DOMINION PUBLICITY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 81, 2 October 1924, Page 9

DOMINION PUBLICITY

COMMERCIAL CO-OPERATION

ANOTHER APPROACH- TO

MINISTER.

The question of Dominion. publicity was again before the Wellington. Chamber of Commerce at its meeting "yesterday, when the following report,was submitted by the Standing Publicity and Tourist Department; Development Committee:."Your Committee discussed the result of the deputation that waited" upon the Prime Minister and "tlie Minister of Publicity, "and".we "Nyottld; make the- suggestion that two members' of the council should make; ari informal call upon the Hon. G. J. Anderson,'. Minister, of Publicity,. and explain the. desire "of the Chambers of .Commerce to assist and co-operate in a helpful way in publicity work in the interests of the -Dominion, and also to correct any misunderstanding that the Minister may have that the Chambers of Commerce were not appreciative of the efforts that had-Salready been made, :and, further,''to emphasise their-interest and utmost, desire that efforts in publicity should be sustained and extended. We are endeavouring to ascertain the estimated-value of tourist traffic in the,different countries .of.the world, and the average amount brought in and expended in such countries by each tourist."

In presenting the report, , Mr. J. Myers said it appeared to him that the Minister felt that .the deputation from the chamber had come to diitate and to criticise the work "of the Government. Ou the contrary, it was. the wish of the chamber to give the- Government every assistance in this respect, and as. commercial men, the.members of the chamber felt that they could do so. Better results would be obtained if the Government worked in conjunction '.with the. commercial men. The committee had gone thoroughly into the matter, and it had been decided that, despite the rebuff they had received, they would go on and do what they,- could. He mentioned that aboiit 20,000 people had left the Dominion for England, and each was spending something like £500, making a total of £10,000,000. He felt that the tourist industry should be developed. _ Money spent on encouraging tourist traffic would return to the country tenfold. ;.'•'■.'

The chairman, Mr. H. D. Bennett, said he was sure the position had been correctly stated to- the Minister. He agreed with the opinion of another member, that the Minister probabaly expected the deputation to dictate to him, arid the chances were that he had his ariswer\ready beforehand. •The report was adopted. \