THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8367, 25 February 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

By Telegraph—Special Service,

CHRISTCHURCH, February 24. The attendance at the Exhibition was again big on Saturday. There was a large audience at the organ recital given by Mr W. H. Monk, the Sydney organist. Mr Monk wasassisted by his brother, of the Exhibition Orchestra, who played seve ral violin solos. In the evening a vocal and instrumental concert was given, at which Mrs Arthur Mead acquitted herself well as a vocalist. The arrival of 122 Hawke's Bay Maoris .gave a numerous population to the pah. They will give performances of pois, hakas and war dances daily during their stay. The Amateur Athletic Association championship meeting was concluded on the Sports Ground on Saturday in the presence of about 1,000 spectator. The second season of the Besses-o'-th'-/Barn Band will commence on Thursday next, and performances will be given every afternoon and evening in the Sporfs Ground during their fortnight's visit. Extensive preparations are being made for the display of daylight fireworks, to take place next Saturday. These fireworks, which are an entire novelty to New Zealand are a Japanese invention. Shells wil 1 be thrown up into the air, where they will burst, emitting fighting cocks, horses and riders, birds and fishes, swarms of butterflies, and many other curious contents. Special arrangements are being made to enable school children to witness this exhibition, and a record attendance of young people is expected. Arrangements are now almost complete for the motor car gymkhana to be held by the Canterbury Automobile Asso - ciation on the Exhibition Sports Ground on March 9th. A large number of cars will take part in the procession through the city to the Ex hibition, and the programme of competitions will include some highly novel events. The Besses-o'-th'-Barn Band will play on the Rotunda as an additional'attraction. Entries for the Pet Show, to be held in "Wonderland," on Friday, March Bth, close on Monday, March 4th. Already a large variety of pets have been entered. Shilling tickets for the Pet Show will admit to "Wonderland" and the Exhibition, and a record attendance of young people'is expected. The week of the Fire Brigades Competitions, which will take place on the Sports Ground, commencing on March 19th, should be one of the most important the Exhibition has yet seen. Teams from 80 brigades will take part in the contests. One hundred brigades altogether will be represented, and over 800 firemen will be engaged in the competitions. On the evening of Tuesday,** March 19th, a water display will be given on Victoria Lake on highly novel lines. The lake will be surrounded by fire bri-' gade steamers and twelve or fourteen branches of hose will be led to the centre of the lake, whence they will throw up powerful jets of water to a height of 150 feet, making the lake resemDie one gigantic fountain, whose columns will be lighted from beneath by changing coloured pieces, Roman candles and other pyrotechnic devices. On the following evening one hundred boats containing firemen discharging fireworks will form a procession on the river, led by two motor launches, carrying teams of bands. On Thursday evening an elaboratte water display will be given with the entire Christchurch plant, and on Friday night, when prizes will be presented by the judges, one thousand firemen and guests will dine together publicly in the main corridor. In the course of the water display it is intended to send up 2,500 gallons a minute, and another novel feature will be a test of all chemical engines in the Exhibition. Large sized, small and medium buildings will be erected of different sizes on the Sports Ground, which'will be set fire to, and flames extinguished by different engines in the presence of competent judges, who will time the respective performances and decide which chemicals are most effective for their work.