VISITOR'S ENCOMIUMS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 144, 15 December 1927, Page 9

VISITOR'S ENCOMIUMS

"ALMOST UNIQUE IN EMPIRE"

MR. AMEUY'S ADVICE

A further exhortation to New Zealanders to make greater use of their mountain resorts in pref 3rence to encouraging overseas tourists to come and enjoy them, was contained in the speech of the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (the Bight Hon. L. S. Aniery) when he was entertained at luncheon to-aay by the members of the New Zealand Club and the University Club.

Mr. Amery said that in a few days his visit to the Dominion would come to an end. He had enjoyed and profited by every minute of his stay. He had come mainly to discuss business matters with the Government, and to preserve the personal contact which the Imperial Conference had laid down was essential, to Imperial unity. He had come in order to learn of our conditions and of how we could co-operate most effectively. In this connection ho stressed the value of union between tha Motherland and the Dominions. Another object of his visit was to ses something of the beauty and variety of the country... There was no part of the Empire, he said, where one could take greater delight in the scenery than in New Zealand, and he had spent many hours in enjoying our scenery and our alpine resorts. In our mountains we had something almost unique in the Empire. He had seen few ranges that offered more variety or a greater field for manly mountain recreation than we had in the Southern Alps. It was a wonderful and a largely virgin field. A NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITY. There were two ways, Mr. Amery said, in which a nation could make proper uso of its natural' beauties—by advertising, which brought valuable tourist revenue, but which was only secondary; and for the 1 people to enjoy thoso beauties themselves, which was the preferable object. The secret of making use of their own mountains as the playground of their own people had been discovered by the Swiss in the last generation, and the people now revelled in their natural mountain re- ; sorts. Tho effect upon the physical development and mental outlook of the Swiss* had been very remarkable. The same opportunity offered to the people of New Zealand —an opportunity which so far they had largely neglected. The. mountains were a wonderful field for exercise, and could, be developed for tho benefit of every able-bodied person, young or old, rich or. poor, at comparatively small cost. That has been accomplished by the Swiss. He : suggested that existing organisations, should get together and form a national organisation of sufficient membership to be able to add to the number | of mountain huts, and generally develop our mountains. If the University of I New Zealand threw itself into the movement, he felt- sure that that object could be brought about. Therewere few sports so uplifting in their' influence as those spent in. the high places of the world; no correction was „moro valuable in our modern life than living amongst Nature ,in the open air, high in the mountains, which offered the completest change from every-day occupations. There was a wonderful opportunity for us to make more of our own country and more of our own people, and there was more to be gainedby organisation amongst ourselves than by advertising. ■...-. . . • Tho guest, who.: was by acclamation' accorded a hearty vote of thanks, was: welcomed by the president, of the New Zealand Club (Mr. J. M. Dale), and a brief speech of farewell was made by the president of the University Club (Professor H. B. Kirk). The function was hold at Gamble arid Creed's rooms.