PROMOTING NEW PLYMOUTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1922, Page 5

PROMOTING NEW PLYMOUTH.

TOURIST AND EXPANSION LEAGUE. ANNUAL MEETING. The annua] meeting of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League was held at the Soldiera’ Club last night, when the chairman (Mr. T. C. List) presided over a fair attendance of members. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet (already published), the chairman briefly reviewed txome of the items on the balance sheet, and explained that, while the League had “outrun the constable” slightly during the year, they had done so knowingly. Their position, however, was quite sound. The printing of the illustrated booklet relating to New Plymouth and district had cost a good deal, but it was not a recurring expenditure, although they would Lave to print another edition during the coming year. The demand had been such that there was not a copy to be had in New Plymouth. Requests had been received from Melbourne and Auckland for further supplies of the booklet, all the copies sent to these places having been distributed. Wellington tourist offices had also been furnished with supplies, and were asking for more, while tne league had received numerous letters asking for information concerning New Plymouth and district. These allowed that Nlow Plymouth and its attractions had come before the outside people, and they were interesting themselves in it as a place for holiday-making, and, they hoped, as a place of residence.

Referring again to the balance sheet, Mr. List said that their subscriptions and donations amounted to £99. This was not a very big sum for Naw Plymouth to find, seeing the advantages which accrued to the town from the existence of the league and a tourist bureau to take charge of visitors and to deal with requests for informaion concerning the town. The Mountain House Committee recognised the help of the league and subsidised it by £26 a year. The committee had had some little difficulty in obtaining a subsidy from the Government. Last year they had been mt right out, but they had seen the /Hon. W. Nosworthy (the Minister in charge of the Tourist Department), and had obtained his promise to provide £75, he realising that the league was doing the work which, in other places, was being done by the Government offices. In that connection, Mr. List said he had to acknowledge the assistance of the member for the district (Mr. S. G. Smith). He thought the league could rely on a subsidy in the future so long as. they showed the Government that they were doing work on its behalf.

MORE INTEREST WANTED. Continuing, the chairman made an appeal to the townspeople to take a little more interest in the organisation and not to let it drop. Along with others, he had stuck to it because he thought that, later on, the people would reap the benefit of its operations, and now he felt that they were about to come into their own. With the opening of the road through to Te Kuiti in about fifteen months he was sure they were going to receive a great deal more tourist traffic than they had had in the past. It would then be possible to go through to Te Kuiti in a few hours. He felt certain that much of the tourist traffic which now went down the Main Trunk and the Wanganui would be diverted to Taranaki. He had been assured by the Australian Government tourist officers and Cook’s people there that they would willingly co-operate with the league and include Taranaki in the itineraries they drew up for visitors to New Zealand. Mr. Baysfield, the chief Government tourist officer, had also said that New Plymouth, up to now, had not received attention in Wellington because they could not include it in a round trip, but he had promised that, if they could take people round New Plymouth and on to join the Main Trunk, his department would arrange itineraries accordingly. The road through to Te Kuiti itself, the chairman stated, was perhaps one of the most interesting in the whole of New Zealand, and he could see, in the near future, very big things for New Plymouth from the traffic which would come. They would then, more than ever, require the offices of the Tourist and Expansion League. All the way down from the Awakino Valley to New Plymouth were scenic reserves, and tourists who came that way were not likely to forget the trip. The Awakino Valley road was almost Tike the Mokau scenery, which Mr. W. H. Skinner and other far-seeing men had had preserved. Tourists could make a stay at the Mokau and go up the river if they desired, while they could also pass over Mount Messenger, which, as They knew, possessed some of thp most beautiful scenery in New Zealand. THE SYDNEY TRIP.

Mr. List also referred to the advantages accruing from the proposed trip from New Plymouth to Sydney, and the ' return trip promised by the Sydney . Millions Chib for the following year, and which he believed would be but the beginning of an annual holiday service from Sydney to New Plymouth, for a more interesting trip than that to b? , obtained from a tour of the North Island, with Taranaki as the starting point, would be hard to imagine. He felt sure there wae nothing in Australia to equal it. He went on to refer to the necessity of providing increased accommodation in New Plymouth, and reaffirmed his decision not to accept office during the coming year. He had many other things on his hands, and he could not do justice to them all. He then moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet. The motion was seconded by Mr. R. C. Hughes, who referred to the many interesting places from ft scenic and historical point, of view the road to Te Kuiti would make accessible to tourists. Replying to a question, Mr. List stated (bat the league had no fixed membership |or subscription. They had many peop-.e who were regular subscribers, and they had | carried on with appeals to the business t people and others interested for support, i Referring again to the Te Kuiti Road, he sniid that in the summer-time people in u halo now went to Tauranga and Ragj...i he was assured that when the rnnri through they would come to New ’’vmouth. I Messrs. W. P. Davis and C. H. Burgess I also spoke to the motion, the latter remarking. that, the report had again justified the existence of the league. I Th* report and balance sheet were then adopted.

ELECTION OF COMMITTEE. When nominations were being called for the committee many requests were made to Mr. List to accept office for a further term, and flattering references were made to his past work for the league and also on other bodies with which he was connected. Mr. List, however, asked to be relieved, stating that he would always be only too willing to give what assistance he could. The following committee was then elected for the ensuing year: Messrs. G. Fraser, E. Shaw, R. Day, C. Fairbrother. R. A. Large, T. 11. Bates, C. H. Wynyard, L. M. Moss, E. Cave, C. B. Webster, V. Duff, and W. H. Skinner. Mr C. H. Wynyard was appointed treasurer. On the motion of Mr. Burgess, the following resolution appreciative of Mr. List’s services was carried by acclamation: “That it be placed on record the appreciation of this league of the services rendered by Mr. T. C. List.” In returning thanks, Mr. List said that the remarks passed as to his services were applicable to Mr. J. R Cruickshank, and on his motion a similar tribute was paid to Mr. Cruickshank.