EMPIRE FARMERS THREATENED WITH EXCESS OF HOSPITALITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18992, 11 February 1930, Page 13

EMPIRE FARMERS THREATENED WITH EXCESS OF HOSPITALITY .

Strenuous Programme Leaves Tourists Little Time For Rest

It is pointed out by a gentleman prominent in the agricultural world that an excess of hospitality which it seems difficult to avoid threatens the party of Empire farmers who are to make a tour of the Dominion, commencing this month. For practically every day of their tour, a strenuous programme, w’hich is calculated to tax tip energies of persons of even the strongest physique, has been mapped out, and the visitors are to be given very little time to themselves. The responsibility for arranging the programme has fallen on the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, and, on account of the desire of the local branches in the centres to be visited to do their best for the tourists, considerable difficulty has been experienced in keeping the list of entertainments down to anything like a reasonable limit. The Railway Department, which is attending to the transport of the visitors, has done its best to ensure that they will not be called upon to do too much travelling, but even after considerable pruning, the programme is still heavier than most persons would wish to carry out. CONSTANT TRAVELLING. Before coming to the South Island, the visitors will have seen as much of the North Island as could possibly be undertaken in the time at their disposal, and it is only natural to expect that they will be glad of any respite from official engagements that can be afforded them. But their programme for the South Island, as finally agreed upon, does not leave them much opportunity for relaxation. The party is due to arrive at Blenheim from Wellington on Monday, March 10, and on the following day the visitors are to be taken on a tour of the Marlborough Sounds. On March 12 they are due to leave Blenheim at 7.30 a.m. for Parnassus, stopping at Kaikoura for lunch. At Parnassus they ■will join the express for Christchurch, but the journey will be broken at Amberley, where they are to be taken to the Domain and entertained at afternoon tea. Christchurch will be reached at 6.27 p.m., and, according to present arrangements, the evening will be free. A proposal has been made, however, that, instead of letting the visitors have the evening free, they should be motored around North Canterbury and landed in Christchurch at about 9.30 p.m., but the Railway ®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®®

Department has strongly objected to this being done. A TYPICAL DAY. Instead of being given an oppor tunity of spending the following morning in Christchurch, the visitors are to be called upon to leave their hotels at 8 ajn. and proceed in motor-cars to Little River. After a reception and lunch at Little River, they are to proceed to Lincoln College for afternoon tea, returning to the city at 6 p.m. In the evening they are asked to attend a social function in the Winter Garden. The following day the visitors are to leave by the first’ express, at 8.35 a.m., for Oamaru. Their stay in Otago is likely to be remembered by them as being quite as strenuous as any part of their tour, no rest being provided for them, even on the Sunday. The only restful part of the entertainment for them in Otago appears to be the issue of invitations to attend the talkies after they have had a full day’s travelling. UNBOUNDED HOSPITALITY. After getting back into Canterbury territory, the visitors will find that the hospitality of the southern portion of this province is unbounded. Starting off before nine o’clock each morning, they will be taken by train and motor to see farms and places of interest, and, on March 22, after leaving Tiiparu at 8.55 a.m. and visiting Ashburton, Mayfield, Methven and Ashburton again for the evening meal, they will eventually join the second express and proceed to Lyttelton, where they will connect with the ferry steamer. Railway officials' wffio have had experience of conducting parties of visitors through the Dominion hav£ urged that the itinerary is too strenuous, and that there is a danger of many of the visitors, especially the ladies, not being able to stand the strain of so much travelling and entertainment. “This party is in hardly the some position as some of the parties of New Zealand farmers who have been taken on tours,” said one official yesterday. He predicted that before the tour was half completed, there would be trouble owing to the large amount of travelling and the small amount of time for resting. I m HI HI ESI ID IS ® IS ID @ ® IS IS IS ® ® ® ® ® S