TOURISTS AND THE SOUTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 108, 10 May 1927, Page 6

TOURISTS AND THE SOUTH.

I would like to add a little to the discussic* started by the Minister in charge of Publicity' concerning the supposed boycotting of th» South Island by the tourist-handling interest* in the North Island. One may not see th» wind, but when one observes the leaves rustling one knows that the wind is blowing. S» when one reads the Ministers assertion that "you can bet that I will see the South Island is not neglected" one can note in •what direction the wind is blowing. Parish pump politics aro the curse of this country, and it is a pity that the all-important issue of increasing our national revenue out of all recognition by th» sale of views of our wonderful country should: be hindered by smallness of vision. All this talk of freezing out the South Island that i* not political eye-wash is founded on the supposition that people land from the boats at Auckland with pocketfuls of money and a» at a loss to know what to do with themselves, which, in the language of old Euclid, is absurd. Practically without exception people come hew with a definite programme in view or on a schedule laid out for them by some tourist agency; so much travel for so much money; money that may have taken years to scraps up. The thermal regions in New Zealand are unique in the Southern Hemisphere, and visitors with little money and little time want to see the most unique features. Offered their choice of seeing a mountain or a geyser, thedecision will always be in favour of the geyser. The motor transport interests, linked! together as they are, have every incentive topass travellers on from one route to another,, and their action belies the Ministerial! assertion. X. WALIiI