NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 84, 3 January 1930, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

No doubt there is much to be said for improving our tourist accommodation as suggested by Mr. Alma Baker with particular reference to deep-sea fishing. The trouble is that elaborate amenities cost money and charges tend to increase in proportion. While this may not discourage the tourist from overseas (it may even attract him), it places many resorts beyond the means of the average New Zealand tripper or sportsman. Both deep-sea and trout fishing have become comparatively expensive pastimes and mainly because of the overseas invasion which is not content with camping makeshifts and “roughing it.” It is not only the question of expense; the “free-and-easy” holiday life is prejudiced by the new elaborations. Many New Zealanders are seeking fresh pastures where the inhibitions of civilisation are not so irksomely present.,. But they have a feeling of resentment, a feeling that their own preserves, their birthright, has been alienated by the incursions of tourists.

The doubling of primage duty was defended by the Government as an absolute necessity if Customs were to yield the extra £450,000 required from this source. Against this contention it was argued that the normal expansion of imports would easily supply the extra sum without the additional sum of £300,000 from primage. Support for this argument is to be found in the Customs receipts at Wellington for the first three-quarters of the financial year. The increase on last year is £360,637 and, as about a third of Custom? revenue is collected at Wellington, the increase for the Dominion will probably exceed one million sterling. There is still one-quarter’s returns to be added, but .surely a decrease in receipts of £550,000 is not'to be expected in the next three months. On the face of it, the Government stands to net substantially more than the extra £450,000 and. when the year’s figures are available, it will probably be found that the additional £300,000 from primage could easily have been foregone.