VISIT TO ITALY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 133, 7 June 1937, Page 11

VISIT TO ITALY

TOURIST TRAFFIC

HOW IT IS ENCOURAGED

(From "The post's" Representative.)

LONDON, May 8.

Sir Clutha. Mackenzie returned recently from an enjoyable visit to Italy. An Italian spring provided a season of enchantment in a land of singular beauty. With few exceptions, he found the people charming. Some complained that the great burden of taxation sat heavily on propertied people, but the Government was, he understood, careful to see that industrial enterprise was not discouraged by undue or unwise taxation, nor handicapped by unsound or humbugging labour law,s. Many in the tourist trade —an important trade to Italy—regretted bitterly recent misunderstandings with England, their best customer, and the Government had taken vigorous steps to revive it—rail fares at 50 to 75 per cent, reduction, hotel tariffs classified and reduced, petrol to tourists at a low figure—and tourist lire issued at 103 to the pound sterling, instead of the current rate of 93. He said that in Italy, as in almost every civilised country, the people can. get their meals and their wines at whatever time they like. Through the long light cool evenings they may play their tennis or their golf, row, bathe, motor, ur fish, and come in when the spirit moves to a leisurely dinner and a Dottle of Chianti. Already the knowledge was spreading widely in England, partly through the newspapers, that in New Zealand the visitor could get neither meals, drinks, nor attention after 6.30 or 7 in the evening. The reeling that it was a barbarous, not a hospitable country, would soon wreck the tourist prospects of the Dominion. The steady traveller, accustomed tn freedom in the matter of meals, drinks, and a courteous response to the bell push, decides that New Zealand is free co determine its own domestic laws, but mat it is no country for him. In spite of all that is heard about xi-ade difficulties and taxation, the mass of the Italian people appeared to be nappy, healthy, well clothed and well housed. An economic crisis might lie not very far ahead—that Sir Clutha nad insufficient knowledge to estimate —but he believed that both Italy and Germany were feeling severely the loss of foreign trade and their inability to create credits with which to purchase essential raw materials, and much even of the existing, credits was being applied to acquiring materials for armynents. It was felt in some circles that this deadlock in their trade and inability to secure raw materials from abroad under their present policy might before long bring about a more amenable attitude in their foreign policy, Britain and her associates being prepared to make concessions in exchange for permanent guarantees and moderation in armaments. Sir Clutha found it difficult to obtain any definite opinion as to the future economic value to Italy of Abyssinia. All seem to have great hopes, but these seemed to be speculative. At all events, from what he learned of the arduous and painstaking labour with which' the Italians had developed every square foot of their own country, often under very difficult circumstances, he believed that they, if anyone could, would exploit to the best advantages such resources as Abyssinia possessed.