TOURIST ACTIVITIES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 128, 28 February 1928, Page 8

TOURIST ACTIVITIES

NO EVIDENCE OF PREFERENCE MINISTER STATES POSITION “All efforts to find any substance in recent charges against the lourist Department of 'prelercice for the North Island’ have failed,” said the Minister in charge of the '1 ourist Department (Hon. W. Nosworthy) to a Dominion representative yesterday. “A recent report from Gisborne in t“e 'New Zealand Herald’ concerning an interview with Mr. 11. J. Manson, New Zealand representative in Victoria, had been misread by the organiser of the Canterbury Progress League (Mr. P. R. Climie) and taken to mean that the North Island was being especially recommended to tourists,” continued the Minister. “A fuller explanation given to The Dominion by Mr. Manson showed that this was not the case, and that in reality Mr Manson was just as keen in placing before tourists the attractions of the south as he was m supporting those of the north. “There the matter might have rested had not Mr. Climie then published a letter from Mr. A. P. Harper, president of the Alpine Club, who said: ‘There is no doubt that this North Island preference exists. I have personally been advised by a tourist office that tlie West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand is not a desirable place to visit, and I know of several other cases.’ Not Wellington Office. “The General Manager of the Tourist Department (Mr. Wilson) at once asked Kir. Harper at which office he had received .this advice, and when, Mr. Harper replied: ‘I cannot say at all definitely when one of your officers indicated to me that the West Coast of the South Island was not a desirable place to visit, but it was three or four years ago; but which office in the north I could not be sure at this date. It was not Wellington.’ Suggestion of “Pull.” “In his letter to Mr. Climie, Mr. Harper had also suggested that there was some ‘pull’ somewhere,” said Mr. Nosworthy. “Possibly he understands better than I do the meaning of this term, but if he attaches to it the dictionary meaning of influence or special favour, then he should go further and substantiate his charge, and I am afraid his faulty memory will not in this case avail him as an excuse for failure to do so. So far, however, he has not troubled to elucidate his exact ing“Mr. Climie also, although he said lie had evidence in support of the charge of North Island preference, has been unable, when challenged, to say more than the following:—’The evidence in our possession consists of unofficial statements of tourists and others made in course of private conversations with members of our league, and other citizens of Christchurch, which have left a very distinct impression that discrimination has been made against the South Island on the part of the Tourist Department.’ “It will be seen,” added the Minister, “that the charge has completely broken down. The plain fact of the matter is that no efforts of the Tourist Department can make a tourist go from Auckland to the South Island if he does not want to do so, but nevertheless every effort is made to induce him to visit both islands if it is at all possible.”