TO DOMINIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1940, Page 6

TO DOMINIONS.

TOURISTS FROM EAST.

LARGE NUMBERS COMING.

TEA AND RUBBER QUOTAS.

'•Large numbers of tourists from India, Malaya and Ceylon will be visiting New Zealand and Australia in consequence of the closing of touriet channels on the other eidc of the world," said Mr. G. Adame, a planter from Ceylon, who was a through nueeengcr by the Monterey, which arrived at Auckland froih Sydney thus morning. He stated that the movement of touriet traffic from the tropics to thc.se Dominions had begun immediately after the outbreak of war and was rapidly developing.

"Civil servant*, merchants and planters on holiday niuet visit the cooler latitudes,' - he added, 'and New Zealand, like Australia, is within fairly easy reach. There arc many in Australia now and New Zealand will receive ite share. India. Ceylon and the Malay countries provide a big field from which to draw tourists, and in some parts about a fifth of the European population ie always on leave. What they seek is an outdoor holiday, with plenty of recreation."

With a plantation of 880 acres in Ceylon, three-quarters of which is used for tea and the balance for rubber production, Mr. Adams employs 800 labourers. Hie estate, which hae an annual in- tductive capacity of 480,0001b of tea, i ibout the average size. Restrictions on the output of both tea and rubber had been eased ae a result of the increase* in prices early in tinwar, he. eaid, and the latest' development, under which the Imperial Government was to buy the whole of the tea for export, was a move which would be welcomed liy the planters. 'What the effect would be on the Dutch plantations in Java con Id not be foreseen at the moment. The planters had lveecme accustomed to quota control of -their erope, as this had now been in force for seven years, but difficulty had been experienced in Ceylon in restricting the email native growers, whose areas were not accurately known.

While tbe labourers in Ceylon were generally contented, he concluded, there had been signs of recent unrest as a or>rij:pqtjcnce of political activities.