The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-30
The Worlds Fair in 1880.

upon a project for a worlds fair, to be
held in this city in 1883, says the World,
Australia has prepared plans for an inter-
national exhibition to be held in Mel
bourne in 1880. Australia now ranks third
among the export markets of the Kingdom
of Great Britlir, and has been represented
at all the great exhibitions of the world
since the first in 1851. The country has adj
vanced greatly in productive industry and
commercial relations, and it is thought has
reached a period when it may prohtably
invite the great manufacturing countries to
send tie most complete products OF their
skilled industry to the exhibition. Australia
is now in a position to be a good customer
as we'll as a competitor, and the exhibition
will therefore be of value to American
manufacturers. The local Legislature has
passed an act authorizing the exhibition,
and all incidental expenses will be paid
out OF money voted by the Parliament OF
Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital.
The exhibition will be opened October
l, 1880. and will close March 81, 1881. 1t
will he held in buildings specially erected
in a central positionin Melbourne at a cost
OF about G95,000, and 4 certain amount of
steam and w%ater-power will be supplied
rec. The commissioners desire to en-
courage the displayo Of machinery in motion
and will therefore cndeayor to provide ade-
uuate power to meet all reasonable de-
mands. Any power required by the exhibit
tor in excess of that allowed will be fur
nished by the commission at n moderate
price on application before August 81, 1880.
Exhibitors are required to furnish show
cases, shelving, counters, fittings, shaftings,
pulleys, betting, and all artistic decora-
tons and arrangements must be approved
; by the commission. The placing and fix
ing of heavy articles requiring special
foundations Or adjustment should be-
gin as soon as the work upon the exhibit
ton buildings will permit. The general
reception of articles wild begin June l.,
1880, and no articles will be admitted after
August 81, 1880. The general work of fit
ting up must begin not later than May /,
and the exhibition must be ready Tor the
reception of goods before July Is. All
goods must be removed by June l, 1881, or
II any remain after that time they will be
! disposed of by the commission at auction
and the net proceeds will be given TO the
exhibitors.
The awards will be based upon written
reports adopted b.. the jurors. The jurors
will be selected for their known qualitica-
tions and character, and will be experts in
the departments to which they are especi-
ally assigned. The British, foreign and
colonial jurors will be appointed by the
representatives of each country or colony
exhibiting. The jurors for Victoria will be
appointed by the Melbourne commission
Jurors will be reimbursed their persona.
expenses. Reports and awards will be based
upon inherent and comparative merit, the
elements of merit being held to include
considerations relating to originality, in
v~ention, discovery, utility, quality, skill,
workmanship, fitness for the purposes in
tended, adaptation to public wants, economy
and cost. Each report will be delivered TO
the commission as soon as completed.
Awards will consist Of gold, silver and
bronze medals, and a certificate OF honorable
mention, together with a special report CT
the jurors on the subject of the award. Each
exhibitor will have the r~ightto!produce and
publish the report awarded to him, but the
commission reserves the right to publish
and dispose of all reports in the manner it
thinks best for public information, and to
embody and distribute the reports as re-
cords of the exhibition.
In the year 1876, the latest date for which
the full returns are available, the COM
merce of Australia amounted to a total Of
e92, 592, 1884, the imports OF Victoria being
sl5,7O5,354, and the exports sl4,196,4S7.
In the same year Australia took British
manufactures and products to the value Of
s1S,414,91O, a larger sum than the exports
to the United States Of America, the figures
for that country only reaching to sl7,l4l,-
1876. Melbourne is more readily accessible
from all the settled districts OF Australia
than was Philadelphia from the great
manufacturing and agricultural States OF
the American Union, and there is constant
steam communication from New Zealand,
Tasmania and the islands of the South Sea.
:. The acting secretary of the commission
is Mr.. George Collins Levey, No 8 Victoria
Chambers, Westminster. London.