TOURIST AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12956, 28 August 1905, Page 6

TOURIST AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

THE ANNUAL REPORT. [IST TELSGItAPH.--Sf£OIAI- CORHEBPONDENT.

Wellington Saturday,

The annual report of' the. Tourist Department refers to an increase in the number of people visiting the colony from other countries. The report attributes the smallness of the increase in the traffic from Australia to th& frequently cabled reports concerning the unsettled climatic conditions prevailing in New Zealand during tins, first half of the season. Many visitors from the Commonwealth, it says, have stated that owing to these reports quite a considerable number of Australians either postponed or abandoned their proposed tours, of this colony. RECEIPTS. The direct receipts of the Department amounted to £16,018, showing an increase of £673 over the previous year. The stoppage of Waimangu Geyser in itself had caused a shrinkage estimated at upwards of £1509. The expenditure is not mentioned. ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES. The gross arrivals and departures for the year ending December 31, 1904, were 54,909 as against 50,4-91 for 1903, showing the increase in moving traffic of 4418.' During the four years the Department has been in operation the increase in population by arrivals over departures has been greatly'in excess of any previously recorded, From 1901 to 1904 the gain to the colony by this means has been 36,144. The question of extending the influence of the Department by opening; agencies ill Sydney and Melbourne has been under consideration, but no definite action has yet been decided upon. The reduction of the rate for the transmission by post of newspapers has had the anticipated result of.causing many additional thousands of the weekly illustrated newspapers, which are now produced in such an artistic manner, to be sent abroad, thus vastly increasing the- knowledge of. the colony's progress and attractions in other lands. ACCLIMATISING WORK. Recognising the value of sport to th» colony, find tho advisabloness of stocking with suitable animals our large areas of waste lands, consisting chiefly of mountain tops, the Department has during tho year given considerable attention to the introduction of suitable animals and birds for sport purposes. The fhar and Japanese deer presented by the Duke of Bedford were liberated on the Southern Alps and tho Kaiinanawa Ranges respectively. A further consignment of 20 wapiti, 24 Virginian deer and five blackfail doer and 119 birds (chiefly waterfowl) was procured from America, and distributed among tho acclimatisation societies throughout the colony. These animals and birds in the future should add materially to the value of our sporting attractions.

A few laudatory remarks from tourists about the Department are appended.

EXPENDITURE Oh' TOURISTS,

The acting-superintendent, in the course of a long report, points out that five years ago the estimated amount of money expended by tourists in the colony was then over £100,000; at present this amount is estimated at over £299,000, showing nearly 200 peri cent, increase in five years. ADVERTISING. For advertising purposes of various kind* and for lecturing, 10,751 photographs and 1165 lantern slides had Iwn sent out! The receipts for sales of photos, and lantern slides amounted to £192 16s. Two revised issues of the Department's "Itinerary of Travel" were published during the season, totalling 16,000 copies which have been distributed in New Zealand and abroad. The demand for this useful pamphlet increases .year by year. . SPORTING VISITORS: Tim report proceeds:—The. dcer-sUilkiiig and trout-fishing of the colony are annually attracting visitors in greater numbers. The restocking of our fishing streams is it matter that will require moro systematic treatment in the future than has been given in the past. Although the fishing generally during the past season throughout the colony has been excellent, in some districts there has been a. distinct deterioration, due, no doubt, to the want of proper restacking of streams. The trout-fishing 1 ' at Rotoruk- has beon even ii]ore_ successful in point of numbers than previously. The record of takes during the year numbered 15,013, weighing 25 tons 16owt 221b, as against 6952 and 13 tons ! 13ewt oqr 2ljlb for the previous year. This gives an idea of ilie enormous number of fish now in the Roloruji waters.

DEBR.STALKING. The acting-superintendent adds:— time Una arrived when the regulation of tho stalking in tho (low forests is desirable. In some districts the area of country open to stalkers has almost become too limited for tho number of sportsmen. In tho Wairarapa, owing to a greater portion of the door forests being private property, the urea open to tho majority of sportsmen is very limited. With the> increase of sportsmen the doer on this area arc too greatly disturbed to conduce to successful stalking. Perhaps a more serious feature of the trouble is the non-observance of the gazetted notification, dated February 12, 1903, setting aside 32,000 acres of forest lands as a, deer saiiotuai'y. This forest, was poached over from end to end during the past season, and has for all practical purposes ceased to be a sanctuary. If the deer herds are not to be depleted of animals worthy of sportsmen's attention, then this illegal stalking' must be put down with no uncertainty. I. am of opinion that tho only way to satisfactorily copo'witb the trouble is to open a small portion of tho reserve for sport and put guides in charge, who will attend to the requirements of the legitimate stalker, whether of New Zealand or from abroad, and at the same time regulate tho number of rifles and prevent poaching in tho sanctuary. Suitable fees could bo charged, whioh, with the cost of the license, would cover the expense incurred. It is only a matter of a few years when similar steps will be found necessary in regard to all deer forests. There are still many parts of the country unfit for settlement, which as doer forests would become valuable assets to the colony. 1 would urge that further attention bo given to stocking these areas with red deer. Tho deer could bo taken from present herds and the work of distributing need not bo expensive.

NATIVE GAME. " I regret to find that the indiscriminate slaughter of native game still continues, and I must again urge the necessity of an amendment of the Animals Protection Act, so as to give power to limit the number of birds to bo killed by any one sportsman in a given time. _ During tho early part of the present shooting, season it was common to hear of bags of one to two hundred ducks being taken in a few hours by two or three guns. This is mere pot-hunting, not sport, and if the native- game is to bo saved from complete extinction thia slaughtering must be ended. In my opinion, short of absolute prohibition of tho shooting of native game, (lie limiting of the number to ho taken is the only means of preventing the ultimate extinction of native birds, which in itself, apart from considerations of sport, would be most deplorable. Much is being done in tho Little Barrier and Resolution islands to preserve the avifauna of tho colony, but in order to make further necessary provision in this direction I would urge that the whole of the Fiordland national park, Otago, be made a sanctuary on the mainland. This is the only area, where efforts in 'this direction are likely to be effective for any great length of time."