the commitee on an Inter-Colonial Exhibition

    In March 1930 the Governor of Jamaica appointed the committee to examine the feasibility of an 'Intercolonial Exhibition' in the island and it was announced on the front page of the Gleaner: 

Daily Gleaner, March 11, 1930

COMMITTEE ON EXHIBITION IS APPOINTED

Governor Names Gentlemen to Enquire Into Feasibility of Intercolonial Fair

AND ATTENDANT COSTS

His Excellency Acts on Proposal of Hon. D. T. Wint Made In Legislative Council 

_____________

   A couple of weeks ago the "Gleaner" announced that His Excellency the Governor had decided to appoint a committee to deal with the proposal of holding an Intercolonial Exhibition in Jamaica.

   The idea emanated from the Hon. D. Theo. Wint, the member of the Legislative Council for St. Ann, who introduced a resolution at the last session of the Legislative Council advocating the holding of such an exhibition here. The resolution found favour with the Government and was adopted.

   To-day it can be stated that the Governor has appointed the members of the committee, the gentlemen being:-

Sir William Morrison (Chairman).

Hon. Major Stems, Director of Public Works.

Mr. W. D. Battershill, Assistant Colonial Secretary.

Hon. D. Theo. WInt.

Hon. A. G. Nash.

Hon. George Seymour Seymour.

Hon. Leonard deCordova.

Mr. Ellis Levy; and

Mr. W. E. O. Turvill.

                             TERMS OF REFERENCE.

  The terms of reference to the Committee are as follows: To enquire into the feasibility or otherwise of holding an exhibition in Jamaica in which the various West Indian colonies and the Dominion of Canada would be asked to participate.

   To consider ways and means in connection therewith and to estimate the probable cost of the construction of buildings and laying out of grounds and the working and running expenses of such an exhibition.

   Also an estimate of the receipts which would likely be obtained and what contributions should be required from the Dominion of Canada and the various colonies; to advise on a suitable site; to ascertain as far as possible what pecuniary support can be anticipated from the public either by way of direct subscription or of guarantee and generally to make such suggestions and recommendations in connection with the whole matter as may be thought fit.

Not that everyone thought it was a good idea!

 

Daily Gleaner, March 12, 1930

Proposed Inter-Colonial Exhibition

THE EDITOR:

Sir, - With respect to the proposed Intercolonial Exhibition for Jamaica, I beg to call attention to the fact that the great bulk of Exhibitions are a financial failure.

   The Exhibition of 1891 was a debacle for Jamaica; hundreds of taxpayers lost heavily by guaranteeing various sums.

I am, etc.,

TAXPAYER

March 10, 1930.

Hopes were expressed that the committee would produce a report during the year:

Daily Gleaner, April 24, 1930

FOR INTER-COLONIAL EXHIBITION HERE

   A few weeks ago the Governor appointed a committee, with Sir William Morrison as chairman to enquire into the feasibility of holding an Intercolonial Exhibition in Jamaica in which the other West Indian Colonies and Canada should be Invited to take part.

   The idea originated with the Hon. D. Theo. Wint, member of the Legislative Council for the parish of St. Ann, who introduced a resolution dealing with the subject at the Autumn Session of the Legislative Council. Certain information will be obtained as to the cost of holding such an exhibition here and the contribution which each colony will be asked to give. It is highly probable that the report of the committee will be ready in time for the Autumn Session of the Legislative Council, but in case it is not ready then it will be brought forward at the next Spring Session of the Council.

. . . at the end of April the committee held its first meeting to consider the matter of an Exhibition:

Daily Gleaner, May 1, 1930

     Body Dealing With The Inter-Colonial Exhibition Meets
   A preliminary meeting of the Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor to deal with the proposal of holding an Inter-Colonial Exhibition in Jamaica was held at Headquarters House yesterday morning. The members present were Sir William Morrison (Chairman), Hon. Major Simms, Director of Public Works, Mr. W. D. Battershill, Assistant Colonial Secretary, Hon. D. Theo. Wint, Hon. A. G, Nash. Hon. George Seymour Seymour, Hon. Leonard DeCordova, Messrs. Ellis Levy, W. E. O. Turvill and J. Downes.
   The terms of reference to the Committee are as follows: To enquire into the feasibility or otherwise of holding an exhibition in Jamaica in which the various West Indian Colonies and the Dominion of Canada would be asked to participate. To consider ways and means in connection therewith and to estimate the probable cost of the construction of buildings and laying out of grounds, and, the working and running expenses of such an exhibition.
   Also an estimate of the receipts which would likely be obtained and what contributions should be required from the Dominion of Canada and the various colonies; to advise on a suitable site, to ascertain as far as possible what pecuniary support can te anticipated from the public either by way of direct subscription or of guarantee and generally to make such suggestions and recommendations in connection with the whole matter as may be thought fit.
   The Committee discussed the various terms of references and appointed small committees for different purposes, and will meet again in due course.

   Now I must do some more searching, because so far I have found nothing further about this committee and any recommendations it may have made about holding the Inter-Colonial Exhibition for which D. Theo. Wint had been working.

other exhibition ideas

   Before I look at some other exhibition suggestions before 1932, I must record that the Gleaner archive at newspaperarchive.com has reappeared safely - not as 'lost' perhaps as previously suggested. This is very good news for researchers into Jamaican history from 1865 onwards.

 

read on for more on other exhibition proposals 

origin of the Exhibition idea

   I want, in this post, to look at the origin of the 'exhibition' idea leading up to 1932.      

  ..................

   Before that, however, I need to note that the Gleaner archive at newspaperarchive.com is unavailable since yesterday, it seems; I am waiting for some information as to how long it will be before that archive is back on line. At present the site seems to be saying the unavailability may last for months!!  I will go on with my work using material I have already downloaded.

..................

   The idea of holding an exhibition of locally produced goods seems, in part at least, to have originated with an organisation called the Native Traders Protective Association which was founded in mid-1929; T. H. Beecher was described in November '29 as founder of the Association, though the President was Ivan G. Aarons. In November also it was reported - 'It is understood that the society intends to hold an exhibition towards the middle of January when exhibits from all over the Island will be on show.'

 

   Clearly no exhibition took place in January 1930, and the Native Traders Protective Association seems to have petered out in 1930. However, T. H. Beecher continued to work on the idea, but did not get an exhibition organised until 1932. There were other suggestions for an exhibition, especially an Inter-Colonial Exhibition, during these years, but only Beecher and his associates actually got the idea off the ground.

 

Note: the name of the Native Traders Protective Association points to an issue much debated at the time - the role of the Chinese, 'East Indians' and 'Syrians' in commercial life in Jamaica. There was much, often heated, writing in the press on the topic and on the need to protect 'native traders' against competition from 'alien traders'. This is a big topic and I will not be looking at it here; I will say however that T. H. Beecher does not seem to have expressed animosity to 'alien traders' in his campaign for a Jamaican Industrial Trade Exhibition. If I find more on this topic in my material I will mention it; at the moment, though, I am unable to do any further research in the online Gleaner archive!!

more on how this started

Daily Gleaner, August 12, 1931

              AN ALL-ISLAND NATIVE INDUSTRY EXHIBITION.     

   It is understood that early in February next year an all-island native industry exhibition will be held - possibly at Sablna Park. The exhibition, which is being organised by Mr. T. H. Beecher, shopkeeper in Kingston, should have been held towards the latter part of last year, but owing to certain circumstances, it had to be postponed.

   It is learnt that several prominent gentlemen in the island have taken an interest in the venture, and it is understood that the patrons are likely to include the Hon. Sir William Morrison, Kt., Mr. Horace V. Myers, M.B.E., President of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, and other prominent merchants and planters of the island.

   A meeting of the committee having charge of the exhibition will be convened shortly, when the scheme will be fully outlined by the organiser.

starting here . . .

   At the moment I am particularly involved with something that happened in Jamaica in 1932 (two years before I was born!). Long ago I stored on my computer references to a remarkable 'Industrial Trade Exhibition and Fair' that took place on the Kingston Race Course in September of that year. Just recently I visited a similar exhibition at the National Arena, and I was prompted by my visit to look through the material I had gathered on that other Exhibition 80 years ago, and to check to see what had been written up about that event, and the remarkable group of Jamaicans who had organised it, much against the odds - the world was then in the grip of the worst depression ever, until the one we are struggling with now in 2012. Hardly anything has been written about that exhibition, as far as I can tell via my internet connection.

  So - I am going to try to bring those days in 1932 back into the light of memory; I will try to put up a post at least once a week, revealing what was happening in relation to the planning of the Exhibition during the same week in 1932. There may be other news of the day which was worthy of note! 

 

Mr. T. H. Beecher. the founder
and organiser of the All-Jamaica
Trade Exhibition and Fair.

Mr. Beecher was ever after known as 'Exhibition' Beecher 

Back in September 1931 the promoters of the Exhibition and Fair had set out their aims in putting on their show: