WESTLAND.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19268, 24 March 1928, Page 14

WESTLAND.

THE CINDERELLA OF THE PROVINCES. BETTER TREATMENT DESIRED. (SrECIAL TO THE fKE3S.) GREYMOUTH. March £3.

That the Westland Progress League is far from satisfied witli the attitudo of the Government with regard to the development of tourist resorts is emphasised in the list of subjects drawn up at the meeting of the Westland Progress League this week. It is claimed that while successive Governments have been prodigal in regard to expenditure on Dominion tourist resorts, Westland has been the Teritabio Cinderella of the provinces. Lavish expenditure has gone on at Rotorna, iVaitomo, Egniont, Hanmer, the Hermitage, and the Cold Lakes, to mention only a few localities, while even modest expenditure in Westland is vetoed, although £IO.OOO is to be spent in providing accommodation at Mill'ord Sound.

It was pointed out that at utlier places the Government has spent many thousands of pounds in providing accommodation, but in Westland, whether at Lake Kanieri, Waiho Gorge, or Wcheka, • it is left to private enterprise to find the thousands and, to the credit of a progressive people, the money has been found. The statement that for the current financial year only £560 has been set down for Westland out of a total vote of -£91,924 is regarded as proof that the district is sadly neglected by the Tourist Department.

The League is also drawing attention to the need for improved communication by road, rail, and sea for the large amount of produce now coming out of South Westland, also for improvements to the Haast Pass route •with a view to giving better access to Otago. Other matters to be brought up at the annual conference of the Progress League, to be held at Westport in about six weeks' time, are increased public works expenditure on undertakings of a national character, better publicity with a view to developing tourist resorts by the aid of moving pictures, and the development of railway and harbour works.