TOURIST TRAFFIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 87, 13 April 1934, Page 12

TOURIST TRAFFIC.

GOVERNMENT PRIVILEGED? BOARDING OF STEAMERS. The alleged privileged position of the Government Tourist Department in regard to the meeting of visitors, arriving in New Zealand from overseas, was again befoTe the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at its meeting yesterday. The secretary of the Associated Chambers advised that owing to the indisposition of the Hon. A. Hamiltan, the Minister in charge of tourist resorts, it had been impossible to secure a further interview with him, but that as soon as he resumed duties further representations would be made to him. In the course of a lengthy letter to the chamber Thos. Cook and Son said that they had no desire to enter into a controversy with the Minister as to the respective merits of the services rendered by their organisation and the bovernment Tourist Department. Tlieir complaint had always been that the C'istoins Department had used i-.s powers in the control of shipping to prevent their representatives from enjoying the privileges which it was enedeavourin" 1 to retain for the Tourist Department. The privilege of boarding steamers was extended to Cook's rc P re " sentatives in every other country, but it was denied to them in New Zealand, purely for the purpose of giving a monopoly to the Tourist Department. "It is the duty of every State department to co-operate with our organisation and to encourage us to bring more and more tourists to New Zealand," stated the writers. Contending that the matter was entirely one for the Customs Department, Mr. "VV. R. Fee said that the associated chambers should take it up with Mr. Coates and not with the Tourist Department. It was decided to ask the associated chambers, in its representations to the Government, to stress the desirability of co-operation between the Tourist Department and the Thos. Cook organisation.