The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-09-05

immense gain that is got by the tourist
traffic; and the diversion OF the tourist
traffic to this colony means a gain of hun
dreds of thousands of pounds sterling year
to New Zealand. Now, we know that Auck-
land is the center of the tourist region for
many purposes. If the House agrees to the /
arrangements we have made relative to the |
Hot Lake Railway line, we shall push 1t on |
to Roturua, and with its completion, there |
will be continuous line from Auckland to
the Lake region, and then, believe, instead
of the hundreds who now visit the Lake
region, We shall have thousands visiting it,
and we shall have visitors from America, and
coming by way of America, in large num-
bers. Many of those who make tours to
America from Europe will come on to New
Zealand, and with the completion of this
railway communication the tourist traffic
will greatly increase"
Sir George Grey, however, former Gov
ernor of New Zealand, as well as of South
Australia and the Cape Colony, and one
of the most accomplished public men alive,
made this point especi-,ly strong in the
course of his remarks in support of the
subsidy. He said:
''Let US now look at the value which this
mail service possesses in other respects;
and, first, at it's commercial value. We are
told that that is very little a. present; butt
believe that it will go on increasing year by
year, and that the great value of the service
in that respect has not been properly looked
at. This service unites us with the Sand
Ill
vessels going to all parts of the Northern
Pacific, and l believe that considerable
portion of the Islands trade is to be attrib
uted to this San Francisco service. Then, I
proceed to look at the matter from another
point of view-a point of view which was
partly touched upon by the Premier. Hon
orable gentlemen who have been in other
parts of the world know that in Europe
there are many countries which have been
raised to a state of considerable wealth from
a state of great poverty merely from the
number of tourists visiting the country.
The effect of such expenditure upon various
countries in Europe cannot be we'll over
estimated. Their whole character has been
changed for the better in consequence.
81 feel confident that year by year the
number of tourists that visit New Zealand
will grow larger. At the present moment
large numbers come to Auckland; and they
not only travel in the districts of Auckland,
but they visit the Lakes in the South, and
speak of what they have seen; and they
also visit the mountains in the South
Island, and also speak in high terms of the
scenery which they there witness. They
come to me and praise all they have seen in
the various parts of the country. They tell
me that they have never seen such wonder
full scenery before, and they tell me of their
intention to visit US on future occasions,
and to send out large numbers of other per-
sons to visit New Zealand. L contend that
the advantages to New Zealand from tourists
of that character visiting her shores are
enormous. It is not only the large amount
of money they spend at different places they
visit, but insensibly they must produce a
great effect upon the character of the popu-
lation of New Zealand-on their habits and
their intellectual capacities and tastes. 1t
must be known to all of us that it is now the
custom for men of the very highest order of
intellect and in the very highest position in
society at Home to visit New Zealand. ]
think that all will admit that such is the
case.
''Can any one tell me that the inhabitant is
of New Zealand, having such splendid
steamers running up and down their coasts
for may say that all visitors with whom
1 meet tell me that our steam service is one
of the very finest in which they have tray
o1ad hot &c nf ha hos in
the world-can any one tell me that the
large number of inhabitants of New Zealand
who travel in these steamers, and meet and
converse with these men of intellect who
visit our shores, do not derive immense
benefit from that? Would any one tell me
| that those people of New Zealand who are
thus brought into communication with some
of the finest intellects of the world are not
the better for it-such men, for instance, as
Anthony Trollope, Froude and Proctor?
Why, sir, we know that the various uni
Versities in England and in Scotland, and
in various other countries, adopt every pos
sible device and plan for attracting, even for
few days, the celebrated men of the world
on visits to those institutions, in order thai
the students may see them, may hear them
speak, and may derive advantage from
intercourse with them. They have Rectors,
Chancellors, Vice Chancellors- honorary
degrees; and they bestow these upon ceIe-
brated men in order to attract them to the
universities and to bring them into contact
with the students. Can we think it is posi-
BILE, then, for men of that kind to visit New
Zealand and mix among its population with
out achieving a vast amount of good l
feel certain that an element of that kind
must produce great advantages for this
country: and it would be with great sorrow
that l should see an educational influence
of that kind cut off in any manner from the
people of New Zealand, particularly when it
is secured at trifiing cost, and will ulti-
mateIy, believe, be obtained at profit.
''Then, let us look at it again in ano ther
direction, and that is this Can any one say
that to be brought into communication with
fifty millions of an English-speaking race is
not a great advantage to the country? If