minister, with a view to helpng forwatdthe entertainment side oi tiie Exhibition." in the face of' that the committee could only ask to be relieved from tintlier duty. The general feeling amongst members is that Mr Munro wi.l have powers almost as supreme and autocratic as those exercised by him up to the present time. Some of the Commissioners, if not all, are determined that they wiil not accept purely nominal positions, and that if l\lr Munros relations with them are not improved, they will retire. It is probable that these vexed questions will be settled one way or the other to-morrow. it is understood that the te-timon-ial wnich the Commissioners of the Exhibition are getting up for presentation to Mr Mcintyro, director of the Exhibition, in acknowledgment of his va.uable services and his unfailing urbanity, will include several hundred sovereigns.

The attendance at the Exhibition yesterday was 17,575. Colonel Pitt was slightly indisposed yeMerday, and did not leave his home. He had a long conference with the Premier during the day 011 matters relating to the Exhibition. Miss Narelle's manager states that nothing further has transpired between him and the Exhibition authorities respecting the refusal of Miss Narelle to sing, though there is some talk of the authorities instituting an action for damages.