N.Z. TOURIST LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 18

N.Z. TOURIST LEAGUE.

RAILWAY SLEEPERS. PACIFIC CONFERENCE. The reason why sleeping berths are fixed transversely" and no:; longitudinally in railway carriages in New Zea land was explained by t.he chief mechanical engineer, Mr. Lynd2, in a letter read before the meeting of the committee of the New Zealand Tourist League held last night, Mr. G. M. Fowlds presiding. In the United States of America, the practice is to build berths longituudinaHy to conserve space and provide convenient dressing accommodation. The chief engineer said that after sampling American sleepers he was emphatically of the opinion that in New Zealand the transverse method was best; the roll of the cariages was from side to side and a person reclining lengthwise would suffer in a maximum degree from this roll. In an American train Mr. Lynde found he had to pack himself up with a suit case in order to keep himself from rolling over on his face while asleep; the curves and gauge of the New Zealand railways would aggravate the sidewise roll. The league also drew the attention of the engineer to the fact that in the new carriages in use on the Rotorua line the glass ventilators do not junction closely, permitting the ingress of rain and dirt. The us& Of; rubber joiutingli as in motor car screens, was suggested. The idea commended itself to the railway engineers and they expressed their appreciation of the constructive criticism of' the league. r - The Otago Progress League reported that by the use of unemployed 'labour: work on the route to - the'fla,asV •Pass was going ahead slowly. By. the end of the year it should have reached' Makaroro. It would he a; 'fine scenic route when completed. :• • >: ; The Buller Progress League; urged that more publicity be given Coast and stated that the route via Lyall--would be opened again , this month. As it traversed the country -shaken by the recent earthquake the road should be taken by visitors. Tho Honolulu Tourist Jttffieau is; call-;; ing a Pacific Conference 'of . Tourist groups for May at Honolulu.' One. of the vice-presidents of is ; likely to attend and it Was reported that probably two of the highly-placed Government officials would go. Mr. Armitage, •of the Bureau, who passed through New Zealand in November, submitted a detailed report on the manner in which the -mid-Pacific islands organised their tourist business which has now reached more than double the proportions of the New Zealand .business. ;