H.—2.

Photographs have again played a large and important part in the Department's advertising and publicity work. Further new subjects are added to the collection from time to time, and these have been made immediate use of for illustrating articles in overseas papers and magazines and for the preparation of new lantern slides. Several of the photographs were used for colour-plates and coloured cover designs for New Zealand annuals, thus receiving a still wider field of publicity. Enlarged, coloured photographs have been distributed widely in overseas countries, where they form the basis of attractive displays. As in former years, a large number of special prints were made use of for presentation to distinguished visitors who have expressed themselves as being pleased with the pictures as souvenirs of their stay in New Zealand. In special cases albums were prepared to contain selected photographs, an outstanding occasion being the presentation of photographic portfolios to Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Bledisloe on the occasion of their return to England. The usual morocco-bound albums prepared by the Department were made use of for placing on board cruise ships and overseas liners, where they will remain permanently and should do much towards advertising the Dominion. Post-cards prepared by the Department have been freely distributed, many visitors having a preference for this type of picture. Good sales were also reported of stocks of these at the various resorts. Many new lantern-slides were prepared during the year from fresh photographs secured for the Department, and the High Commissioner and other overseas offices were kept supplied with special sets suitable for lecture purposes. These sets included a wide variety of subjects and have been very favourably commented upon. The past season's advertising campaign in Australia, covering newspaper and magazine advertising, as well as hoarding and window displays of posters and special show-cards, was of an extensive character and was fully justified by results in the way of increased passenger traffic. Indications are that the results of this campaign will be felt during the coming season and that the traffic from the Commonwealth should continue to grow steadily. Exhibitions, especially those in Canada and the United States, were again made use of for the display of a considerable amount of publicity material of various types. Favourable comments were received from the exhibition authorities and the public regarding these displays, and no doubt much useful publicity for the Dominion has been gained through them. Radio publicity was further developed, in the United States particularly, through the introduction of some special recordings prepared for release from a large number of broadcasting-stations. By this means New Zealand has been introduced to millions of listeners-in in America. The field generally is a very important one, capable of wide extension when further funds can be allocated for the purpose. Among the visitors of special publicity interest to the Dominion during the year was Mr. E. 0. Hoppe, a photographer of note, whose headquarters are in London. Mr. Hoppe, who has travelled in many parts of the world securing unusual pictures, was much impressed with our scenery and took a large number of photographs while here, which he intends publishing in book form. The visit of Mr. Moore, of the National Geographic Magazine staff of America, is also of special moment. Mr. Moore, who took many colour photographs, also selected well over a hundred prints from the Department's stocks and is at present engaged preparing an article on New Zealand for publication. This should prove of the greatest possible value from a publicity standpoint. The general aim with the whole of the publicity activities has been to keep it up to date with the adoption of all useful means in the direction of attracting overseas visitors to our shores. Efforts so far have shown conclusively that, with such a wide field to work upon, opportunities for the use of our material far exceed the amount available both in funds and the necessary supplies of literature, films, &c., required to demonstrate New Zealand's undoubted attractions to all those portions of the world which it is so highly desirable to reach. Financial. The revenue of the Department during the financial year under review was £75,634, an increase of £10,557 over that of the previous year, and the expenditure, including the Overseas Publicity Branch, was £103,028, as against £91,571 for the previous year. The following tables give details of revenue and expenditure for the past six years, also the receipts and expenditure at the main tourist resorts : — Return of Receipts, 1929-35. 1929-30. 1930-31. 1931-32. 1932-33. 1933-34. 1934-35. £ £ £ £ £ £ Receipts .. .. 75,083 68,524 58,876 59,138 65,077 75,634 Return of Expenditure, 1929-35. 1929-30. 1930-31. 1931-32. 1932-33. 1933-34. 1934-35. £ £ £ £ £ £ Consolidated Fund .. 130,615* 120,413* 91,951* 85,850* 91,571* 103,028* Public Works Fund .. 20,546 60,288 87,609 14,455 13,510 12,880 * Includes overseas publicity expenditure.

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