H.—2.
Apart from this effort, the silent, titled film still plays an important part in the main publicity campaign, being most useful for showing in connection with lectures and gatherings of a special nature arranged by overseas agents and others." The small-sized or 16 mm. film suitable for showing in private homes, small halls, or hotels, to selected audiences, is steadily growing in favour and finding fresh outlets. The best of the Department's films have been reduced to this size, and through the agency of Messrs. Kodak Ltd. and other sources, are daily covering a wider field in various parts of the world. It has been amply proved that the film plays a most important part in modern publicity work. During the year it became necessary to replenish stocks of literature of the folder type, which were almost exhausted owing to the heavy demands of overseas agents, shipping offices, &c., for this material. A new folder with an attractively designed cover and frontispiece in colour, which dealt generally with the leading attractions of the Dominion, was prepared specially for overseas use, and large quantities have been despatched to various contact points throughout the world. In addition, a series of five folders covering in detail the various zones of interest to visitors, such ■as the fiords, lakes, and mountains of the South Island and the volcanic and thermal belt, caves, and forests of the North Island, were prepared for use within the Dominion as well as for overseas purposes, while a separate folder dealing entirely with sport to be obtained in New Zealand was also produced. A further issue was prepared of the booklet known as " New Zealand Ī acts and Figures or the " Pocket Year-book " which contains a large amount of useful condensed information republished from the Official Year-book and other sources. This booklet was brought up to date and reissued, and a booklet containing a series of New Zealand tours specially arranged for Australian visitors was also printed and distributed from the various Australian offices. In all a total of over one hundred thousand pieces of literature were despatched overseas during the year, over ninety-seven thousand being placed with the various agents,'shipping offices,_ &c., and the remainder going to a wide list of private addresses and for distribution at exhibitions held in various parts of the world. The Department, through its overseas organization, has also distributed large quantities of printed matter produced by Progress Associations and similar local bodies. A valuable publicity medium, of which considerable advantage was taken during year, consisted of the preparation of special articles accompanied by photographs for publication in overseas journals and newspapers. One result of this was that several high-class journals made a special feature of photographs and letterpress, thus bringing the Dominion before the notice of many thousands of readers with whom the Department would probably not otherwise come into contact. Considerable use was made of exhibitions held in various parts of the world, notably at Toronto, through the despatch of specially prepared show materials. These consisted of garments and articles of Native manufacture, dioramas, show posters, transparencies, films, lantern slides, and coloured enlarged photographs. Sporting trophies in the shape of mounted trout, swordfish, and stags heads were also made use of. Similar materials in more mobile shape were made available for window displays in several of the main centres in the United States, Canada, and Australia. In newspaper and periodical advertising the effort was naturally restricted by the limited amount of money available, but the appropriation was made use of as widely as possible in the direction from which immediate results might be anticipated. The major effort was thus upon Australia where previous experience has justified the expenditure. Very little could be done in this matter in the United States, Canada, Africa, or the East, which would require large allocations to ensure worth-while results. . In addition to the posters already prepared a striking new design was made use of during the year and large numbers of these sheets were despatched. Altogether some six thousand posters were sent away from the Dominion for distribution and display. A very useful tourist map was also reprinted and eleven hundred copies were sent overseas to meet the many requests for a good map of the Dominion. Further posters are in course of preparation. A steady demand for photographs for various purposes resulted in large numbers of prints being sent out during the year. Of the photographs supplied some four hundred were coloured enlargements used for exhibition and special display purposes, while of the seven thousand whole-plate prints issued, many found their way into the pages of magazines and papers in the United States and elsewhere. Postcard prints issued numbered over seven thousand, the majority of which were purchased by visitors. Lantern slides to the number of 2,870 were despatched to various countries for lecture purposes, while sixty-eight transparencies were prepared for exhibition purposes in America and elsewhere. Departmental Activities within the Dominion. The Department's organization within the Dominion has continued to provide services called for extensively by our own people and by the incoming traffic from overseas. The booking bureaux, particularly in Auckland and Wellington, have been conducted with reduced staffs, and despite some falling-off in the individual value of tours sold the number of persons handled has been maintained at high figures. As has already been mentioned, the Department took over last year full control of the Auckland and Wellington Railway Booking-offices, which, being located in the same offices as the Tourist Booking Bureau, had been administered separately. The Mail Agents on the Trans-Pacific steamers are now also acting as representatives of the Tourist Department. This gives, as a whole, an improved organization and unified control, which, taken in conjunction with our agency and commission arrangement's with overseas firms, enables the
4