NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3370, 26 November 1889, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION.

Opening Day. Duneuin, Tuesday, Mr Roberts, addressing His Excellency the 'Governor, said tho Commissioners desired to accord hiir. the heartiest welcome and convey an expression of devoted loyalty to Her Majesty, and proceeded to detail the steps leading to the opening of the Exhibition, and mentioned the project was first put before tho public at a meeting on October 2.5 th last yoar, It was warmly taken up with the result that 1050 gentlemen subscribed ,£15,80(1, besides which the Government granted a subsidy of dSIO,OOO for the purpose of providing collections of a public character, which could not be exhibited by private individuals. The appeal to self reliance and patriotism of the people, the Commissioners claimed, had produced tho amount of popular interest, and voluntary effort which had never been seen in any previous enterprise of the kind. He thanked bis Excellency for the interest ho had shown In the undertaking and especially for tho influence Lord Onslow had oxerted in the Fiuo Art Department, and it similar recognition was extended to the members of the Government and exhibitors. The building covered over twelve acres, the main structuro being 1102 feet long and 105 feet broad. The Committee officially represented were:-New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Mauritius, Fiji, and the Republic of Costa Rica, Mr Roberts then presented the Governor with a copy of tin official catalogue and requested him to declare the Exhibition open. His Excellency, in reply, assured thorn of the satisfaction with which ho received the expressions of loyalty, which, lie said, it would be his pleasing duty to convey to Her Majesty. He remarked on tho extraordinary coutrast presented by the conditions of the Islands now and fifty years ago, when they were just emerging from barbarism; when tho founding of Auckland was just begun; when Christclmrch and Duncdiu were still undrcampt of, and Wellington had only beon thought of in London, His Hxcollemy drew a graphic picture of iho state of the country in 1839; of its great forests and vast solitude, and wont on to picture the chango that had been wrought in its appearance by reclamation, tillage, railway, and steam boat, Whereas lil'ty years ago Europeans who inhabited New Zealand lived only by the forebearonce of Maories, now equal laws existed for Native and European alike. The representatives of ancient inhabitants voted side by side with themselves, and were, on occasion, able to .use their power to stioh purpose as to arrest the progress of Parliamentary business, Such growth as that, he considered, warranted their endeavors to call the attention of the other nations of the world to the capabilities of their soil, and to demonstrate to all the advancement of which they were capable of. He congratulated them all on the success which they had attended their voluntary effort and personal oxer, tions, and remarked that a debt of gratitude was owing to those who had so generously lent for exhibition their treasures of Industry and Art. He joined with the President in expressing a hope that this gathering might be instructive and beneficial, and dispel all jealousies which rival enterprise might engondor, and enable us to friendly sentimonts and mutual osteom.

His Hxcolleucj thou formally