Auckland Provincial Government Gazette.

281

Superintendent’s Office,
Auckland, 20th January, 1875.

SIR,—

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Circular-letter dated the 5th instant, covering a copy of a letter received from Sir Redmond Barry, the Chairman of a Royal Commission issued by the Governor of Victoria, to ascertain whether united action should be taken by all the Australasian Colonies in order to secure their proper representation at the Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876.

From that letter I learn that the Victorian Commissioners propose that a preliminary Intercolonial Exhibition should be held at Melbourne, at which a judicious selection might be made of objects most suitable for ultimate exhibition at Philadelphia.

I think it would be a matter of great importance to New Zealand that her resources should be worthily, and as fully as possible, represented in the forthcoming exhibition at Philadelphia. At the same time I am of opinion that the articles to be sent from this Colony should be forwarded direct to America, after careful selection and preparation under our own supervision, and that they should not be transmitted to another Colony in these seas for “judicious selection” there.

A direct commercial connection between New Zealand and America may be reasonably expected to grow and flourish under the permanent arrangements which are now being made for trans-Pacific communication by steam, and the Colony will thus be placed in the very best and foremost position for availing itself of the advantages to be derived from such a connection, which will undoubtedly be mutually beneficial to both countries.

To give effect to such a proposal as I have indicated, I would suggest that the several Provincial Governments of New Zealand should be requested and empowered to collect, for the Exhibition, the articles that might be considered most suitable, that the whole should be carefully classified and arranged, under the direction of a duly-qualified person appointed by the Colonial Government, and that they should be transmitted to America direct from this Colony. It would of course be advisable that the packages should be consigned to the care of a duly-accredited agent, whose duty it would be to obtain a fitting place for the New Zealand exhibits in the Exhibition Building.

I have, &c.,

(Signed) J. Williamson,
Superintendent.

The Honorable the
Colonial Secretary, Wellington.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Wellington, 15th April, 1875.

SIR,—

Adverting to my circular letter of the 5th January last year upon the subject of the collection of a set of exhibits to be forwarded, as representing the resources of New Zealand, to the proposed Philadelphia Exhibition of 1876, I have the honour to inform you that the Government after mature consideration of the whole question have decided on making an effort to have the Colony represented at the Exhibition, but to forward the New Zealand contributions direct, instead of submitting them to previous exhibition and selection at Melbourne as proposed in Sir Redmond Barry’s letter enclosed in mine above quoted.

It has also been thought advisable to confine the exhibits from New Zealand almost exclusively to the natural productions of the country in their raw state instead of endeavouring to exhibit manufactured articles produced in a country where manufactures are in their infancy, in juxtaposition with the productions of countries whose manufactures have been brought to a high state of efficiency.

2. The principal exhibits which have suggested themselves to the Government are:—

Wool
Grain of various kinds
Gold
Coal
Timber
Flax (including rope and other manufactured articles)
Kauri Gum (much used in the United States, and a carefully made collection of which would be of importance to this Colony)
Tanning Barks, with samples of Leather
Preserved Meats
Tobacco Leaf
Mineral Waters, and specimens of Minerals, including however only those which might possibly lead to profitable use.