THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8363, 20 February 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

S- By Telegraph—Special Service,

CHRISTCHURCH, February 19. Considering that there were no outstanding attractions, the attendance at the Exhibition to-day.was again surprisingly large. Close on six hundred excursionists arrived to-day from the North, and visitors from the South continue to be numerous. The Hawke's Bay natives left to-day for the North Island. They will be 4succeeded, within a fortnight, by forty or fifty members of the same tribe. It is estimated that over 2,000 people daily have visited the sweated industries collection since it was placed in the Exhibition, and difficulty is experienced at times in controlling the admission. A' splendid display of this season's apples, pears, peaches and other fruits has just been placed in position by a Hawke's Bay grower, and is attracting general admiration, and worthily upholds the colony's reputation against the fine exhibits of fruit in the Canadian court. Numerous enquiries by art lovers have been made regarding the beautiful pictorial photographs in the British court, and up to the present fully one-third of these have been disposed of to purchasers. The judging of the exhibits for awards commences on Thursday next. Food products, cycles, perambulators, heating appl ; ances, and furniture will then be adjudicated upon. No fewer than 1,500 entries of competitive exhibits have been received. At a meeting held between the Superintendent of Awards and the exhibitors, j Mr Mclntyre stated that there had been a good deal of delay in connection with the judging, but.he hoped now that it would proceed smoothly and expeditiously. He emphasised the need of co-operation with the authorities on the part of the exhibitors, and stated that a clear day's notice would always be given of the judging and exhibits would be judged both individually and collectively. The Grey Cadets battalion will leave for their homes on Friday by the 1 Te Anau which will arrive from Wellington that morning with a contingent of Wairarapa Cadets. The Grey boys were to have left by the Mapourika this afternoon, but so much soreness was felt by them at having to return after only five days' encampment, instead of a week as originally appointed, that, after much correspondence between the authorities, their stay has been extended until Friday. Three hundred babies are expected to take part in the Baby Show in the main corridor, on Thursday afternoon and evening. Entries have been received by telegram and letter from places as far away as Dunedin. At the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association's Sports Meeting, on Thursday and Saturday next, five provincial teams will compete for the Championship Shield, namely, Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The exhibition of boomerang throwing by ail Australian expert will be given on the Sports Ground, on Thursday, in conjunction with the sports. Another attraction on Thursday will, be the Christian Endeavour Union's children's demonstration in the Concert Hall. Ten Societies will-be represented, and one hundred and twenty young people will participate in the erection of a monster bridge. There will be a large choir of children, and the programme will also include an organ recital. Mr W. Monk, the Sydney organist, will give a recital in the ConcertjHall. on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. A confetti carnivaj will be the feature of the concluding week of the Exhibition. These carnivals, though entirely new to this country, are annual happenings at Nice and other holiday towns on the Continent. Ladies and gentlemen wear masks and fancy costumes and the throwing of confetti is a general amusement. The electrical lighting of the Exibition, including the beautiful illumination of the front and grounds, is said to cost about £350 a week, exclusive of the cost of electricity, used for the power, which totals about 900 horse power, per week valued at another .£6O. The 1,700 eight-candle power incandescent lamps on the front of two towers and dome of the main entrance burn electricity to the value of £6O a week, and 165 sixteen-candle power lamps, forming the word "Haeremai !"•■ accounts for an additional £9. Inside the dome are 168 lamps of 55 candle power each, costing over £4O a week. The grand hall is lighted by' 24 lamps of 55 candle' power, 133 electrical horse power being required to light the towers, entrance, and grand hall. About 1,500 electric lamps are used to illuminate Wonderland, the cost, including power, being about £6O a week. Three 1 hundred electric lamps encircle Victoria Lake, and there are 150 eight-candle power lamps over the pavilion at the Armagh Street entrance to the Exhibition. Altogether the Exhibition is lighted by 5,000 small incandescent lamps and approximately 250 arc lamps varying from 500 to 2,000 candle power each. These figures do not include gas lighting, which forms a special contract. The illumination is visible miles out at sea and from a considerable distance up country.