DOMINION CRITICISED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23191, 10 November 1938, Page 3

DOMINION CRITICISED

"NO PARADISE TO LIVE IN" CRIPPLING TOURIST TRADE FORMER RESIDENT'S VIEWS [by TKLKGKAI'H—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Wednesday "A paradise to look at, but, from the tourist's point of view, 110 paradise to live in," was how Mrs. Francis Dillon, wife of Major F7 J. Dillon, of New Delhi, India, described her impressions of New Zealand to-day.

Mrs. Dillon is a New Zealander herself. She formerly resided in Wanganui. She worked as a journalist in .London and to-day does journalistic work for The Statesman, Calcutta. Faults in Publicity Service

There were a number of conditions in New Zealand which were so restrictive that they must eventually cripple the tourist trade, Mrs. Dillon stated. She quoted the experiences of two wealthy friends, both of whom had left the country as quickly as possible. At Auckland one had landed and at his hotel had asked for coffee at 2.20 p.m. He was told he could not have it at that time and, saying that he would not risk that sort of thing happening to him all over the country, he had packed up and left for Australia by the next boat. The other friend found he had difficulty in getting dinner if he was a few minutes late,' or that when ho did get it it was "thrown" at him. He, too, had left New Zealand swearing never to return. The New Zealand publicity service abroad was decidedly poor, Mrs. Dillon stated. In India it practically did not exist, and a result was that New Zealand was losing a potentially valuable source of immigration. While in India she had met army officers and business men with incomes of up to £2OOO a year who were interested in New Zealand as a place to retire to with their families. The trouble was that they did not know much about the Dominion and could not readily find the information they required. Apart from the scenic attractions of New Zealand, which were widely praised by people in India who had made tours, a great advantage was the exchange rate, which enabled retired immigrants to add a quarter to their incomes. Potential Revenue Lost

New Zealand was also losing potential tourist revenue from the visits of wealthy Indians. Mrs. Dillon said she had found many misconceptions about. New Zealand among these people. For instance, she had found that p they imagined there were irksome restrictions regarding the entry of' native tourists.

Illustrating how small things sometimes influenced people against visiting or settling in New Zealand, Mrs. Ddlon said then* was r. very widespread idea that New Zealand imposed an absolute ban on the importation of dogs and that quarantine facilities were unknown. "We are a very 'doggv' people in India," said Mrs. Dillon, "and if it is a choice of coming to New Zealand and leaving our dogs behind, or going to some other country with our dogs, we will choose the other country every time."