THE EXHIBITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1940, Page 7

THE EXHIBITION

CLOSING DATE NOT TO BE EXTENDED. STATEMENT BY COMPANY PRESIDENT. (fly Tel vh raph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Reasons why it was not intended to extend the closing date of the Centennial Exhibition beyond May 4 were given by the Hon D. G. Sullivan in a statement issued yesterday in his capacity as president of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition Company. He said the Government had given the fullest consideration to the question of an extension, and his colleagues were agreed that no useful purpose would be served by extending the closing date.

"I am advised," said the Minister, "that at a meeting of the Exhibition directors held on Monday last, careful consideration was given to the proposal to keep the Exhibition open for one or two weeks. The main problem facing the directors was whether it was possible to secure the necessary support of the public to make any extension profitable. The directors had before them the result of a questionnaire issued to exhibitors inviting an expression of opinion regarding the proposed extended period.

"The replies received, which comprised selling stalls in addition to what might be termed the legitimate exhibitor, showed the majority for extending the date. A discussion with the individual trade exhibitors showed that adherence to the present closing date was favoured and these exhibitors would in most cases wish to dismantle their particular exhibits on the date at present fixed for closing. "Representations were received in the early part of the Exhibition from farmers' organisations to extend the date of closing, but it. is now considered that the Christmas and Easter holidays provided ample opportunity for the farming community to visit the Exhibition and no further organised representations have been received. "A further proposal was received to advance the date of the first, term school holidays, and this matter was fully discussed by the various education boards. Careful consideration was given to the proposal,' but further examination showed that the advancing of the holidays would be attended with so much dislocation of arrangements already made that the change would not be practicable. Consequently schools will close on the date originally announced—May 3. Many thousands of children have already come to Wellington under the arrangements made for children to travel in the charge of their teachers in school parties, and these arrangements are being availed of to the fullest possible extent up to the time when the Exhibition closes.”