THE DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 285, 11 April 1889, Page 3

THE DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

SYDNEY TELEGRAPH’S OPINION. Dunedin, yesterday. The Exhibition Commissioners have confirmed the appointment of Mr Towsey as musical director.

A chess tournament is to be held in connection with the Exhibition.

Subjoined is the article which appeared in a recent number of the Sydney Telegraph :— A paragraph in our Saturday’s issue stated that the prospects of the forthcoming exhibition in New Zealand are of a “ very encouraging ” character. In addition to a subsidy of £lO,OOO, the Government of that colony has promised to erect the main building in which the show is to be held. A subsidy is confidently expected from Victoria, and it is intended, we are told, to seek official recognition from the Government of New South Wales. With what the other continental colonies may choose to do this colony is not concerned. But it is certainly full time for New South Wales to call a halt in this matter of exhibition expenditure. So long as the half-dozen colonial Governments are willing to subsidise these shows there will be no end to them. A class of persons has been developed which lives upon this kind of thing. “Official recognition,” as a rule, means a court, and a court means a staff. But the only question to be answered to the satisfaction of the Government of this colony in regard to the projected exhibition in New Zealand, is whether or not it would be a sound commercial investment to grant wiiat is to be asked for. The late exhibition in Melbourne rested upon a different basis. That was a display of natural wealth and of progress in civilisation whioh fitly commemorated the completion of the first century of Australasian history, It was a great function in whioh all the colonies very properly took their parts. Victoria primarily shared in the profit aud lots of it—more profit than loss in the broadest view of its influence ; and all Victoria’s neighbors joined in the celebration, But that federal effort cannot justly be placed in the same category with the New Zealand affair. The latter is business, pure and simple, There is no sentiment In it whatever, And when thia is said it is obvious that the people's money should not be spent upon it unless a justification can be found for the expenditure in atrong probabilities of increased trade between the two colonies.

Do these probabilities exist ? Is it at all likely that New South Wales will reap any commercial advantage from subsidising in any way an exhibition in New Zealand? What desire does New Zealand show to do a large and growing reciprocal trade with New South Wales ? Does she want to buy what we have to sell? Are her markets open or tariff-pro-tected ? Is her policy one of admission or exclusion ? Is she trying to isolate herself from this and other colonies or to come into closer commercial relationship ? It cannot be denied that such questions as these are pertinent to this subject of subsidising an exhibition, Why should New South Wales display her products in New Zealand if there is no wish for a manifold exchange of commodities ? This colony has always treated the island colony in a truly federal spirit. Of all Australian colonies New South Wales is New Zealand’s best customer—a better customer in some years than all the other oolonies put together. This year we are importing an enormous amount of food from New Zealand and paying top prices for it. That is our Freetrade policy, aud one which, we trust, will never be abandoned. But we could, had we a mind to do s<>, tax out New Zealand produce as easily as Victoria or any other continental colony does. We choose to maintain open porta and let our people buy in the cheapest market. This suits New Zealand wonder, fully well. Instead of sending her grain to the other side of the world in search of purchasers and exposed to the competition of the world’s cheap land and cheap labor, this year she has only to pay the freight of a five days' voyage and there is a splendid market for all her surplus. But what is New Zealand’s treatment of New South Wales? One qf deliberate exclusion, We send virtually nothing to that oolony except coal, and it is pretty certain that coal will be shut out in the near future. More than one attempt has already been made in that direction, and it is only a question of time when Newcatle will have to give way to Westport and Russell. The tr ide will then be altogether one-sided. lu face of the existing situation and future probabilities, with what reason qan New South Viales hq asked to assist in getting up an exhibition in New Zealand ? Exhibition promoters are never deficient in the oftenuseful quality of audacity, and there need be no surprise felt or expressed should the Government be entreated to “ officially recognise ” this Dunedin show ; but it may be hoped that the recognition will be politely but firmly denied. To wfyatevqr may be done by private firms there can be, of course, h 0 objection, but the Government should keep absolutely clear of this speculative enterprise,