The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-05-02
Personally Conducted Tours To
Volcano Only Incident Of Com
prehensive Campaign
OTHER ISLES INCLUDED
IN GREAT GENERAL PLAN
Idea Behind Propaganda Is To
Get Visitors In Touch With
Outside Attractions

The Big Island has already set a
hot pace in its treatment of tourists, -
said Hawaii g publicity man, L. W. de
Vis-Norton, in an interview yesterday.
And, what is more to the point, the
Big Island evidently intends to keep It
up, am is now inaugurating a progress.
sive policy which will place it far in
the van.
"It is only a few weeks ago." con
tinued Mr.. Norton, "since the Hawaii
Publicity Commission was receiving
congratulations through your editorial
columns, upon its initiative in starting
the idea Of personally conducted tours
to the Volcano of Kilauea. These were
really tried as sort of experiment,
with a view to inaugurating the second
step in our policy, and since they have
already proved themselves pronounced
success, we are now going ahead. We
mean to make the Island of Hawaii
more popular than ever with visitors,
for, while Honolulu will always get
more publicity than we shall ever be
able to secure for Hawaii, yet, bit by
| bit, the tourist is beginning to realize
that over on the Big Island we have
-four Thousand square miles of scenery
eRtirely at his service. The tourist will
come to Honolulu anyway, and after
he has revealed for n few days in the
many beauties of the city, and has gone
over as much of its area of 59S square
miles, ms the condition of the roads will
permit, he naturally wants to go farther
afield."
eve hope he viii visit the other isl
ands before he comes over to us. He
should certainly go to Kauai and see
the great Waimea Canyon and the 9th
er beauty spots of that gloriOusly beau
tiful garden land, and he ought not to
neglect Maui, for l do not think any
visit to the group is complete unless
an ascent Of Haleakala be included in
the itinerary. But when he has done
all these things, then we want him to
rome along to- Hawaii, and spend all
the rest of his spare time wish as, for
We shall be able to look after him in
way he will never forget"
! 1.-THE Publicity Commission already
has the whole Of the Big Island be
hind it, and ! think there are very few
indeed who do not now realizes that its
work for the community is earnest work
indeed. We have felt that the best
way TO benefit the community in general
is to bring the tourist to the island in
ever increasing numbers; and in order
to do that, we must provide for the
tourist something of even more inter
est than our volcanoes and our tropical
scenery. The modern tourist wants to
be amused and wants to have his tours
made interesting for him. That was
the idea at the back of our personally
conducted tour scheme. The trip to the
Volcano has now become more than
ever fascinating to the visitor, who
certainly seems to appreciate a simple
explanation Of the many unique fea-
lures Of his journey. I candidly admit
that my own pleasure as guide, has
been immensely added to by the inter
est shown in the splendid old legends
of the places we visit. There is little
iOv in telling n story which falls on
deaf ears, but when one 3 listeners fOl
low the example of Oliver Twist and
demand more and yet more, then story
telling Of the ancient days becomes q
real delight
This, then, marks the beginning OF
our policy for the entertainment of our
visitors, and now We have q long and
ambitious program ahead of us, which
the public spirit of the Big Island will
undoubtedly enable us to carry through
am not going to tell you of all the
steps we propose to initiate; thnt would
be giving the show away, and Hawaii
expects ALWAYS to remain in the lead
anyway, but will tell you about move
/ number two, as there is now no reason
WHY it should not become public prop
ertv."
"The Publicity Commission has oh
tanned the sanction and approval OF
Governor Pinkham for the setting aside
of n certain area of forest lands Dor
dering the road between the Volcano
and HiIO, and only n few miles from
the latter city. This land will now bf
nroperlv fenced and the necessary clear
ing will be done, AS soon rs these
things have been accomplished, there
will be established on tn = land, (Which
will be set aside and dedicated as q
public park, under certain restrictions
a real Hawaiian village of the old type
with a few modern, but incpnspicuouF
improvements. And this is not gOinP
70 be simply sort Of museum EXHIBIT
because the village is going u be in
habited by carefully selected Hawai-
ians, aud serious effort is going to be
made to re establish the old industries
which are so fast being allowed to die
out. ="
at is our intention to revive the art
Of making tapa cloth; the weaving Of
the beautiful hats and mats from the
lauhala, or leaf of the Puhala tree; the
making and polishing of the wonder.
full calabashes of kOa wood the
making of the real native ukulele as
distinct from the imitation of the pres
ent day; in fact, we hope and iRteHd
to bring back the old conditions as
much as possible. The village will be
open to visitors under restrictions, and