HOLIDAY ATTRACTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1922, Page 5

HOLIDAY ATTRACTIONS.

ADVANTAGES OF TARANAKI. TOURIST LEAGUE MEETS. The means of developing tourist traffic with Taranaki was the keynote at the meeting of the executive of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League on Wednesday night, when there were present: Messrs. G. Fraser (chairman), L. M. Moss, C. B. Webster, C. Fairbrother, R. A. Large, T. H. Bates, R. Day, and the secretary (Mr. E. L. Humphries). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. Vai. Duff, W. H. Skinner, and E. Shaw. Prior to commencing the business the chairman thanked the members for electing him to the position, and said he .believed the league could do an amount of useful work, especially if all the members co-operated and worked together. The secretary read a letter from the Government Department, in which it was stated that the subsidy to the league would be included in the estimates for the current year. A number of inquiries had been received from various places for copies of the league’s booklet dealing with local tourist attractions, notably from Australia, the Government Tourist Department, and other centres in the Dominion, and it was stated the new issue would be available in a few days and would then be distributed. Th question of bringing the English cricket team through the province had been the subject of correspondence between the chairman and the Cricket Council, but the latter were unable to vary the programme mapped out by providing for the visitors to travel via New Plymouth to Wanganui, and the council expressed regret that they could mt take advantage of the offer made in this connection, although it was to involve no extra expense or loss of time in the tour. Correspondence was received offering terms of advertising in the railway carriages. but as the conditions precluded the advertisements appearing on the Main Trunk trains the matter was not taken up. CO-OPERATION FROM TE KUITI. The chairman stated that in connection with the inauguration of the through motor services from New Plymouth to Te Kuiti he had written the Mayor of Te Kuiti, who had placed the matter before the Chamber of Commerce, and that body had replied stating they were willing to co-operate in assisting to develop a tourist traffic via this route. Mr. Fraser said he thought this opened up the possibility of a big traffic between the two districts and was the first step in placing New Plymouth in direct communication with the King Country. Hitherto the people of that district had looked towards Auckland, but he knew that even now they were turning this way and were looking towards Mokau and Awakino as seaside places and before long there would probably be beach cottages springing up there and the places would become quite popular. In reply to Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce’s letter full information of the working of the local league had been forwarded by the secretary. Mr Fraser also suggested that there would soon be a much larger number of people from this district visiting the Waitomo , paves, and also that the route would hud great favor with the Government Tourist Department, who were for some means of providing a trip that would get over the present dead-end position of New Plymouth. TRIP TO WAITOMO CAVES. It was suggested by the chairman that if possible before the end of the present season a trip should be planned from New Plymouth to Waitomo. and back, including a trip up the Mokau River, so as to popularise the route. The league could then get into persona touch with those at Te Kmti and Waitomo interested m developing the s’over this route, and a great deal of good accomplished. It was decided to communicate with Te Kuiti on the matter and make a suggestion on these lines, and possibly If" of their representatives would meet the party from New Plymouth at M^ a disc°ns S J ior ak t»k place on the question Of the collection of subscriptions fLr this vear, and a sub committee was appointed to’ deal with some portions ol n''w ? ." I derided to hold regular meetings rf the committee on the second Thursday of each month The secretarv latunMed

office would be kept open for an hour nr so every morning during the Christmas and New Year holiday season, Mr. Webster asked if the league could do anything to induce the team of New South Wales lady tennis players to visit here while they were in New Zealand, and after some discussion it was agreed to communicate with the manager of the team, sending some copies of the booklet, and making an offer to co-operate with the Tennis Association and inviting them to visit New Plymouth and see the attractions of the district.