Nine Days’ Wonder

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 442, 25 August 1928, Page 8

Nine Days’ Wonder

Commerce Train Through Auckland

ABOUT two weeks before the General Election, and with the country at political fever heat, 60 Auckland busine—men will undertake a nine days’ train journey through the province and investigate first-hand the industrial potentialities and the agricultural resources of the upper half of the North Island. This commerce train, which has been arranged by the Railway Department in conjunction with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, is exiiected to produce a distinctly educative result.

JT is not intended to conduct Auckland’s commerce train on the lines of Australia’s Great White Train, which conveyed a travelling exhibition through the Commonwealth for the edification of people in remote areas, hut is merely an enterprise to give business men here an intelligent and comprehensive knowledge of questions which they are called upon daily to discuss. It is appropriate that the late spring should have been chosen as the time for the nine days' journey through the province, because, apart altogether

from general problems which affect the welfare of the commercial field and which must be investigated, agricultural pursuits will have reached an attractive stage, and spring growth will be blossoming in the full glory of its pastoral splendour. In addition, the side-line attractions provided by feverish election activity will give members an intimate idea of the feelings of the people in their own districts, as well as provide them with a valued insight into the progress of the political fight. To the rural localities themselves, the visit will mean much, for it will establish for them contact with the heads of industry with whom they deal, but who now appear to them rather dimly on the commercial horizon.

The train is to consist of four sleeping cars, a parlour car and incidental accommodation, and the party is limited strictly to male members. Government officers will be on board, the secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce. Mr. J. W. Collins, and the General Manager for Railways, Mr. H. H. Sterl ing, having been approached in this respect. In addition officers of the Agricultural Department will be included in the party and will lecture to members upon specific subjects concerning the districts covered. These lectures will be supplemented by the free issue of suitable bulletins of information, and will be further substantiated by receptions at various points of the journey, where preparations already are being made for hospitality. Fleets of motors will meet the train at different points. To enable members to preserve intimate touch with their business, provision is being made on the train for stenographers, and the prompt delivery of urgent correspondence will be assured. This in turn will be quickly dispatched when it has been attended to by the clerical staff on the train. The possibility of establishing intermittent telephone communication with Auckland is being investigated by the promoters of the trip. Radio and gramophone entertainments are scheduled. Every evening will be spent on the train, and morning and afternoon tea will be given. Extras are to be made available upon a system of coupons, though extensive programmes of hospitality are being formulated in several districts. The trip is expected to cost in the vicinity of £lO a head. The commerce train will leave Auckland for Hamilton at 9 o’clock on the evening of Friday, October 26, and during the ensuing nine days the party will be given a comprehensive idea of what the province holds in wealth, and what are its possibilities for further development. Rotorua, Arapuni, Tauranga, Waihi, Wait onto Caves, Thames; all will be visited south of Auckland, and then the train will whirl its passengers north to Dargaville, Hokianga, National Forest. Opua, Russell, Puwera State Farm and Whangarei. On Sunday evening, November 4, at 7.35 o’clock, the train will draw in at the Auckland station and mark the completion of what is expected to be a momentous and a fruitful journey. With the knowledge that they gain upon this trip, Auckland business men probably will be possessed, not only of a firmer grasp of their own trade connections in the outlying districts, but will be able to form more definite and more conclusive opinions upon several besetting problems of land and commerce.