A CHALLENGE
PROGRESS LEAGUE AND TOURIST DEPARTMENT. By Telegraph—Press Assn., Copyright. CHRISTCHURCH, March 8. At a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League a letter was received from -Mr Jl. M. Wilson (General Manager of tire Tourist Department) denying that the South Island was neglected in the preparation of itineraries.
The letter ends: “To end this matter I give you a straight out challenge to prove your statement. If you can show to the satisfaction of tiro Minister or the Public Service Commissioner, that any responsible officer of the Tourist Department has advised visitors not to go to the South Island as there was little or nothing to see there, or has in any other way tried to divert tourist traffle from the South Island. I shall call upon that officer to resign, anil more than that I shall send in my papers at the same time. This challenge is contingent on your placing your position on the other side of the sealcs. ’
Members of the executive expressed surprise at the tone of the letter and a motion was carried approving of the action taken by the special committee in protesting at the discrimination against the Solitli Island.
ait DAN" ItFRSK lIEI’I.IKS. (’HlllSTC'HrilC'll. M.,1.1, 7
Replying to Mr B. .M. Wilson, re tourist propaganda. Mr Dan Reese says in a letter: “ I must confess that the tone of your letter surprises me very much, coining from one holding such a responsible position. Your own reputation and the esteem in which you are hold precludes anybody for a moment suggesting that, you personally would contribute to the cause of the South Island complaint regarding tourist traffic or that you would in any way encourage such a policy, so why take the criticism in such a personal manner. There is no gainsaying the fact that the South Island has not had its fair share of this tourist traffic. Some people here suggest: that sinister influences are at work in the far north, lmt I think the reasons are to lie found in natural causes. It is astonishing how few South Island people have been to Rotorua and how few North Island people have been to Mount Cook. and. so if your officers in tfie North and particularly in Australia, are not moil who know the scenic wonders of the South Island, then it is easily explained why Rotorua District gets such a prefer-
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Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1928, Page 3
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403A CHALLENGE Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1928, Page 3
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