THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8361, 18 February 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

By Telegraph—Special Service. CHRISTCHURCH, February 17. Despite the continuous heavy showers of rain the Exhibition on Saturday attracted an attendance of 14,004, bringing the total for the week to over 90,000, and making the aggregate to date 1,229,061. The Quickstep competition proved a most attractive feature of the Band Contest. ' The performance by the combined bands, which was to have taken place on the Sports Ground, was unable to be held there owing to the rain, but about four bands played together in the main corridor in the presence of a very large audiencee. The presentation of cash prizes and medals to the successful bauds and bandsmen took place in the main avenue in the evenng. Mr Munro, ! before presenting the prizes, in a short speech congratulated he succesful competitors and expressed his sympathy with those who were unuccessful. He thanked them all on behalf of the Exhibition authorities for participating in the Contest, and assisting to make their share of the Exhibition programme the success it had been. .At a Ministerial supper given to the visiting bandsmen on Friday night, Lieutenant Bentley, judge of the Grand Selection and Quickstep Competition paid a high tribute to the orchestra, which was, he said, in his opinion the finest thing in the Exhibition. The Government deserved the thanks of the whole colony for bringing together such a magnificent body of players, which he hoped} all centres. of the colony would be afforded the opportunity to hear. The presence of the orchestra would cover quite a multitude of other sins Of omission if such existed. The Hon. J. McGowan, in replying to 1 the toast of the Exhibition, said the fact that it was in such a forward state when it opened Was due to the ability and energy of the General Manager (Mr Munro), who had been a tower of strength between the Government and committees. Mr Munro had the welfare of the Exhibition at heart, and it was mainly due to his efforts that the undertaking had turned out such a success. The Minister also paid a tribute to the excellent work tdone by the various committees. The Hawke's Bay natives at the pah are expected to return home early this week. They will be succeeded by a detachment of about 40 of their fellow tribesmen whose visit will be succeeded about March 20th by that of a contingent Of Wairarapa natives, 50 or 60 strong. The visit of the Ngatiporou Maoris will probably not take place till near the end of the Exhibition, as most of them are too busily engaged to get away before. The first display of daylight fireworks which proved a great success at the St. Louis Exhibition, will take place about 5 p.m., on Saturday, March 2nd. Rockets and bombs are fired from mortars, and when they bust, instead of coloured fires, small flags, parachutes, fishes, birds and all manner ofother things are set floating in the air. The displays are specially attractive to children, and arrangements are being made for special trains to transport little people from all convenient places. That is a form of entertainment absolutely new in New Zealand,* and the General Manager anticipates that it will draw the greatest gathering of children ever seen in the colony. There will be no charge for admission to >the £day fireworks display. The principal attractions for this week at the Exhibition are another free grand display of fireworks on Wednesday night, baby show on Thursday, and the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association's sports on Thursday and Saturday. The final display of fireworks will be given on' the night of Easter Monday, when a specially extensive and elaborate exhibition will be given, as Mr White, representative of Pain and Sons (London), intends to fire off then'his entire remaining stockof fireworks before his return to Englland.