TOURIST TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 8

TOURIST TRAFFIC

SOUTHERN COMPLAINT

SOUTH ISLAND NEGLECTED

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") CHEISTCHUECH, This Day. Eocent complaints regarding the neglect of South Island tourist.attractions, by the Government while tho North Island was concentrated upon would seem to have ample justification in two advertisements with which the Now 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 torritory between Auckland and Wellington.

When a,, representative :Of the "Press" approached him, Sir John Mndlay, who is in Christchurch, express, eel a hope that Sir Joseph Wai-a would, take the matter in hand and see that an equal expenditure on the. resorts was made betweon 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 free 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 sconic 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 ho will assume, the important office of Minister in. Charge of Tourist Resorts. "1t.,18 to be hoped, also, that he .will endeavour to secure a fair division of 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 4th January). It is possible, of course, that the companyis the instigator ,of the tour and is merely securing the as- 1 sistanco 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 non-existent. People havo been coming from England and America to the Dominion with , the same ideas. A city tourist agent stated syestorday that very recently a New Zealand woman who was returning from abroad was astounded when her fellow-passengers were heard to re-. 1 mark that they thought that the South Island was purely pastoral land, and that .there was nothing to sec. They weve therefore confining their attentions to .the .North. "New Zealand Government offices overseas," he eaid, "appear to b.e completely ignorant of , ,the South . Island,, "The idea : abroad: seems to be "that - the vDoininion is bounded by the North Cape and the Waikaio River." ■ Motorists asked to express an opinion said that the case, was only, another of tho many instances of neglect of the South. One stated that the North Island possessed many agencies apart from the Government, which wei'e'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 ease," 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 reason-' ■able to expect that the' South Island should have. ■ a . little, extra expended, upon it to balance it up."