LICENSING LAWS DISCUSSED

Southland Times, Issue 23407, 14 January 1938, Page 6

LICENSING LAWS DISCUSSED

South Islands Travel Association REQUEST FOR CHANGE TO BE MADE (United Press Association) NELSON, January 13. The difficulty experienced by tourists in obtaining meals and liquid refreshments while travelling was discussed by the executive of the South Island Travel Association today, and it was decided that a deputation should wait on the Government to ask for an alteration in the legislation controlling hotels. A welcome was extended to the members by the Mayor (Mr G. L. Page), who wished the association every success in its efforts to bring tourists to the South. In returning thanks the president, the Rev. E. T. Cox, Mayor of Dunedin, said they were aware that the South Island, which had such fine tourist attractions and such a variety of interests and pleasure grounds had been caught in* a backwash and needed the united effort of all its centres to catch up on its northern neighbour, which had been forging ahead by . leaps and bounds at its expense, for it had attracted from the South Island not only its youth and young manhood, but also its money, which should have been used to develop its own resources, so that it might retain its own people in its provinces. LOCAL BODY GRANTS The director (Mr J. J. W. Pollard) reported that the Department of Internal Affairs did not intend to take any action at present on the association's request for legislation to authorize local bodies to make grants to the association out of ordinary revenue. The executive decided that a deputation should wait on the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) to renew the application. The appointment oi Miss Sykes as representative in the United States and Canada was approved. An invitation to the executive to visit Invercargill in April was accepted. It was recommended to the emergency committee that maps should be included in each provincial guide and the Government should be approached to waive the copyright. Mr J. S. Hawkes stated that visiting drivers had to take out another licence and suggested approaching the Government with a request to the law. He also referred to the varying scale of wharfage charges on cars and said he thought it was time the Government was approached to provide camping grounds at the chief tourist resorts. The questions were referred to the emergency committee for consideration.