THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8350, 5 February 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

By Telegraph—Special Service. | CHRISTCHURCH, February 4. The attendance at the Exhibition is being well sustained, and with the attractions now comSng on, and the commencement of special excursions at reduced fares by rail and steamer from the North Island, the present satisfactory numbers are expected to increase largely during the next few weeks. The first of the North Island excursions , which will be run from stations on the Wellington-Napier-i New Plymouth line, commenced toI day, and others will begin on the 6th and 11th inst. Tickets will be available for the rail journey for nine days from date of issue, giving passengers an opportunity to spend a full week at the Exhibition. Under reduced rail and steamer charges excursionists may make the return journey from New Plymouth for £2 first-class and saloon, or £1 6s 6d second-class, and steerage rates from Napier being £ll6s 3d and £1 4s 6d, respectively. Special reductions are also being made on the South Island lines, fares from Dunedin being reduced to 18s and 12s 9d, and from Invercargill to 265, 9d and 18s 6d. Mr H. J. Payne, a member of the Tasmanian Parliament, has been pleasantly surprised by the Exhibition. He heard before he left home, he states, that it was a failure, and he is very pleased after spending some days at the Exhibition to find that such is "not . the case. From every point of view he thinks it is a success. The Hon. Mr Millar has received a communication from Dunedin stating that the people there are arranging a guarantee fund similar to that at Wellington for the purpose of bringing the orchestra to Dunedin. The Minister replied that provided all the expenses were paid the Government would allow the orchestra to visit Dunedin from 11th to 16th inst. The director of entertainment has been instructed accordingly. The Minister intimated that the prompt acceptance by the guarantors of this suggested arrangementwas necessary. An adept in the difficult art of throwing boomerangs has made arrangements with the general manager for giving exhibitions of his skill. The first of these will probably be combined with one of the displays of daylight fireworks or the next joint entertainment given by the Fijians and Maoris. The Fijians have attracted such large attendances of late that it is understood their stay, which was to have come to an end very shortly, may be prolonged. The committee in charge of the Southland Court have been allowed to recoup themselves for some of their expenses, and exhibit an important local industry in a very practical fashion by opening an oyster saloon on the grounds. The saloon is now being erected. The famous Newcastle Band, probably the finest brass combination that Australia has produced, left Sydney on Saturday to take part in the Exhibition Band Contest, which will commence on Monday next. The presence of the Australians will bear an added interest to the contest, which will be the greatest yet held in the colonies. The fifth free display of fireworks will be given in the Exhibition grounds to-morrow evening. Mr White, representative for Pain and Sons, will introduce some very fine new set pieces, the principal of which is one of a Chinese pagoda, with beautiful dye-coloured lights.;, Several other novel and interesting. mechanical devices will be shown for the first time. The military tatoo has ■been postponed owing to the difficulty in completing arrangements. Large entries have been received for the Begonia show, which will be held in the main corridor to-morrow and Thursday. In view of the display of fireworks and the begonia show tomorrow, and as no extra charge will be made for either, a very large attendance is expected. The magnificent display of stags' heads in the Tourist Department's Court invariably arouses surprise and admiration of over-sea .visitors. The three large red deer heads of North Otago, Wairarapa and Nelson are well represented in the collection, and there are also fallow buck heads from Tapanui and Auckland, and one 'head of Wapiti sainbur and axis heads have all been carefully mea- . sured according to recognised methods and full particulars with regard to them are given. In the collection of red deer heads 33 North Otago heads range in number of points from 12 to 17 and average 13. The Nelson collection range, from 10 points to 17, and one head, that of the first stag imported, has 20 points, the average being a little over 12. Thirty-nine Wairarapa heads range from 10 to 17, the avet'age being a little over 13. The department of the Exhibition which is never without patrons is the babies' creche, where infants can be left by the hour under expert superintendence, while the parents enjoy the sights of the great Fair, free from trouble or responsibility. As a modern exhibit the creche possesses interest oij its own, and it adds to the general revenue both by means of chargas made for infants and by allowing both parents to visit the Exhibition when otherwise only one might get.