THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8347, 1 February 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

ATTRACTIONS FOR VISITORS. | By Telegraph—Special Service. CHRISTCHURCH, January 31. Two special trains from Timaru today brought twelve hundred visitors to the Exhibition, and some eight hundred patronised the special. excursion from Ashburton. They were fortunate in arriving on the day fixed for the grand combined demonstration by the Fijians and | Maoris of songs and dances prior to i the return of the Maoris to their homes in the North Island. The Fijians, in full war paint, danced their war club and fan dances with great enthusiam and energy, and the New Zealand natives were at their best in poi and hakas, which contrasted with these. There was a i very large attendance. The Fijians are expected to take their departure very shortly, which will be greatly regretted, as the popularity, of their displays is at its height. The Maori pa will be left with a small garrison in command till the arrival of the contingent of Ngatikahungnui Natives from Hawke's Bay on the 7th prox. Up to the present 21 oil paintings, 34 water colours and six miniatures have been purchased from the British section of the Art Gallery for the total amount of £7,070. Details of the purchases are as follows: —By New South Wales National Gallery, oil paintinga/ value £2,190; water colours, £9lB ss. Auckland City Council, oil paintings, £512; ten water, colours, £137 10s; member Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington, oil paintings, £263; water colours, £155. Canterbury Society of Arts, oil paintings, £1,317 10s; water colours, £390; miniatures, £B2 JOs. Private sales, oil paintings, £525; water colours, £578 18s. The National Gallery of Victoria may decide to make a selection as the result of the visit of the director of Bernard Hall, who is now in Christchurch, and Mr Gill, secretary of the Adelaide Art Gallery, is expected to arrive shortly with a commission to purchase pictures. Sales of works of art, glass-work and samples of hand-weaving are being made in large numbers. The bubble fountain near the 'Aquarium is the centre of much interest when it is in operation during calm weather, the shimmering irri'descent spheres produced in their thousands are at once the delight and despair of astounded juveniles who witness the production of these fleeting glories at every opportunity. Wonderful buoyanee is imparted to the bubbles by their being inflated with coal gas. Messrs W. S. King, of Christchurch, and Otto Schwartz, of Wellington, will be the judges of the solo competitions at the Exhibition Band Contest during the week commencing February 11th. The "Besson" Shield of the North Island Brass Band Association, now held by the Wanganui Garrison Band, will be awarded to the band securing the highest points in the Grand Selection. The next Exhibition Flower Show will take the form of a Begonia Show, and will be held on Wednesday and Thursday next. Entries will close on Monday, and as the show will be held in the main corridor, free admission will be gained to the same. Everything points to a very fine display being made. Hundreds of visitors daily pass through the Government Aquarium, which has received some very interesting additions since it was first opened. The model of Rotorua, where the imitation geyser sports its columns to a great height, and Maori boys dive for pennies in the most realistic style, is also as popular as of yore. The Exhibition has now passed through three calendar months, the aggregate attendance for that period reaching the satisfactory total of 1,053,128. To-day contributed just on 13,000 towards that total, and though the number was not large compared with recent attendances, it is officially stated that the ratio of cash payments to the number of \ persons admitted was probably the highest yet experienced, this being the result of the unusually large number of visitors in town. It is j probable that the gold watch awarded to Miss Alice as \ the millionth visitor to the Exhibition will be presented to her by Dr \ Findlay, who succeeds the Hon. Mr Millar as Minister in charge of the I Exhibition. 1