ROTORUA'S ADVANCE. A JUSTIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 44, 21 February 1908, Page 3

ROTORUA'S ADVANCE. A JUSTIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE.

[Bt Telegrath. — Special io The Post.] AUCKLAND, This Day. In his address at the opening of tho Rotorua Carnival the Prime Minister said that, facts and figures showed that there -was a complete justification for the policy of development which had been carried out in Rotorna. Up to 31st March. 1901, £33,549 had been expended on tho town of Rolorua by the Lands Department, and since that date tho Tourist Department had expended £47,152, making a total 0f^P.80,702 made up as follows: — General works, £22,164; wharf. £2106 ; water supply, £22,566 ; electrical works, £18.956 ; drainage works, £14,909. In addition to the £80,702 expended on the Rotorua town there had been an additional expenditure of thp Public Works Fund on account of new buildings .iml improvements to reserves of £43,082. This included tho new baths buildings, the contract- price for which was £23,843, but when completed and ready for use the total cost of the buildings would be about £30,000. Some people on seeing this amount at once would come to the conclusion that there had been extravagance. If Rotorua was to become tho Mecca of New Zealand, and if the Tourist Department, was not to mislead visitors the expenditure vsas necessary. Last year the Tourist Department received over £6000 for baths alone. It was estimated that when the new building was completed the revenue from it would reach from £10,000 to £12,000 per annum. The electrical works at Okero wero £o "be extended and the line to Rotorua ' duplicated at an estimated cost tii about £9000. He, also mentioned that the -charges for light compared favourably with those in other parts of the Dominion, 6d per uii'it being charged in Rotorua as against 7d in Wellington. Last year, though not the best, owing to counter attractions, 18.245_ people travelled over the railways to Rotorua, irrespective of those coming from other parts. Before^ the Government development policy was' initiated the largest number which ever travelled from Auckland to Rotorua was nearly 14,000 less. In 1901 there were' only 96 houses in Rotorua as against 500 house.", hotel, etc., to-day. The population of Rotorua had mci cased from 914 in 1901, to 1927 in 1906, and the population of Rotorua county from 1307 to 1657 in tho &ame period.