TRAVEL BUSINESS

Southland Times, Issue 22734, 9 November 1935, Page 10

TRAVEL BUSINESS

CANADIAN PACIFIC REPRESENTATIVE VISIT TO INVERCARGILL A prominent figure in the travel world of Canada and New Zealand, Mr Gordon A. Glennie, who represents the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Dominion, hides behind an easy attractive manner, an alert mind, a shrewd judgment and a love of his job. “Yes,” he said to a Southland Times reporter yesterday morning, “if I started life all over again I would still be in the travel .business,” and in his present position he has a big field for his activities.

Mr Glennie is an Englishman, but for many years he was stationed in Canada. There he did a great deal of travelling for the Canadian Pacific, and visited all narts of the country in the course of his duties. Recently he was transferred to New Zealand, and already he has developed an affectionate regard for the country. This is his first visit to Invercargill, and he stated that he was very favourably impressed with the city. “Your wide, clean streets remind me of Winnipeg,” he said, “which as you know is one of the most attractive cities in Canada. “With the return of better times we are finding that many more people are travelling. The route home via Canada is becoming very popular, and the Canadian-Australasian Line vessels Niagara and Aorangi are attracting more passengers. The motor vessel Aorangi has just had her accommodation very much improved, and as a result of these alterations we hope that more tourists will travel by this favourite ship.” Fiftieth Anniversary.

The Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which is part owner of the Can-adian-Australasian Line, controls in Canada altogether 21,000 miles of track. Actually there are nearly 100,000 freight cars in use, nearly 3000 passenger cars and about 2250 locomotives. In addition the C.P.R. owns 455,000 gross tons of shipping, 14 first-class hotels and a private telegraph system. “November 7 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the year when Lord Strathcona drove home the last spike in the Canadian transcontinental railway,” stated Mr Glennie. “At that time the great Scot-tish-Canadian was 65 years of age. A cheer greeted the action which successfully ended the adventure which had cost many lives and much courage and money. “Perhaps one of the most notable events in the history of the company was the launching of the Empress of Britain, the great white ship. The Canadian Pacific have spared no effort and no expense in giving the travellingpublic a service to meet the most critical demands. She has lowered the travel time between Europe and America. She was built to do 24 knots, equalling 28 land miles an hour, but from her very first season she has bettered expectations and she lowered the record in 1931 (from Cherbourg to Father Point, Quebec, the official timing points of Atlantic liners, or vice versa) to 4 days 9 hours 17 minutes. Charming Decorations. “On boarding the ship one is immediately impressed by the quiet richness of its decoration, and great artists are responsible for the charming interiors. Sir John Lavery designed the ball-room. Across the parquet floors a domed roof of blue is lit with twinkling stars. The cream walls are flanked with silver pillars and there are standing pillars supporting soft pink ostrich plumes—an unusual and very beautiful feature. After the loveliness of the public rooms the vastness of the sports decks comes as no surprise. A fullsized tennis court is a special attraction, with a raised dais for onlookers. The swimming pool is another fine feature, enriched by mosaic in blue and cream, and the blue mosaic columns add an imposing note of dignity. Adjoining the pool is a fully-equipped gymnasium. In every sense of the word this ship offers a royal journey to the most blase traveller.”