GOODWILL TOUR TO WEST COAST CENTRES IS PROPOSED

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 9

GOODWILL TOUR TO WEST COAST CENTRES IS PROPOSED

The executive of the Canterbury Progress League, at its meeting last night, decided to approve of a proposal to conduct a goodwill tour of the West Coast and to co-operate with the Railway Department in organising the business men’s section of it. The Railway and Transport Committee of the League reported that it had conferred with Mr F. Pawson, Railway Business Agent for Canterbury, regard ing a proposal to organise a railway tour embracing the main to\vns_ and principal scenic attractions of the South Island. The committee was of opinion that such a tour, if organised and constituted on right lines, would be beneficial to the whole of the districts visited, but some doubt was expressed as to whether business people and representative citizens could afford to devote more than about a week to the project. For that reason the committee suggested to Mr Pawson that his plan should be considerably modified and curtailed, and a sub-com-mittee was set up for the purpose of considering the details of the scheme The sub-committee recommended that the tour be restricted to the West Coast and that it be divided into two P The first visits to Hokitika. Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier, the tour occupying six days. The approximate total cost would be The second proposal was for a six days’ tour embracing Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport and Reef ton, the approximate total cost being £8 lbs yd. Mr P. R. Climie, organiser for the league, said that the idea was that the whole party should go to Hokitika,

Progress League To Co-operate With The Railway Department

where it should divide itself into two sections, one going on to the glaciers and the other visiting Greymouth, Westport and Reefton. The two sections would meet as one party on the return trip. Mr C. H. Clibborn, a member of the sub-committee, said it -was desired to know whether the league preferred the tour of the South • Island as outlined to the committee by Mr Pawson or the proposed tour of the West Coast. The chairman (Mr *G. M. Hall) said that if there was to be a tour at all he very much preferred one to the West Coast. The Railway Department wished the tour to be under the auspices of the league. Mr R. H. Webb suggested asking the Department to leave the matter in abevance until the holiday period, when a special tour, with sleeping carriages, should be made of the South Island, The chairman said that Mr Pawson had explained to the committee that it was almost impossible to secure sufficient accommodation for a big party at holiday periods. Replying to a question, the chairman said that it was estimated that if 200 persons made the tour, about, 159 would go to the glaciers, and the remainder would take part in the business trip to Greymouth, Westport and Reefton. Mr Climie said that the league was expected to organise only the business section of the tour. f Mr Stevenson moved: That the league support the proposal to run a tour to the West Coast and offer to organise the business section. The motion was seconded by Mr Clibborn and carried.