THE EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8391, 3 April 1907, Page 5

THE EXHIBITION.

By Telegraph—Special Service. CHRISTCHURCH, April 2. The Exhibition has been well attended again to-day, and the numbers are expected to remain high till the conclusion on the 15th inst. Mr Faulkner, the blind organist, of Christchurch, gave an organ recital, this afternoon, before a large attendance, and the orchestral concert was well attended in the evening. Mrs E. Buckridge and Mrs E., Davis, two popular ex-members of Pollard's Opera Company, and Mr John Prouse, were the vocalists at the orchestral and vocal concert. In answer to a question regarding the financial result of the Exhibition, the ActingPremier (Mr W., Hall-Jones) stated yesterday that he thought his original estimate of one shilling per head of the population would cover the cost of the Exhibition to the colony. That would mean a nominal loss of about £47,000. The increase in Cuetoms revenue, from Christchurch alone would more than balance this: loss. For the seven months ending February there had been an increase of about £60,000 in the Christchurch Customs receipts, as against the corresponding period, of the previous year. The increase was due largely to the imports in connection with the Exhibition, and there were increases on a smaller scale at other ports ;of the colony.. The .Customs .revenue .would "*:probably', benefit to the ''. extent of quite twice the Joss on the Exhibition. In addition the railway revenue for the year would show a greater increase over the revenue for the previous year than had been the case at any other period in the history of the colony. This, again was largely due to the Exhibition. Extra postal and telegraph revenue would amount to a very considerable sum, sp that the ! colony had every reason to be satisfied with the result of the Exhibition from'a financial standpoint. Between 700 and 800 chickens have been reared to date from the incubators in the Agricultural Department's Court. No less than 20,000 pennies were dropped into the slot machines in the Pike yesterday, which speaks eloquently of the attendance, Mr Pollard, director of. the entertainment, estimates that the actual number of visitors yesterday must have been close on one • third larger than on the King's Birthday, when a record number of admissions was chronicled. The crowd on that day went and returned, their admissions being recorded more than once, but yesterday's swarming multitude, being mostly visitors from other parts of the colony, remained within the precincts of the Exhibition all day long to see as much as possible during their brief stay. Over 600 attendants' passes have also been withdrawn between the two dates, and the money taken at the gates yesterday was considerably in excess of the King's Birthday receipts. The General Manager (Mr Munro) states that the aggregate money for admission during the Exhibition period promises to fulfil his most sanguine expectations. Madame Blanche Arral, the famous French soprano, will appear in conjunction with the Exhibition Orchestra on Wednesday and Friday next. The attendance to-day was 14,266.