TOURIST TRAFFIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1858, 18 September 1913, Page 5

TOURIST TRAFFIC.

SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE AGENCIES. When the Tourist Department Estimates wero being discussed in tho House of Representatives yesterday Mr. G. J. Anderson said that the stato of affairs in the Sydney office of the Tourist Department was not a credit to the country and urged that some improvements should bo effected.,

Mr. T. H. Davey asked whether the annual report could bo framed so as to givo full information about tho Sydney and Melbourne offices. At present they oould find no particulars about tho offices at all. •' Tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes said he was aware the Sydney office required attention. Tho officer in chargo had recently died and, now appointments would be made about which as yet lie could say nothing. Amongst other things, however, he proposed to change the officers in Sydney themselves. A recent visitor to Sydney had said an expenditure of £2000 a year was not justified upon this office and that cheaper , arrangements should be made. As a matter of fact ■the expenso was only £1350. At present he was considering an offer to rent an office which ho thought would bo satisfactory at £350 a year instead of £800 a year as at present.

Sir Joseph ward said ho looked upon these offices in Sydney and Melbourne as two of the most valuable advertise--1 ments Now Zealand had. He knew of hotels and clubs which continually rang up tho offices for information. It would be a fatal mistake for New Zealand not to bo represented there—quite a retrograde step to neglect to have an office in those centres for 'tho convenience of Australians and immigrants who camo to Australia from the Homo Country. In regard to Mr. Manson, the officer in Melbourne, he would say that he was as well. known as the Lord Mayor of Melbourne. '<ind was a. very valuable officer. The office gave information to all who inquired' about lands, land settlement, travelling conditions, and hotels. His (Sir Joseph Ward's) ex ; perijneo was that the public men of those countries knew the representative of New Zealand m Melbourne very woll indeed. He regretted that Mr. Montgomery had passed away in Sydney! He had done very valuable work for this country vhilo there. One mistake that had been made in Melbourne was in having the office upstairs. It ought to be on a ground floor. Tho Sydney office was on a ground floor. There were neirly 19,000 New Zealandera settled in Sydney, and they met oontinually at this centre. It was . a necessity of the age that these branohes should be maintained. At one time ho had hoped that the sites of both placescould be purchased, and the buildings sub-let. That opportunity had now passed. Other- people had bought tho properties, and were benefiting by them as New Zealand should havo done.

Tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes, in reply, expressed his appreciation of the officer in Melbourno. He was a particularly live man, .and as an instance of his activity he could cito a <jaso where he had gone outside liis ordinary tourist office business. , When he heard that all the Now Zealand shipments of potatoes were boing condemned ■ho wont to the Department, in Melbourne and arranged that they should bo re-'sorted 1 , and hundreds of pounds were so saved. It was a groat advantage to have a man like that in charge of tho office there. At present he was in chargoof both offices,"and reorganisation wasuiidor tho. consideration of Cabinet. The reason that tho callers at the Melbourne office had fallen off wis explained by tihe change in location. When they wore turned out of tho office in Collins Street to, tho east of Elizabeth Street they had to find offices where they could get them, and it was only on tho third floor Hon. F. M. B. Fisher: The seventh floor.

Mr. Rhodes: Well, the sevenths floor, that they were abte to get them. They had now made arrangements to obtain new premises in the New Zealand Ship ping Company's offices, which wete m the centre of the district through which the travelling public passed.' Mr. Witty: What floor? . . Mr. Rhodes: The first floor. With reference to tho Sydney office, last year it booked tourists to the value of £3200 to this country, and earnfed commission to the extent of £100.

Mv: Davoy asked that the financial position, of the office Should bo .indicated in the reoort.

Mr. Rhodes &aid he had promised to do this next year. He agreed that the House should have, this information, and he would seo that it wis embodied in the next report.