DOMINION’S SCENIC BEAUTIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18762, 16 January 1923, Page 8

DOMINION’S SCENIC BEAUTIES

TOUR OF WANGANUI RIVER. AN AMERICAN’S APPRECIATION. iFbou Otjb Qwn Correspondent.) WANGANUI, January 15. Mr M., D. F. Wilber, United States Consul for New Zealand, has just completeu a trip down tho Wanganui River from Taurmminui, and at tho end of the journey he expressed tho opinion (hat it was magnificent. It was, he said, one of the most enjoyable trips he had ever undertaken, and he was charmed with the glorious scenery. Ho stressed tho necessity for tho conservation of the bush on tho watershed and most certainly the forest on tho banks of the river, whie-h should be viewed as a great national asset. The preservation of the bush would mean the preservation of the river for navigable purposes. He cited tho case of the Hudson iviver (in Now York State), where tho value of tho river was seriously interfered with by tho cutting of the forests at tho head waters. So great had become tho dangeer that tho State had to step in to prevent the absolute denudation of tho bush and to take in hand a policy of reafforestation. “One thing I find about New Zealanders is that you are too modest,” remarked Mr Wilber, who wont on to say that because of this modesty Wanganui was not getting full use out of the river. That remark should in fact be applied to the whole of tho county’s scenic beauties. Tho attractions and resorts of tho country should bo widely advertised in America. They know little or nothing about this country, and ho was quite certai uthat a widespread and judicious advertising campaign in the States would result in an influx of American visitors here. Year after year the American tourists went to European resorts, and in one year they spent 20,000,000 dollars in Switzerland alone. From a scenic point of view New Zealand compared favourably with that country. The Americans were always looking for something new, and if tnoy were told of the glories of New Zealand the result would be beneficial to all concerned.