SOUTH ISLAND TOURIST RESORTS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 92, 12 January 1929, Page 19

SOUTH ISLAND TOURIST RESORTS

CHARGE OF GOVERNMENT NEGLECT AUSTRALIAN ADVERTISEMENT QUOTED Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, January 1 L Recent complaints regarding the neglect of South Island tourist attractions by the Government while the North Island was concentrated upon would seem to have ample justification in two advertisements with which the New Zealand Government is associated that have been appearing frequently during the past few weeks in a prominent New South Wales morning newspaper. The impression is given that the South Island does not exist, and that the Dominion consists of one island, for in the advertisements is set out a ten days itinerary that is confined to the territory between Auckland and Wellington. When a representative of the “Press” approached him, Sir John Findlay, who is in Christchurch, expressed a hope that Sir Joseph Ward would take the matter in hand and see that an equal expenditure on the resorts was made between each island. “The remedy, said Sir John, “lies with the members of Parliament for the South Island. They should see that if public money is expended on advertising the tourist resorts it should be on a fair proportional basis between the North and South Islands. “I am entirely freu to express my own opinion in this matter, and I say that if the Government desires to see New Zealand prosper as a tourist resort, especially from those overseas, then it should be its aim to promote the wonderful scenic attractions of the South Island, certainly not less than those of the North Island. “Any discreet and experienced traveller must concede that the. South Island presents more attractions on the tests of beauty and health and comfort than the North Island. It is to be hoped that the Prime Minister, who when in charge of tourists affairs in New Zealand for so many years strove so hard to do all he could in this matter, will be even-handed and just to both islands, and he will assume the important office of Mmis-ter-in-Charge of Tourist Resorts. It is to be hoped, also, that he will endeavour to secure a fair division or the expenditure of the funds, both on the actual resorts and on their advertising.” . , The advertisements referred to state that, in response to many requests, “a personally conducted tour of the North Island of New Zealand’ is at present being organised by an Australian company, in conjunction with the New Zealand . Government Tourist Department (the tour, by the way, commenced on January 4). It is possible, of course, that the company is the instigator of the tour and is merely securing the assistance of the New Zealand Government in the matter of Dominion transport, but the fact remains that the impression is created that the South Island is nonexistent. People have been coming from England and America to the Dominion with the same ideas. A city tourist agent stated yesterday that very recently a New Zealand woman ' who was returning from abroad was astounded when her fellow passengers were heard to remark that they thought that the South Island was purely pastoral land, and that there'was nothing to see. They were therefore confining their attentions to the North. “New Zealand Government offices overseas,” he said, “appear to be completely ignorant of the South Island. The idea abroad seems to be that the Dominion is bounded by the North Cape and the Waikato River.” Motorists asked to express an opinion said that the case was only another of the many instances of neglect of the south. One stated that the North Island possessed many agencies apart from the Government which were busy encouraging tourist traffic, but their efforts, of course, did not go outside their own particular sets of attractions. “The question is,” he said : “is the .Government to blame or is the South Island asleep?” “Even if that were the case, said another, “the tourist funds are public money, and should be at least equally divided. The North Island has the advantage of being the place of arrival and departure, therefore it is reasonable to expect that the South Island should have a little extra expended upon it to balance it up.”