Permanent Body For North Publicity

Northern Advocate, 27 November 1948, Page 8

Permanent Body For North Publicity

A permanent committee is to be set up by the Northland Associated Chambers of Commerce to publicise Northland and press for the use of that name instead of North Auckland. Mr T. H. Busk (Whangarei) said, at the Chambers’ Conference in Whangarei today, that Northland had a high potential production, given the settlers and facilities, and he considered that money spent in advertising the district would be well spent. He said that in Auckland, and centres further south, the district was very little known. The president (Mr V. F. Cracknell, Kaikohe), seconding the motion, said £hat he had been thinking of the tourist trade when he sponsored the remit on the subject, but the question of settlement was the,vital issue.

Mr D. Wilson " (Whangarei) said that the main trouble in Northland was population, and the only way to overcome* this was to advertise the advantages of the district and encourage people to exploit the possibilities of Northland.

He said that the job before the chambers was to show the people of the South that there was‘a field of opportunity unparalleled anywhere else in New Zealand. CONCERTED EFFORT

Mr P. G. Knight told the conference that the booklet being produced by the Auckland Junior Chamber of Commerce would be . devoting eight double pages to Whangarei. Mr K. Haslett (Whangarei) said that the publicity scheme envisaged a wider scheme which would entail the expenditure of large sums of money and it called for the support of all chambers.

Mr J. R. Mcllraith (Whangarei) said the matter was so important that it called for a concerted effort. ■ He considered that, the chambers should send the seven presidents of the chambers to a central committee which would be empowered to spend up to £2OOO on publicity. It was distressing to see how little was known of Northland in other parts of the country. The question was one beyond the •ability of lay members to carry out. The task was one which calls for experts. Mr E. L. Whirrtp (Whangarei) said that the remit was one which he considered the most important which had come before the conference.

He showed members a tourist book in which Northland was not once .mentioned. A publicity scheme would be a step in the right direction. ' Mr Busck said that chambers should not be afraid of spending money on advertisements.

He considered that many firms spent £2OOO a year on advertising, and he considered that this should be the (minimum figure spent annually on publicising Northland.