NOT KNOWN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 June 1924, Page 10

NOT KNOWN.

DOMINION Oil AUSTRALIA. MORE ADVERTISING REQUIRED. TO ATTRACT WEALTHY TOURISTS. <l lt pays to advertise” is a wise maxim in business, and, judging by tbe impressions brought back' to New Zealand by travellers, it would appear that the advertising principle i s one which should be adopted by the Governments to make known the potentialities and resources of their respective countries. In any case this is the distinct opinion of Mr. Frank Tait, of the well-known Australian theatrical firm, who has returned from a business visit to the United States. “A thing that struck me very much,” he remarked to a 'Wellington Post reporter, “is the absolute lack of information to be had in America concerning either New Zealand or Australia. Hotel life is one of tlie big features about the large cities of America. There are hotels there with as many as 2000 and 3000 rooms, and the lobbies of these hotels are simply wonderful. In these lobbies ybu can purchase your theatre tickets and get information on a variety of subjects, but if you ask for anything about Australia or New Zealand they look at you blankly, and very often you are asked whether English is spoken there! There is plenty of information to be had about Japan, Honolulu. Canada-, and South America, but nothing about these Dominions of the South Pacific. “These countries have, to a certain extent, as a result of the Avar, been placed Avithin the vision of some Americans, but that advance should be folloAved up by the Governments. Canada has undoubtedly got the business of making itself knoAvn down to a fine art. If you are bound for Vancouver, Canadian officials meet you at Victoria, which is 60 miles away, and all your raihva.y transportation arrangements, hotel reservations, and luggage disposal matters, can be fixed up while you are steaming to Vancover “Here you have in NeAv Zealand a Avonderful country, and if the average American kneAv anything about the South Pacific he Avould jump at the opportunity of coming here, ''because the journey is not a long one. But, there _ is no information to be had in America about the steamers which cater for this trade, how long the journey occupies, what the country is like, or even when the mails close. It is not that the people in the hotels don’t want to tell you anything ; the trouble is that there is no driving force to push propaganda about the country. The hotels in America are enormohs avenues through"" Avhich travellers pass in their thousands; they are almost like cities in themselves • so it is not a, matter of going after the right people, it is only a question of getting the' information to the people there. -They are waiting be, fed Avith it. For climatic and other reasons there is an enormous influx of people to the Californian coast, especially to Los Angeles, and that is only a jumping off ground to Ncav Zealand and Australia.”

To illustrate the ignorance there is abroad regarding the countries in the South Pacific, Mr. Tait mentioned that in a leading hotel in Los Angeles he met a cloak-room attendant Avho said he was an Englishman “down on his luck,” and that he Avas only waiting to earn enough money out of the job to enable him to get back to England. “I said to him,” proceeded Mr. Tait, “Why don’t you go out to New Zealand or Australia? ‘I was told,’ he replied, ‘that I could not go to Australia unless I belonged to a union.’ I said I could not behove that anyone could'give him such information, but lie assured me that AA r hat he had said was correct. - That shows that the system of propaganda about these countries is bad. Naturally, I tried to disabuse him, but I suppose he was doubtful.” NeAV Zealand a.nd Australia, Mr. Tait declared, AA-ere very attractive to actors and actresses, Avho always 'wanted to know when they, Avould come back to these parts. “If these countries are good enough for these people, then they should he good enough for the wealthy tourists, especially New Zealand, Avhich possesses so much of interest and has so many natural allurements.”

Mr. Tait Avas greatly impressed AA’ith the vastness of things in the United States, and the enthusiasm of the people to exploit new ideas. This readiness to try things opt Avas the secret of the Americans’ success. The Americans Avere proud of their great country, and had a Avide breadth of outlook which was stimulating to a visitor from the Southern Seas, where, on account of our isolation, there Avas a tendency to be parochial in some respects. “People in the big cities are proud of their cities,” said Mr. Tait. “but they seldom ask you, what you think of San Francisco, Chicago, or New York. What, they want to know is, ‘V bat do you think of America?’ ”