OUR EXHIBITION LETTER.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 105, 5 January 1881, Page 2

OUR EXHIBITION LETTER.

BY COSMOPOLITAN

No. tii. ViOTOBIA-t-THB GBBAT ICENB-gHITIJBB— PbOGBESS— FUTUBB OBEATNISB — MaNTHPAOTUBES— BEHIND THE .SOBNBB —The Australian " Huntlt and, palmee " — hot pxttm-pudding-^---ocmans oj tbbaole— pablo!! gymnastics -r- the : jubobs' aviabx- — MBIjBOtTBNB BY MOONLIGHT. Victoria exhibits m her displayed resources many things that suggest profound social problems awaiting, the solution of time. Time, that great scene-shifter m the ; world's drama, changes the locality after a long run, and begins again m & new field, with new actors and fresh accessories | butthe themes, with somes variation, are' all pretty much the same. Some of the actors lira only to acquire wealth— make it their religion almost from the nursery to the prave ; others live only, to spend it. Tbe people who possess brains and those who ptfises3 money of ten change places and set to other partners. The < best men often- fail ; the worst succeed. . There is always the villian of the piece, and as some fall through the trap door of oblivion, . others enter by the side scenes, and pass across the world's stage, m the same fleeting fashion. There, is always the same set of characters, good and bad, virtuous : and vile, and lore— " Time's fool " — provides new performers m the shadowy drama. The transition from childhood to youth is not marked by such changes as thote which accompany the tran-. sition .f rem youth to manhood ; and, judging by its infinite possibilities, of which there is abundant evidence spread around, Vieroria will undergo great changes m the next few years, and crystallise into new and unloolted for shapes undreamed of m the pa9t. With food at the low figure it is here aad labor 10 high, and 34 millions of people m the old country, where meat is one shilling per lb., and hu nan flesh 5 and blood so ohe&p, as sung by Tom Hood, it is net likely, the present performanje can run many years longer ; and, unless we are unable to read the signs of the times, the present Exhibition will greatly accelerate the impending changes. The sooner the better ! There are too many skids on the wheels of progress, and young Victorians, above all, should travel and see the world. We should like to see and read some of the weekly reports of the foreign commissions and exhibitors, sent home. It does people good, as the poet, Burns has put on record, "to tee ourselves as others see us." People denied aspirates, may acquire wealth, and they should not begrudge the extra twopence m .the school estimates for the teaching of a manners. England has got to the stage when she can no longer produce a third of the food^required to feed her population, and that difficulty is daily increasing, m so small an island. As an American remarked, "It is a. very nice little island, but I .was, always afraid of falling over into the sea." Well, the Exhibition has taught us that the world will riot have^to wait centuries to see Australia take her place among nations. In pursuance of our self-imposed task we have not yet made much progress m finding out what is not manufactured m Victoria. We have, however, satisfied ourselves that at present they do not manuture " paupers " nor " workhouses." Neither do they make torpedoes, nor; breech loaders. We have generally remarked that those natioai which excel m the one field are usually pre-eminent m the other. May bad legislation and high civilisation never conduct us to that deplorable consummation ! We find, however, which could hardly be anticipated that among the Vic- ' torian manufactures are railway locomotives first class American saloon oars of elegent construction, Pullman "caw, semaphores,. and. all kinds of telegraphic apparatus and agricultural machinery, and among them all, the nucleus of a museum of antiquities, m the form of the first plough used m the colony.This patriarch among ploughs bears the marks of age and rough service endured m its pioneering mission, and should be preserved m a glass case for future generations. Such things as parquet flooring, china, pottery, bronzes, and embroidered, ecclesiastical vestments, ar« amongat the Victorian, exhibits. What would tho gold digger of a bye-gone day say to the last-named ? What Captain Costigan said of the gold-ep»u-leted, bedecorated, staff officer, probably, oh the occasion of his first beholding that glittering personage—" How I should like to pawn him." After seeing only the finished result m Victorian exhibits, we thought it well to lee the modus operandi, and Messrs Swallow and Ariell first showed us behind the scenes at their factory afc Sandridge. Everybody knows the great English manufactory of Huntley and Palmer at Betdingj with its 3008 employe's. Mr Swallow graduated, many years ago m that Alma mater, and here we have an Australian Huntley and Palmer fast growing up. The factory; already covers a large space of ground. We know sot how many tons of. flour, butter, &c, per week are not consumed. 700 doa. of eggs pnr diem are used, and a reserve stock, preserved m lime, of some 40,000 dozens is kept up. 658 lb», of. butter are used, for " cake " alone per day. The famous plnm pudding, boiling at one time (What a sight for school-boys I — orßoocwt. per day. The ocean of treacle which flows from Messrs Swallows's premises is all purified by animal charcoal, prepared m all its stages on th« spot, as indeed is everything throughout the establishment, even to the. tin boxes used for packing and storing ; and and the cooper's work, m the making ofbarrels, &c. JWe ;expected to ccc myriads of flies m the" treacle department, instead of which there was not one. Perhaps- that article is too strong for them I More than 300 work people are employed on the premises. . Mr I\ Bennett's parlor gymnasium at tbe Exhibition reminds us that we remark m young Victoria a tendenoy to run to legs and arms, m other words, unequal ; development. That suoh things can be counteracted by proper means, or developed by circumstances, Dr Darwin has shown conclusively enough, the curious configuration of the giraffe being the reault of generations of neck craning after their proper food which grows at a lofty altitude. It is invaluable to people of. sedentary pursuits, ( invalids, or for use m had, weather ; it takes up no sqore space than an. eight-day clock and oan be set up any where. Young Indies who desire to develop the just proportions of a Greek Venus, to, say nothing of health, ihonld, try oftt, <

The jurors are so nnmerous— -about 400 — that the accommodation is insufficient, and- it also has been found necessary to fix the maximum of the cost of their luncheon at 2s 6d each. These doves of tbe Statemust be duly fed, and not overworked. Th» :• lofty turrets on the roof of the Exhibition buildings are going to be utilised for the juron, and next week three rooms will be ready for meetings and discussions. Should any juror go to sleep, ho will not be awoke, but left on the roof all right* the outlet being locked at closing-time. Should heawake, he can then study the stars, and the appearance of the panorama of Melbourne 'by raoouligK t~" or^pTrhaps,' between the glimpses of the moon see tjve.ghosts of the .kangaro.o^ajnd_th^^aJbor]ginecome to revisit t&eir. \ whilom -Euntingwgro'ilnds at Garltdn. ■ ' j . k X •