TOURIST AND EXPANSION LEAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1920, Page 5

TOURIST AND EXPANSION LEAGUE.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League was held last evening, there bring a moderate but representative attendance. The president (Mr. T. C. List) occupied the chair. TEE YEAR'S WORK. The' report presented by the secretary (Mr. W. A. Oollis) stated: The work of the office lias just been about on a par with the two preceding years as far ac callers and enquiries are concerned. Arrangements made for local round trips have been rather more than previous years, and as time goes on these trips will become more popular, especially if the taxi proprietors will study up the various points of attraction so as to give visitors as full in formation as possible about the trip they are taking. The mountain bookings were not quite so numerous this year, and this can be partly -accounted for by the broken weather in the earlier part of the season. In moving the adoption of the bal-ance-sheet, showing a small credit, the president remarked members would notice that subscriptions were very small; as a matter of fact, few wave, collected. This year the League would have to make an effort to canvas for subscriptions. Touching on finance, the speaker said it would be seen they had just been able to keep within their receipts. Actually they ought to have shown a credit in the vicinity of £SO if they had collected the subscriptions. A ' feature of the year's work was the promise of a subsidy from the Government of £IOO. This was a very handsome sum and it was given in appreciation of the League's work and a recognition by tne Government of the past and present work of the League on behalf of the district and the country generally. If the necessary activity was shown this year he believed the subsidy would be forthcoming again. It was certainly a source of encouragement td them to go on and do more. Last year they had not accomplished a great deal of work, but had kept going the League's office, which was just as much in demand by the travelling public and visitors as previously. The office was now quite an essential institution of the town, and he did not think they could afford to let it go. In the past they had been satisfied to keep the office going and retain the services of a secretary, but the time had come when a forward move was needed iu the direction of doing more fox the town and visitors than hitherto. In this connection the League had recently been in touch with the taxi drivers, who had agreed to work with the League in endeavoring to popularise the various trips which could be reached from New Plymouth. A list of these trips with all particulars was now in course of preparation, and would probably be published later. The resolution for the adoption of the balance-sheet was seconded by Mr. Jas. Clarke, and carried. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following committee was elected for the ensuing year: Messrs. Syd. Smith, M.P., T. C. List, R. Day, J. R. Cruickshank, A. McHardy, R. Large, S. Teed, Jas. Clarke, C. H. Burgess, W. K. Skinner, A. E. Sykes, W. B. Davies, S. W. Shaw, and Dr. Leatham. Before the meeting dispersed a vote of thanks was according the outgoing members and president. ADVERTISING THE TOWN. The suggestion was made by Mr. E, P. Webster that the League should spend some- money in advertising New Plymouth in southern papers. There was, he pointed out, an exodus of people from the South Island, and a judicious publicity campaign might be the means of attracting residents to the town. The suggestion was received by members as a very useful one, and the president said it would have the sottsilerationi of the committee. ,