HON. THOS. MACKENZIE.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12768, 9 February 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

HON. THOS. MACKENZIE.

VIS.T OF MNISTgOF AGRl(From "The Colonist," Feb. 1.) Yesterday morning, acording to arS?h respect to certain matters afT .H. Field (vice-president), J. H. touvßao Committee ccM »<* <» abounded. in tine trout st rea "»» «»J---sist the tourist sportsman in getting nl £st there was the Accusation Society had formed a coips oi n-ukles and made arrangements foi oamS etc so that something was tine plateaus, notably that ot ak. Yrthur, where allied to ™Sf fic , e^ scenery was an ideal ground for the JSSt, and by the wa^he urged S,SId V be^eni;|^ f Bay held for the yachtsman as an «f historic interest. He also spote nf the exce lent roads for motoring cyclhig and made spec al mention of "hi Dun Mountain track as steadily to assist in getting better proposal to bring forward in the i dist^t s S^craTad l v d alS the Department. aschl LaiS Traffic Committee said that it had been hoped that ere this the Mmister would have been able i tc . spen" oStunity of making himself perSS acquainted with^ the scenic attractions of J 1 "* . "^Jfj Such a visit the committee felt would have been- of more value than any o£ S thing, for Mr Mackenzie^ labours and exploits in the South were well known. It was still- hoped that "such a visit would be pos«We Sfore very long The proposal vnth regard to a branch office o f i the Tour ist Department was that Mr Hampson, secretary to the Chamber, had offered to provide a room, in his offices, with attendance during [office hours, and an initial grant of i.lo for furnishing, with an annual grant of £20 would cover the whole cost to the Department. In the room all Tourist Department literature and views could bo kept, and it was pro-' posed to have albums of views of the different local districts, each district being kept distinct, plans of routes, tables of distances, accommodation , and transport rates, etc., so that a visitor could obtain complete mfor- ! mation at the office. The co-opera-tio» of -the Acclimatisation Society and those who would benefit by tne traffic could be relied upon, and it was felt that the office would lustify its establishment. The Committee had been concerned with certain road routes, but these mattere .had been laid before the Hon. R. Mckenzie, and there was no need to go into those matters, but in the matter of information in.tho official guide^books of the Department it was felt that Nelson was very inadequately dealt with Tho Committee had.hoped to have had opportunity of working with the Department in preparing something worthy of the district, but a recent publication by the Department «"d more recently a publication by private enterprise, made it improbable that anything further would be- sanctioned just now. Mr J. H. Cock cordially supported the proposal for a branch office of the Department ; tho schemeouthned was,' he thought, well worthy of consideration by the Department. The defiwepcies of the guide book could be partially made good by tho supply of local views, and there were men like Mr Fell who had splendid collectionß of views covering the whole district. He also Bpoke of the numer : ous limestone caves that existed in different parts of the district, attractions not previously mentioned. He also commended the idea of local assistance in the compilation of guide book information; special articles dealing with the various districts and excursions to be written. Mr Henry Baigent said that Nelson had undoubtedly been neglected by the Tourist Department in the past, despite the local endeavours for more (recognition; He urged Mr Mackenzie while at Takaka to visit' the remarkable Bubu Springs. Mr Mackenzie, in his reply, said that ho was pleased to agaiii visit Nelson, and he thanked Mr Field for his- cordial words of welcome. The pressure upon his time made it almost" impossible to spend more than a couple of days in any one locality, and certainly not the time one desired, otherwise he .would have .been very pleased te spend a week or more in the district. The present was his fourth visit to "Nelson, and he was pleased to see the material progress that had been made. The harbour improvement and the opening of the back country made it apparent that there was a future before the place. ■ With regard to the Tourist Department, he was afraid that New Zealand must allow that Department to pauEe. A great deal had been done," but "the people through their members seemed to spend their spare time in denouncing the ' Department.. Only recently a prominent paper had made a violent attack upon a good agency that had been established, in the very same. town. Economy had) -to be J prac€ised,. and alt Hough. the dei putation had offered great inducement, ho did not think it possible to promise what was asked. He did not think it was correct to conclude that Nelson was not known, through tiie Department. His officers reported, that there, were a considerable nirmber of views of the place .displayr-J <>d, -especially -in "the Australian' branches.. With regard to the De- J partmeht guide-'book,- ho was quite in sympathy with what had been said. He had looked into the book for information, and was disappointed. The matter was not "comprehensive, but fragmentary and incomplete: Ho quite 'concurred with the deputation as to the -propriety of some local organization being consnJtetl— it was absurd to -conclude that semoone in-

Wellington could do this work better than those with" the local. knowledge — ho thought the suggestion of special articles one worthy of support. It the time came when 1 >'+■ was possible, ho would have great pleasure in visiting the Nelson uplands and seeing the flora, and he was thoroughly in sympathy with the suggestion to make Flora Valley a reserve, and a note had been taken of the request. Mr Mackenzie concluded by saying that though at the moment he was jiot able to assist the deputation in the way asked, he wanted the people of the country to recognise through their members that- there was some good to accrue to the country through the Department. He instanced what the tourist traffic meant for France^ Italy, and Switzerland, and hoped when money was easier to develope our advantages of climate and scenery as a field of wealth as well as of beauty. Mr Mackenzie was asked to include the upper part of the Graham Valley as well as Flora Valley as a see-. Nic reserve, and a note was accordingly made. Asked by Mr Field if the proposition of the Chamber would receive consideration at- a more propitious time, Mr Mackenzie said that it most certainly would, the proposal was a good one. Mr Mackenzie was then thanked, and the deputation withdrew.