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Twenty thousand letter-folders illustrated in colour were despatched to selected lists of Australian residents, and the results justify an extension of this activity to other fields during the current year. Special tour-books, giving details of itineraries, attractions, costs, and booking-facilities were distributed throughout Australia, particularly through our local offices and agencies. Several thousand posters have been distributed in North America, India, South Africa, and Australia, for display mainly through Railway organizations. Several hundreds of enlarged coloured photographs have been distributed for display in suitable positions overseas, and thousands of whole-plate photographs have been supplied to travel agencies, overseas tourists, newspapers, and New-Zealanders going abroad. Large quantities of lantern slides have been distributed for the use of New-Zealanders and others who are able and willing to lecture on the attractions of the Dominion. General publicity literature —mainly in the form of folders in colour, and maps—has been despatched to the number of over a hundred thousand pieces, and heavy printing orders for further supplies are in hand. Articles of a suitable character have been prepared and satisfactorily placed with accompanying photographs in newspapers and periodicals in Australia, Europe, and America. Photographs for similar purposes have been freely supplied to visiting journalists and to overseas papers, and publicity of an excellent character has been secured by these methods. A considerable extension of this work is possible, and is now receiving attention. Film publicity has been a feature of the work of the Publicity Office in past years, but the general change from silent to sound films has materially affected the position both in regard to production and the release of the films. No good purpose would be served at present by the production of any further extensive quantity of silent films which are not generally acceptable in competition with sound films overseas. Notwithstanding this fact, however, the Department is still able to secure extensive publicity based upon the wide range of negatives of good quality produced in previous years. Our films are still showing in over fifty theatres per day throughout the United Kingdom, and the work of controlling from the High Commissioner's Office the distribution of a number of subjects over hundreds of theatres is considerable. The silent films are also freely used for lecturing purposes, particularly in North America. During the past year this class of photographic material has been put to other uses by the production from our negatives of 16-millimeter pictures which are particularly adapted to use in homes, small halls, &c. Some of these small films are being produced and sold on contract for distribution by a well-known photographic house in New Zealand and overseas. Hundreds of copies have gone abroad through this medium. Some of the best of the negatives have been used during the past year for the production—more or less on a experimental basis —of sound films. Explanatory dialogue or " guide-talk " with a background of music has been synchronized to the original pictures with reasonably satisfactory results. Copies of several of these sound pictures (of which nine have been made) have been sent to America, Europe, Africa, and Australia in order that the Department may be able to judge of their acceptance for general release. In view of the relatively high cost of production, it is hoped that some financial return may be secured from theatre interests, and the indications to date in this respect are encouraging. The world-wide improvement in the technical aspects of film-production, the heavy expense involved in relation to sound films, and the difficulty of securing an assured release before audiences satisfactory to our requirements, constitute at present difficulties in the way of any extensive development of this phase of our work. Publicity for the direct purpose of trade-development is in the main carried out in the United Kingdom by the several Produce Boards of the Dominion. The Publicity Section of the High Commissioner's Office assists, however, in this work, particularly in the matter of exhibitions and window displays. A large number of these exhibits have been made during the past year in trade and general exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom, and very favourable comment has been made on the quality of this work. The Department is endeavouring to maintain in its publicity a standard of quality which will enable our material to bear comparison with that of other countries. Financial limitations and technical difficulties make the maintenance of this objective by no means an easy matter. It is, in consequence, pleasing to be able to record the commendation of several overseas critics qualified in this regard. An erroneous impression exists that there is considerable overlapping between the work of this Department and that of the New Zealand Railways. The overseas publicity effort is essentially in the hands of this Department, and the Railway Department does not concern itself with that work. In those matters where the two Departments have similar activities a full measure of co-operation exists, and the Department is working in harmony not only with the Railways and other transport organizations, but with hotel and other interests directly concerned with tourist travel. Departmental Activities within the Dominion. The Department's Tourist Booking Bureaux in New Zealand have already been mentioned in relation to overseas traffic. These bureaux have been maintained in several centres for many years, with gradual extensions to some of the secondary towns. The bureau at Napier was completely destroyed by the earthquake of the 3rd February last, and it is not proposed at present to take any steps for the re-establishment of this branch. When conditions are favourable steps will be taken to appoint a suitable agent as in other centres. It was decided during the past year that circumstances do not justify the continuation of the bureau at Greymouth, and this has now been closed. The Department desires, however, to extend its facilities and strengthen its organization by securing suitable

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