TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1883. AN AUSTRALASIAN EXHIBITION IN LONDON.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 250, 1 May 1883, Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1883. AN AUSTRALASIAN EXHIBITION IN LONDON.

Me Twopenny, of Christen arch, one of the promoters of the several ' Australian and the ! New Zealand e.xhibitions,h,as recently, m a letter to the Melbourne Argus, and a sub* | sequent one to the Lystelton Times, made a very large proposal, viz,., that the diffei*ent Australasian eoleniofl should unite to hold a large exhibition m London. Assuming the exhibitions held m Australasia are intended as advertisements of colonial wealth, commerce, resources, &c, Mr Twopenny pyiuts. out that the best way to advertise is to do so where tfye advertiser wants to sell his goods, and m the largest circulating medium. England, he further remarks, is. the place whence we want b.o.th immigration and capital, and London is, th,e best circulating medium m England. He deprecates, and correctly, Aye think, the idea of making an international exhibition of it, on the ground that m such an one the Australian portion would, as at the Paris exhibition, " be almost tost m the crowd." In an Australian exhibit ion, he says, " we should have a monopoly of public attention, and with the co-operatian that I feel sure H.11.H. the Prince of Wales and all the leading authorities m England would give, we might confidently reckon upon the exhibition being visited by several millions of people, many of whom, moreover, would come with a purpose, a,nd not out- of more curiosity, as most people visit an International exhibitior ; and, what is still more important, the exhibits would be described, and som,e considerable account of Australia be published m almost every newspaper m England." In, his letter to the Lyttlcton Times, Mr Twopenny argues that we shoulddisplay afc the proposed exhibition, not only our natural products, the raw material, but also specimens of our manufactures, even though we have no hope whatever of exporting them to Europe. In support of this suggestion lie gives three reasons: First, we should show that we are civilised, and thus remove the idea that the emigrant to the colonies abandons all the comforts of- life when he comes out here. Second, a display of our manufactures m Lon* would tend to attract artisans to our shores, for, seeing the trades they work at were m full swing m the colonies, they would be led to make enquiries as to wages, &c, m many cases emigrating m consequence. " The third reason," says Mr Twopenny " for obtaining as representative a display of. our manufactures as possible is they make far more show — m other words, are more attractive to the general public than raw products. An exhibition of raw products would bo of little interest to the general public, and it is the , general public we want to. attract. Once we have got^hem into the exhibition. I have no fear but they will go. away instructed, although p*erhapg they may not be conscious of it. The Exhibition would aim not only atattracting emigrants, but at spread • ing abroad a realisation. of the position Australasia is entitled to m. the Civilised world— a realisation which would bring a, l.arge quantity of ;

capital into the country, thus preventing the price of labour from falling. The simultaneous influx of capital and labour would prove of advantage to all classes now out here. Buti apart from these direct advantages, it is impossible to estimate the value of the/ indirect benefits we should gain from a better knowledge G|f ou.r position arid re~ sources being spread abroad tbjrougb I Engten.d." Mr Twopenny ■calculates the expenses of the Exhibition for one year at £174,000, and m this includes rent, freight, decorations and show cases, national exhibits, free ti'ains for. agricultural laborers".;'.' salaries, advertising* ceremonies and entertainment of guests, gas and fuel, insurance, medals./, 'certificates, telegrams, machinery, pamphlets, &c. The receipts he estimates afc £110,000 at the lowest, leaving a deficiency of £64,000, which of course would have to be made up by the contributing colo.nies. The proposal is 'being favorably commented on hy the Press of this colony, and we shall be surprised if something practical does not result from it.