TOURIST TRAFFIC

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1929, Page 1

TOURIST TRAFFIC

A SUGGESTED MONOPOLY. REPLY BY SIR J. G. WARD. (By Telegraph.—Special to Guardian). WELLINGTON, July 17. . Mr .T. O’Brien lias asked the Prime Minister if ho has seen a statement that Mount Cook Motor Coy. is attempting to establish a chain of hostels and motor services throughout New Zealand, thereby creating a monopoly of tourist traffic throughout the Dominion, and whether steps would he taken to prevent such a monopoly. I Sir Joseph Ward replied that he had noticed the paragraph stating the company were contemplating establishing a chain of hostels throughout New Zealand. The company was a private concern, and the Government had no control over anyi enterprise in that diieetion by the Mount Cook Motor Coy. oi any other Company, if it cared to lisle money in such a direction. At present the Company was the lessee of one establishment of the Tourist Department, the Hermitage at Mount Cook, which was leased for a term of fifteen years from Ist October, 1927. The only motor service run by the Company was from Timaru to Hermitage and from there to Queenstown, where the Company owned an hotel over which the Government had no control. No private company i would be able to maintain a monopoly of tourist traffic in New Zealand. If any . such scheme was in contemplation those responsible for it would he well advised to reconsider their proposals before taking definite steps.