THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8330, 11 January 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

A LEADING OPPOSITION MEMBER'S VIEWS. WELCOME TO THE BESSES 0' TH' BARN BAND. By Telegraph—Special Service. CHRISTCHURCH, January 10. Mr James Allen, a leading Opposition member of the House of Representatives, has formed a highly favourable opinion of the Exhibition, as the result of his visit. "The interesting part of the. Exhibition to me," he said in an interview, "has been the Canadian, Fijian and British Courts, the British Court especially, from its valuable statistical information, and information about schools in the Mother Country. The Picture Gallery, too, is very interesting, and I am very glad to know that we have in this colony secured so many of these pictures. I think the Aquarium is worthy of special mention. It seems to me to be excellently got up, and the Department deserves every credit. I think it is one of the best New Zealand exhibits in the Exhibition. I do not think enough has been made of the Agricultural Department's experimental plots of grasses, etc. They seem to be a very valuable lesson to those who are on land." The Besses o' th' Barn Band arrived from the North, to-day, and was met by a large crowd at the Christchurch Railway Station. The band was welcomed, on behalf of the Exhibition, and escorted to the hotel by the Garrison Band. In the afternoon the band was formally welcomed at the Exhibition in the Concert Hall, there being a large attendance of the public to witness the proceedings. Deputy Mayor Payling apologised for the absence, through indisposition, of the Mayor, Sir John Hall, and exten'ded an official welcome to the band. Mr G. T. Booth also spoke on behalf of the Executive Commissioners, Mr A. Owen, Conductor, suitably responding. The Exhibition Orchestra then rendered a choice programme of high-class numbers, all of which were enthusiastically received, and encored. Mr Munro, General Manager, entertained the bandsmen afterwards in his room. The Cook Islanders gave.a.last performance, to-day, before leaving for the North Island on the way back home, and the Maoris of the pa assisted them with poi dances and hakas. The songs of the Cook Islanders and dances of the Maoris were all excellently given, and no less than eleven hundred spectators enjoyedjthe varied programme. At the conclusion of the performance, the Cook Islanders, through Dr. Buck, who acted] as interpreter, expressed gratitude for the kindness they had recieved during their stay at the Exhibition, and the appreciation with which their singing! had been received. They leave for the North to-morrow. Contingents of Wanganui and East Coast natives are expected to arrive shortly to give dances at the pa, and in the meantime a number of Wanganui and Ngaitaihu Maoris will give very clever representations of both hakas and poi dances. The Fijians, who will leave on Tuesday on a short visit to Dunedin, gave a farewell performance this afternoon before a very large attendance. A tremendous crowd visited the Exhibition, this evening, attracted by the first performance of the Besses-o'-th'-Barn Band. The Band was played to the Exhibition Sports Ground by half a dozen local bands. There was a very large attendance on the Sports Ground, and the quality of the Band's music was a revelation to the local bandsmen. and music lovers, while the popular nature of thejprogramme added to the delight of the general public. It was agreed that no such Band music has ever been heard here before, and that the combination fully deserved its unique reputation.