ONLY 600,000

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1939, Page 5

ONLY 600,000

OPENING DAY ATTENDANCE AT WORLD’S FAIR

OFFICIALS DISAPPOINTED. t SPECTACULAR LIGHTING DEVICE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. NEW YORK. April 30. With President Roosevelt’s address as the outstanding event, the 155,000,000 dollar World’s Fair opened for a hund-red-day season today. Officials had predicted an opening crowd of 1,000,000. but possibly because of cold and wet weather only 600,000 paid admissions were recorded. Members of Congress were special guests, arriving by a special train from Washington. An interesting feature of the opening was the lighting ceremony, when a scientific “trap” caught cosmic rays from the earth’s outer atmosphere, closing a master switch and turning the fair into a fairyland of light, with varicoloured fountains setting off the rainbow hues of the buildings.

Though Fair officials were disappointed, officials at the Australian exhibit found the day encouraging. Forty thousand visitors passed through the Australian Pavilion in the first seven hours. Six reception officials were kept busy answering inquiries. Interest in industrial activity in Australia was gratifying. Mr Bruce, Australian High Commissioner in London, and Mrs Bruce toured the fair in the morning, accompanied by Mi’ MacGregor, High Commissioner in New York, and attended the official luncheon. Mr Bruce was assigned to the seat of honour next to President Roosevelt on the speaker’s platform at the opening ceremony.