IN THE HOUSE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1921, Page 1

IN THE HOUSE

(From Hansard). Speaking to tho annual report of the Tourists and Health Resorts, in the House, Mr Scddon (AAesthind) made no npohivv for rising to address the Home in a provincial and par,,dual manner en this question. He had tint intended t*. speak, Imt after the remarks of the honourable member for the Easter, i Maori District about Westland, the Cinderella of New Zealand, he could not sit still and let his district run the risk of being maligned. The mem hr is who had heard the honourable gentleman's remarks smiled at them, for they were not taken nr meant serious-ly-.'bill these smiles would not. appear in the pages of the report, and tho readers thereof might, therelore, ho misled. The honourable gentleman s remarks iVrtninlv were facet tons, and one would like to put into Hansard the smiles that iliey elicited, to show that the letiinrks were wot intended to lie taken seriously. When the honouran'e member for the Eastern Maori District compared tie Vfr.tiHWaiknremonnaWairoa Road with ilu- beautiful road.; Westland one am- naturally inclined to - Iiilo; bill ito would suggest that tin* hniinurahl, ir.umher, if lie wanted to make a void euinparisim. should take the opportunity on his next visit lo travel the road from the Otir.-i down t,i lxiiiio.ua. .■■ml from there go right oil to the Era tin Josef Glacier, and there 1,,, would -oc Lmi}.i roods and bush scenery the like of whi,<h d" nnl exist in am other pari of this Dominion. They in AVestland did regard the beautiful Most Curst as being the Cinderella of N W Zealand, and it certainly had not bad that ;• 1 1 "111 inn in the past which it ,| v■ | T crisis came krotn the ; Xcvtli Island to Christchurch, _ and I Were sent on to the Hermitage. They Weni to the cold lakes; hut a very small percentage went to the West ! Coast. The people <>'i the Coast could give these tourists the accommodation tlivv desired, and they certainly had the scenery lo show them. They had I the Erauz Josef Glacier, the pox (>lacI ior. lakes unrivalled, rugged mountains. |’ mountain passes, deer forests a para- ! disc. No mention was made by the ! Tourist Depirtment of the attractions ! about tho Town of Greymoiith from a i tourist point of view. The honourable i meMiher for Huller could, if he liked. desvrihe |he 1 o-n lit if 111 road frsini GrevI moot li to Afnrsdeii that was unequalled : for a short hush road in any other part iof til" Dominion. Then, in Soutli Westland there were hot springs. The hot baths at Wailio had wot been attended to as they should have been. There was a very fumhled-down building, and, people who went to use those waters for curative purposes found it very inconvenient to do so. The Department would he wise fn make proper provision to enable tourists to use those waters. As in advertising the* tourist nt tenet bins of New Zealand •lbrii’i!. ho desired to say that there was in Canada and the l’nit"d Rtntos an ext raordinai v ignorance of the whereahoufs of New Zealand, and the ■ ntilv wav to bring this country hefot n the pomdo i'l those lands was to have , nnl 1 • ••:•' redited a-'eni who would have the authority of iho Government and v , ~,,1,1 h-l o -pie l. toov wlint they could .. .. i,, V.ev Zealand. Tf Diev ha ’ heard ~f New Zealand rt all there they t>onhl (ell (me that d was a land that was free fr hi strikes. If they were spoken t,, further a hoot New Zealand lliev tumid show the'r ignorance of the position f this onini'iy hv confusing it with A lit v 1 in 111 the middle west . ..(hoof el'l-r a Ihe iv-elo certainly knew ■■ little more ahoot New Zealand while these on the Baeifie Coast knew unite u considerable amount. Tl the

.■" cut ill 'san Kraiie'scn coni') obtain assistance from the Government, i he information already in the State of California. would permeate right through the States and over the border to Gailiin«l R munluM' nl tourists would cic.ue in New Zealand, lie did not think they could afford to disregard the importance of the tourist to New Zenilaiul. It would he a wise thing if the Minister would advertise more generally tliriiindirnt the world. It had been’said that they should curtail expenditure and that there was a, possibility of tlio Tourist Department being wiped out. lie hoped the Minister would nol take such a. step, lie trusted tip)l if the honourable gentlemen was. on account of ciietimslnnces that had arisen for the time being, compelled to curtail expenses, he would maintain tli,. Department ns at present, and then during the next year, when conditions acre better, push ahead. If ■they could induce people to come to New Zealand it would not only mean developing the counlv.v. but would bring about international good will. There nils throughout New Zealand a strong preiodive m'lrps' |i onlc from the EnitOil Rides. 11,, was sure that if these ■noiO'lo cilice to New Zealand in anv nli'ilbet's, and were of the rodi'l sort, tlmv w'uihl ercte a very good impressinn. and this would bring about a good internal iotlal feeling. He honed t.bc Afiniste.- w(oibi not cuidn'l ex]aeiidi--111 re ..II Ibe T-nrisl, Dciuirl n»mt more than he was :ibsel' t'dv c mnelled lo d" ami 11 1 ii I -'s far as AA’cslland was roti:ed lb. bun ," r dde gentlemen wnu'd id- • if the a'tcnlion it (le cvved