H.—23

6

Sir William Clarke purchased a picture painted by Mr. J. Gaut, of Wellington, and also one of Mr. H. G. Lloyd's works, of Dunedin. The artists, Mr. John Gibb, of Christchurch, and Mr. James Peele, of Amberley, also sold all their exhibits. The sheaves of the grain trophy were disposed of as follows, given in the words of the Argus of the Bth February : " The magnificent sheaves of wheat, barley, and oats with which the New Zealand Court has been decorated have yet to serve another most appropriate purpose, Sir James Hector having presented the whole collection to the Rev. C. P. Thomas to be used to decorate the church of England at Northeote for the harvest festival which is to take place there to-morrow." The Executive Commissioner, having fully arranged for the shipment of certain of the exhibits to the Paris Exhibition, and for the balance to be returned to the owners, left Melbourne, via Sydney, on the 12th February. The first work when the Exhibition closed was the selection and packing of articles for the Paris Exhibition. Mr. H. A. Gordon packed up the mineral exhibits, which consisted of some 114 packages, and the general exhibits comprised sixty-six packages, which were despatched, to frhe care of the Agent-General in London, by the French mail-steamer " Salazie," on the 28th February. The jurors had not nearly completed their labours when the Exhibition closed, and some considerable delay was caused waiting for them to complete arrangements. The live ferns out of the New Zealand Court were delivered to the Exhibition Trustees, and duly acknowledged by the Chairman on the 7th February. In March the work of packing and returning the exhibits to New Zealand was commenced, and by the 15th April 1,060 packages had been shipped from Melbourne. The Secretary left Melbourne on the 16th April, and arrived in Wellington on the 26th April. The final winding-up of the Exhibition business was effected on the 30th May, 1889. The total space occupied by the" Nejw Zealand exhibits was 26,307 ft., the main court being 24,500 ft. in extent. The area occupied by some other colonial courts is"given for comparison: Victoria, 280,567 ft. ; New South Wales, 103,620 ft.; South Australia, 30,872 ft.; Tasmania, 12,500 ft.; Queensland, 8,650 ft. ; Canada, 3,240 ft. The arrangement of the exhibits will be best understood by referring to the accompanying plan and to the full description of the New Zealand Court, which is hereto appended. The classification of the exhibits is given in the appended schedules. The number of visitors to the Exhibition from New Zealand who registered their names in the address-book that was kept in the office of the court was considerably over two thousand, and many other New-Zealauders were known to have visited the court without leaving this record. The cordial thanks of the Commission are due to the Victorian Government, and to the Exhibition executive officers in Melbourne, for the cordial hospitality which they extended to all dulyaccredited visitors from New Zealand. Free passes to the Exhibition and over the Victorian Railways, and invitations to all official ceremonies and entertainments, were distributed with extreme liberality. The thanks of the Commissioner are especially due to the President, Sir James Mcßain, K.C.M.G., and to the Hon. Colonel Sargood, C.M.G., the Executive Commissioner, for the kindly assistance which they afforded in securing favourable consideration for the interests of New Zealand ; and to Mr. George T. Lavater, the General Secretary, and other officers of the staff, for the courteous manner in which they discharged their onerous duties, and for the promptitude with which they carried on the business of the Exhibition. The Commissioners are also much indebted to their colleague Mr. Seed for his successful mission to Melbourne, and to Mr. George Tolhurst for his management of the business in New Zealand after the Executive Commissioner left for Melbourne, and especially for his zealous exertions in organizing the dairy- and wool-shows. They desire to render their thanks to Mr. W. P. Street, of Melbourne, who acted as Executive Commissioner in Melbourne during the last three months of the Exhibition. The Executive Commissioner personally wishes to thank the following gentlemen for the active assistance which they afforded him in the arrangement of the court: Dr. Newman, M.H.R., Commissioner; Messrs. Kohn,Harcourt, Booth, Matson, Evans, and Chapman (Honorary Commissioners): also Mr. Wrigg, of the Public Works Department, who assisted with the plans and diagram of the mineral exhibits ; Mr. Seecombe, who gave expert assistance in arranging the exhibits at the special dairy-show; and Mr. Gordon, of the Mines Department, who superintended the arrangement of the additional mineral exhibits under very great difficulties, arising from the exhibits having been sent two months after the Exhibition was opened. James Hectob, Executive Commissioner.

111. Abstkact ob Secbetabial Wobk. Total number of letters received, 2,126 ; total number of letters written, 1,468 ; total number of printed circulars, 24 ; total number of printed circulars issued, 31,884.