ADVANCE ROTORUA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 320, 6 September 1932, Page 6

ADVANCE ROTORUA

ROTARIANS' VIEWS SPEAKERS LAUD SCHEME PROPOSED BY COMMITTEE NEW AVENUES SUGGESTED Ceneral commendation was the attitude of speakers at the Rotorua Ro+ary Club's luncheon yesterday when they expressed their views up0.1 ihe scheme- for the co-ordination of the variou? bodies toward the advancement of the district. The seheme, which has already been p'ubliihfcd, was brought down by Rotarian McDowell and Rotarian Guy and lias been circulated throughout tho district. Rotarian Vaile remarked that Roiciua had two great assets — its tourist traffic and its . land settlement. The distar.ee from other countries , war, one of its drawbaeks for the tourlst traffic for to eome from England a man needed at least £600 and l six months holiday. However, Aus- j traiia was the nearest and the most i ferfcile field to explore and it was essential that the tourist's comfort be studied. He must have the best class of vessel and must have speed and service. Touching- upon land settlement, Mr. Vaile said that there was the greatest opportunity in New Zealand to-day. However, before they settled the boys on the land, farming must be a payable proposition. Woql would need to be three times its present price and rneat at least double, hui. butter was still at possible prices. He aho mentioned that it would be as well to malce Rotorua distinctive and commended the scheme of planting native trees in the streets^ Rotarian Crawford-Watson spoke of the methods adopted in Switzerland and other countries to make tourists weleome and to make their stay pleasnnt. He mentioned the nocesshy ior liotel and boardinghouse keenei-.. studying the wants of the travelling public since these were the first points of contact for the tourist, Ile instanced the methods adopted by Mercury Bay in catering for big game fishermen and campers. Rotarian Martin dealt with the value to the town of native trees and also remarked that the type of tourist had changed and that efforts must be made to keep pace with their requirements. Dealing with land settlement he considered that it was the most important thing in the Dominion to-day, since everything hung upon the succx'ss of the primary producers. He commended a recent Hamilton. scheme. but; pointed out that it was essential either for prices to I : se or costs to eome down before l farming could become a payable busiI ness. Rotarian Bertram advocated more i catering for the invaiid class oi I visitor who was of great value to the 1 district since he spent more time here than the average tourist. He also dv.u It upon the nccessity of makinp thc thc-rapeutic values of the thermal j \vrteis more wiuely known to the urodical fra.ternity of Australia as v.'eP as of New Zealand and said that !!'i- was one big opening where good i ecul'i be done. Another suggestlon by Rotarian Bei iram was that a central hureau s' ouhi he establ shed on the lines oi those existing in the Ameiican couni ies, where cvery centre had a place ■ here anv information regarding the -i -tricts an.d their products could be obtained. This, he thought, rnight engage some of the time of the comuiiitee. Rotarian Guy mentioned that some such scheme was at present under consideration. Rotarian Martin spoke of the value of Lake Rotorua and advocated the running of a regatta, but Rotarian Itoland thought that this was not feasib'e owing to the conditions obtaining. Preskknt Davys asked members to do their u^most to bring conferences to ihe town, stressing the importance to the district of these gatherings, and thanked the speakers for their views.