TOURIST RESORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14809, 12 October 1911, Page 8

TOURIST RESORTS.

DECREASE IN RECEIPTS. FREE' SANATORIA PATIENTS. J [HI TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL COBBESPONDENT.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. • Hon. Thos. Mackenzie, in the annual report on the tourists and health resorts, •refers to New Zealand as c "The world attraction." He adds: "It will be my endeavour to maintain this national asset, and while facilitating access to our beauty and wonder spots preserve them in their original state, supplementing where advisable, their natural attractions." Nevertheless it would appear that the ! tourist- traffic during the year did not' i quite come up to 1909-10, the falling off ; being attributable to reduced travelling on I the. part of our own population. The oversea traffic , showed an ■ increase, and there- is every reason, says the report, to anticipate even better results in this direction during the ensuing year. The receipts from all sources were £26,657 as compared with £26,872 for the previous year. The expenditure amounted to .£44,538 as against £45,238 for the previous year. ; "I have felt," says the Minister, "that the practice , obtaining in past years,; whereby a limited number of indigent: patients have been granted free treatment in the sanatoria at Rotora and Hanmer was not a satisfactory one. Owing to the limited number of free beds available many deserving cases were compelled to wait a considerable time until a vacancy arose, and through this cause many cures were delayed. Feeling that this was a matter for charitable aid boards receiving rates and subsidies for the purpose, I decided. to take advantage of the provision in the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, enabling such bodies to contract -with the Crown for granting relief to indigent persons in any sanatorium or institution u under the latter's control. I accordingly had drawn up a form of contract, and all applicants for free treatment are now referred to the charitable aid board of the district in which the applicants reside."

The system of booking passengers by steamer, rail, motor and coach has been continued with very satisfactory results. The total receipts from this source to March 31, 1911, amounted to £29,050, the commissions received totalling £1343. The Minister hopes that there will be a large and increasing revenue from this source.