TOURIST DEPARTMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 29 February 1928, Page 4

TOURIST DEPARTMENT

STA'i'rl.M ft NT 15 V Til ft MI.NHTRR. WELLINGTON, 1-Vl*. T "All elVorls Id find iin.v substance ill lli; 1 rei cnl charges ;ijisii list the Tourist Department of 'j*!ol’iToiu-*' fur tile North I sin ml ’ Imvo failed,” said the lion. \V. Xosworthy, Minister in Charge of tlio Tourist Dopitrlmoot. to n representative of the ••Lyttelton i imes ’’ to-day. " A recent report from Gisborne to the “New Zealand Herald’’ concerning nn interview with .Mr 11. .1. Munson. New Zealand representative in Victoria, had boon misread by the organiser of the Canterbury Progress League (Mr I’. R. Cliniioi and taken to mean that the North island was being .specially recommended to tourists. A fuller explanation given to the “ Dominion ” by Mr -Munson showed that this was not the ease, and that in reality Mr Munson was just as kec in placing before tourists the a lira tious of the south as he was in su] porting those of the north. “There the matter might have res ed. had not Mr f'limie then puhlishe a letter from Mr A. P. Harper, pres dent of the Alpine Club, who sail ‘There is no doubt that this Nort Island preference exists. 1 have pe sunnily been advised by the tourif office that the West Coast of the Sout Island of New Zealand is not a di sirahle place to visit, and f know i several other eases.' The generi manager of the Tourist Departmei: (Air Wilson) at once asked Mr Harpe at which office he had received thi advice, and when Mr Harper replied “ Replying to your letter to the twen ty-first, L canot say at all definltel, when one of your officers indicated t me that the West Coast of the Sout I Island was not a desirable place t visit, but it was three or four year ago, but which office in the north could not he sure at this date. It wa: not Wellington.” In his letter to 7d Climie, Mr Harper had also suggestei that there was some ‘pull somewhere. Possibly he understands better that I do the meaning of this term, bin if he attaches to it the dictionan meaning of influence or special favour then he should go further and substantiate his charge, and 1 am afraid his faulty memory will not in this case avail him as an excuse for failure tc do so. So far, however, he has not troubled to elucidate his exact mean-

Mr Climie also, although he said he had evidence in support of the charge of North Island preference, lias heen unable when challenged to say more than the following: ‘The evidence in our possession consists of unofficial statements of tourists and others, made in the course ot private conversations with members ol 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.’ 'Tt will be seen,” said tlie 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 lie 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.”