MOST SUCCESSFUL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 August 1924, Page 3

MOST SUCCESSFUL.

PAST TOURIST SEASON. INCREASE IN REVENUE. The past financial year, according to the annual report of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, presented in the House of Representatives, has been one of ’the most successful and busiest seasons in the history of the Department, which is said to be steadily growing in public popularity. The report states that every effort has been made during the past few seasons to curtail expenditure, consistent with adequate management and maintenance of the tourist resorts. The expenditure during the past • year amounted to £60,445, as against £59,647 for the previous year, whereas the receipts from all sources totalled £45,704, as against £40,246 for the previous year. The excess of expenditure over receipts for the past year (£14,741). was, with the exception qf the year 1916-1917, the lowest on record since the inception of the Department, and was a decrease of £28,00 on that of the year showing the greatest excess, 1920-1921. In the past four years the expeiditure had been decreased by £33,275. At Rotorua the general revenue from all sources shows an increase of about £3616 on the figures of the previous year. The increase is mainly in electrical supply revenue, but other sources, such as sale of fishing licenses, sanatorium fees, passenger booking and miscellaneous revenue, show increases. The most noteworthy feature of the acclimatisation section is the wonderful improvement in the condition of the trout found in Lake Taupo and its contiguous streams. Some splendid specimens have been mounted and sent to the British Empire Exhibition, so the fact that- the fishing in the Rotorua district is at present equal to what it was in the palmy days of some 15 years ago has been made known in many parts of the world hv the spread of this knowledge, which must eventually he a considerable feature in inducing anglers from overseas to come here. Indeed, this result has become an accomplished fact during the past season, as the number of anglers from overseas has appreciably increased. Their catches have given them the utmost satisfaction as regards numbers, weight, and condition of fish. Last season trout from I TIL to 191 b were caught, while this season definitely as-

curtained catches of an average of 9|[!b, 111 b, and 1241 b have been secured. Individual fish weighing 26411> have been caught. An angler found a fish stranded during a heavy flood in the Tongariro River (feeding Lake Taupo) which scaled 261 b. The fishing in Lake Rotorua has not yielded such abnormal catches, hut it has maintained a very good average, particularly at the mouths of the different fishing-streams, while many have been caught on tlm fly. The average weight of the fish was from 71b to 81b.