PROMOTING NEW PLYMOUTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1919, Page 5

PROMOTING NEW PLYMOUTH.

EXPANSION LEAGUE MEETING. The adjourned annual meeting of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League was held at the Soldiers' Club last night. Mr. T. C. List (chairman) presided over an attendance of about 25 representative citizens. The chairman, after explaining the reason for the adjournment of the meeting, stated that the committee felt it would be a mistake to let the league lapse, and yet at the same time they felt disinclined to carry on further without better support from the citizens, of the town. The work of the league was known to those present. Every year between 300 and 450 enquiries were received at the league's central bureau, and these from strangers to the place. That showed the necessity for the organisation. It was true that little outside of that had been done during the war period, but that was principally I through lack of funds. For the first year or two after the inauguration of the league the public had subscribed liberally, and the league had done a considerable amount of propaganda work. Literature had been distributed about New Zealand and also in Australia. They had also circulated some cinematograph views of New Plymouth and carried on a fairly .extensive advertising campaign, which had made tha attractions of New Plymouth known to outsiders. Personally he thought it would be a mistake to discontinue the ; work of the league. There were other directions in which its work could be made very useful. During the past few weeks the need for increased accommodation had been strikingly exemplified, and the committee thought some move might bp made in getting erected a seaside accommodation house probably on the lines of the Hydro. Grand Hotel at Timaru. This committee also thought the scope of the league might be broadened with a view to attracting people to the town as permanent residents, and not merely as tourists. He alluded to the drift of population from the south to the north, and thought something should be done to divert gome of that population to such a desirable place as New Plymouth. Referring to the finances, Mr. List said they were not on the most satisfactory basis. At present the league depended on voluntary subscriptions. He thought that where everybody benefited all should stand in and support the league. It had been suggested that the league's membership might he increased to about 300 at a' subscription of £1 per annum, and with that revenue a great deal more could be done than was being done at the present time. Unfortunately, there had been a lack of interest in the league's work, and it had devolved upon about half a dozen enthusiasts to keep the league going, and they were in the position of being able to come before the meeting with a clean balance-sheet. That, however, was largely due to the generous support given by the Taranaki Jockey Club and the Mountain House Committee. The league was capable of doing a lot for the town, and, in addition to its attractions from a tourist point of view, its advantages as a residential town were many. It depended upon the support of the public as to whether they carried on, however, the committee feeling it would be a big mistake to abandon the league's work in view of what had been done, and in view of present and future needs and possibilities. In offering apologies for the absence of Messrs T. Avery, W. and A. Ambury, and N. King, the secretary stated that these gentlemen had intimated their intention of continuing to support the league, and hoped it would not be permitted to lapse. Mr S. Shaw, in order to test tho feeling of the meeting as to the future of league, moved the motion of which htf had given notice, to the effect that on account of lack of public support the league should disband. He hoped, however, that the motion would l not be carried- He regretted that the league's business did not attract large attendances of the public, and thought that for a town of the size of New Plymouth the attendance that night was not very satisfactory. It was undeniable that those who benefited most through the league's activities were not represented. Those present were for tho most part men who reaped little or no benefit. He was of opinion that the league had exploited' the tourist element in its work, and that attention shouTd he directed towards doing something of an expansive' character in order to push the town itself along. They should aim at helping the progress and advancement of tho town, and there were many ways in which that could be done, and the committee could find ample scope for its activities. Although the attendance at the meeting was anything but encouraging, yet he felt it would be a mistake to abandon the league. (Hear, hear).. The motion was not seconded. Mr C. H. Burgess then moved that the leacue should be carried on. He said he did not think the league needed to advertise the piaM. It was a mistake to attract people to a place and have no accommodation for them when they got here. That only disappointed them and turned them away from coming again, and it might happen that when the accommodation was available the place would not then bo able to attract visitors because of tho experiences of others who had not been able to get accommodation. He said it was a question of patriotism to the town He was not much concerned about the number at the meeting. If those there were patriotic they should carry on, no matter if others didn't turn out: it would bo no good to get disgrnnted over it. Those interested in it must give double if necessary to keep it going. (Hear, hear). Let the few, if need be, go on,, but ga on cheerfully. Mr C. Carter, in seconding, said the present was an inopportune time £o talk of disbanding. The soldiers who had gene away, and were now returning, had been the be3t advertisement New /iaaland had ever had. and they would be the means of attracting people to Now Zealand as nothing else had done. From that point of view the league should think more of redoubling its efforts than of relaxing Mr C. E. Baker said if any organisation New Plymouth had justified its existence the Expansion League had. Its work was excellent. The number of visitors coming to the town every year now compared with seven or eight ycras ago was evidence of that, and every visitor who came was of benefit to the town. Itwould be suicidal of the townspeople to let the league lapse, Some trndos were more bound up with the interests i nf the league than others, hut all beneifited more or less. He thought ft would not be difficult to get £3OO liy [canvassing- If it- proved to be then tfti 'citizens did not deserve that the leagSk

should be carried on. He thought more use should be made of the Government Tourist Department, who at , present seemed to have left New Plymouth right out of their reckoning. He advocated the arranging of trips from Wellington to Auckland, returning via New Plymouth.

Mr Davies stressed the necessity Jot more systematic advertising in the outsido districts.

The chairman in an explanation stated that the commitee had had sets of views of Now Plymouth and surroumlings prepared and ample literature and these had been sent to the leading Auckland hotels, to the Tourist Department and Cook's Tourist Agency and to Rotorua- It was the fault of the Tourist Bureau if these things were not kept before the travelling public. Up to two years ago literature had also been placed aboard the inter-colonial steamers anil vessels coming here from America. The secretary also stated that several hundreds of copies of guide books, etc., luul been sent out only this year, and in some case? applications had been received for second supplies. Mr. S. Teed said he thought the best advertisement for the league and for New Plymouth would be to give the utmost support to the movement for opening up road communication between New Plymouth and Te Kuiti.

Mr. C. D. Lightband stressed the great need for sufficient accommodation, not merely for tourists who came to New Plymouth, but for those who wished to settle in the town, and they should aim at getting people to stny, and hot merely pass through the place. The scenic attractions of New Plymouth were not valued as they should be. There was no town that possessed finer. Ho urged the preservation of the natural beauties of the place, and characterised the proposal to demolish some of the Sugar-loaf Islands in connection with harbor improvements as "criminal vandalism," and a robbing of posterity of Nature's gifts. The matter of providing a theatre and amusements for visitors wi. also urged. Dr. H. B. Leatham, primarily responsible for the founding of the league, said the prime object had been to bring before the New Zealand public what was really the most delightful place in New Zealand, and unless they advertised there was no possibility of people knowing of the attractions of the place. But for the enthusiasm of a fow citizens much of the beautiful surroundings would have been destroyed. Had there been no Scenic Preservation Board the bush on the ranges would have been burned, as land there was advertised for sale and for lease, and the conditions were that the bush should be destroyed. Referring to the carrying on of the league the speaker said some new members would have to be elected to the committee, in order to interest others in the organisation. Other organisations in the place Bhould bo appealed J .o, to get up entertainments on behalf of the league. He referred to the work put into these kinds of movements in other towns, where the public and the local; bodies all worked in together for the benefit of the town. If tho people wero wise to their own interests they would come to the support of such a league, as there was no finer place in the world than New Plymouth, and he said that after having travelled a great deal. (Applause.)

Mr. Collis said that from the beginning the subscriptions of those who received the moat direct benefit from the league had gradually decreased, until last year they practically gave nothing. He admitted that the matter of accommodation was the burning question, and said that' the league so far had been kept going by a few men solely from patriotic motives.

Mr. J. Clarke said the greatest need of the league was a more stable committee, and that could not be secured by dependence upon public meetings. He thought the constitution should be so amended as to bring into the active membership of the league representatives of the various sports clubs in the town, who were all vitally interested' in the tourist traffic, and by that means ensure the support of the elubs and organisations so represented. Regarding the accommodation question, ha thought' the position had been created by the people's own lack of confidence in the place. He did not see how outsiders could be expected to come in and build big boardinghouses if the local people were not prepared to move in the matter. The only possibility of securing extra accommodation was either by the public houses being given a better tenuro, or the erection of a temperance hotel should prohibition bo carried. He was of opinion that the local hotels had beds enough at present to spoil the business for any temperance^lace.

Mr. Collis said that from the inquiries received at the league's office it was noticeable that people nowadays were seeking rooms in private boardinghouses .rather than in the ordinary hotel. Mr. R. C. Hughes put in a strong plea for the* preservation of natural beauties of the place, and the improvement of some of the neglected areas of tho town. He suggested also that the committee should consider the preparation of some scheme for meeting the accommodation, and that the time had come when the lengue should have a paid secretary and not ask anyone to collect its subscriptions for nothing.

Mr. J. McLeod urged the development of th* expansion side of the league's work, even if it meant the detriment of the tourist work. He mentioned three most important matters that attention should be directed to, and they were the securing of the metalling of the Mt. Messenger Road, thei Coast Road, and the completion of the New Plymouth—Opunake railway. The town should pull together and force these works along. The question of accommodation for visitors he considered would not be satisfactorily settled until the prohibition question •was settled. If prohibition was carried then private enterprise would no doubt come to light and make provision for such needs. He thought at present there was ample hotel accommodation for normal times, but not for the few rush periods. There was only one hotel in New Plymouth that has seventy-live pelcent. of its beds occupied ail the year round. In the matter of accommodation fo: resident* New Plymouth was overburdened with old houses. Mr A. H Johnstone, who expressed the hope- that the league would continue to carry on its very successful work, urged that attention should be directed to maters which would induce people to come to New Plymouth as permanent residents. He referred to the magnificent stretch of country from Kawhia to Patoa, and right back to the Wanganui river, of which New Plymouth was the chief centre. He referred to other provinces in the country not as old as Ir.rp.naki. yet which had outstripped it in the matter of the development of their resources. Canterbury and Otago were much better developed than Taranaki. A voice: That's because they're Scotch down there! Mr Johnston, continuing, said that, might he, but it waa certainly because! they had an enthusiasm for their districts In Tnranaki it was onlv nscea- ! sfiry to go north about 30 miles from j New Plymouth and an impassable bar* 1

| rkr of mud was reached, and that con i tinued almost, right on to le ivuiti, «c( | yet the latter place was iu the built f ■) lew years ago. lie said settlers hat ■' gone into the buck part of this provides ! liO years ujjo ami the town had no! stirred itself to do anything to uutwl tliem. it would have paid New Plymouth people "hands down" to have put their hands in their poekcu una metalled the Alt. Messenger road. Then uw« was the coast railway, a railway to tin north and the Alain irunk cuuiweuuu chni needed completion 'l'iie 'Awaking and tho Mokau rivers nestled Iniuging, Not long since it had been nugyeswjj '1 that a punt should J>e put on tite .\lokau. < , They should not be satisiied to accept ":f such a makeshift. Tha leasoli had been built in the south when wanted was because enthusiastic settlers hod banded together, and what had been done in Canterbury and Otago by en- >. U'.usiasm could be done In TaranaK! t>y f, the same means. Mr Johnstone produced a railway map to show the amount of construction carried out in the south, and said that though there ; may have been political influences in the mutter, there was first of all the enthusiasm of the people. In Taranaki thafu was still the one main line, with no better service than that ft 20 years Ago The district could not progress without the means of communication. The ieagOf should go to work and insist oil th« rights of the people who had gone into the bnck blocks and broken their hearts in the work of opening up the countiy. He said Tar.inj.ki was the most populous district (acre for acre) in the Dominion. The remedy was in our own hand*. What was needed was men of vision and sacrifice—which was the way of life —men who could see the future in tie present, and keeping*that view in thiir minds take up the work of the league with enthusiasm and faith. (Applause). ■ Mr Burgess said he had listened to the discussion with much interest fait had heard no reason given by anyone as to why the league should not be eon- ' , tinned. It would be a poor compliment, he thought, to those who had carried on the work up to the present if it was now allowed to drop. In answer to Mr John- ( stnn in regard to the development el 1 North, lie said there was not the bush and j rough country to contend with doWn ' there, and also that strong political influences brought to bear by southern members of Parliament had had muth to do with it. The northern members had been scattered and very often could rot agree, and so got nothing done. Regarding what was done in the older tows he pointed out that everything could not ba done at once, and while In Kurrpean countries such was done inthft matter of the development of tourist resorts, in which municipal assistance wu given, that was not possible to My great extent in young countries. Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P-, said tie league had done good work which fee hoped would be continued. He assured the members that the people of tho teak blocks but one desire with regard to holidays and that was to come to New Plymouth and take advantage of its great facilities. The Kev. W. A. Sinclair drew atteftt tion to tho formation of a similar league in Chrietchurch which was subsidised by various local bodies surround* in" the city. The chairman, in summarising the discission, urged that pressure should He brought to bear upon the Minister (wfco was expected in the district shortly) with regard to tho necessity of openiftg up between New p mouth and the Ohura country. On the motion being put it was carried with enthusiasm. The following were then elected a committee:—Dr. H. B. Leatham, Messrs S. G. Smith, M.P., A. MoHardy, J. & , (,'i'uiok'ihank, A. H. Johnstone, J. Clarice, J. Mcleod, R. A. Large, T. 0. List, 8. Teed, J. C. Morey, and It. H. Bartley. On the motion of Mr S. G. Smifch, M.P, a vote of thanks was accorded the outgoing committee. A short discussion took place as to the basis of membership of the "league, and it was agreed to leave it as at present on a voluntary subscription basis.