PUBLICITY AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 222, 19 September 1930, Page 6

PUBLICITY AFFAIRS.

When business shows a slackening off and when prophets of woe predict that things will become worse, that Is the lime the wise business man redoubles his efforts to attract custom. The uses of advertisement are never greater than when it is clearly necessary to enlarge the scope of one's undertaking and to seek profitable business from afar. The success of liberal publicity applied to a commercial enterprise is an obvious encouragement to the State to go and do likewise. New Zealand people know 'full well, from many a striking example, how belpful picturesque publicity is in bringing custom into the country. It is not easy to estimate in cash terms the actual value of a tourist trade; the money- is distributed so widely. Both State and private business benefit: no -one can cavil at an expenditure in advertising that brings in good custom, and it is satisfying to have Ministerial assurance that the operations of the Government Publicity Office are not to be restricted but rather are to be increased in volume and that efforts -are to be redoubled in the great overseas field.

It is just as well that recent criticism of the temporary crippling of publicity work has elicited this statement of future policy from Mr. de la Perrelle, for undoubtedly there have been fears among those who have watched the excellent work of this economically-managed, little subDepartment of State that the Government failed to realise its value to the country. The recent reorganisation has certainly not been conducted on lines that make for greater activity. The bracketing of the Publicity and the Tourist Office may be right enough, but' why Industries and Commerce should be linked * with them is a question that puzzles many people. The most regrettable feature of this reorganisation is the obvious fact that the Publicity Office is made subordinate to Industries and * Commerce. The wise course would have been to have enlarged the powers and freedom of action of the very enthusiastic and competent officer in charge of Publicity. During the few years the office has been in existence Mr. Messenger has done an Immense deal, considering the limited amount of money at command, to make New Zealand's resources and attractions of every kind better known in other lands. With text and picture he advertised the Dominion widely and skilfully. Such enfiausiasm deserved the utmost encouragement that Cabinet could give it. and it would have been wiser to have given an officer who had displayed such marked initiative a reasonably free hand in the campaign.

However, the Minister is clearly alive now to the necessity for extending the -usefulness of publicity, of giving enthusiastic service "full plav, and members of Parliament have it in -their power to confirm him in that attitude and "to assure him of cordial support. Money is not plentiful at the moment, hut whatever*sum the Government can devote to this most necessary hrancli of public business is certain to bring in a rich return. As has truly been said, markets may fluctuate, but the traffic of visitors from over the seas with money to spend, and perhaps to invest, is a permanent gold mine. .And that we need all the gold that can be coaxed this wayjust now is one of those things that, as the song says, nobody can deny. " —TANGIWAI. ]