Apart from the great migrations of history following on, or associated with, the travel trails of conquerors like Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great, and discoverers like Cabot, Columbus and Cook, the peoples of the world were of a strikingly stay-at-home disposition until the invention of railways in the first quarter of last century began to tempt them to take longer and safer land jaunts.

In the last fifty years travel has developed amazingly, partly as the result of improvements in the methods of, and facilities for, land and sea transport, and partly because the ameliorating effects of civilisation have extended over larger portions of the globe, throwing open to the curiosity of the general tourist lands that were formerly closed against foreigners.

Travel has become an important part of life. The old dangers are gone, and with them the old superstitions that for ages warred against the natural human desire to find out about new things. That desire is in everyone, and needs little stimulation, but its direction can be guided, and it is for this reason that in so many countries now are being formed tourist leagues and travel associations to attract people to specified, localities, and thus supplement the work of those whose sole business it is to stimulate travel generally and to make a living therefrom.

Fairly recently tentative plans were made for a Pacific Travel League, representative of travel interests in countries bordering the Pacific. An Australian Travel Association is actively in operation and now has one of its agents located in New Zealand. Last month the initial luncheon of the New Zealand Travel Men's League was held, and the attendance indicated the comprehensive nature of the travel and accommodation interests its operations should help to draw together for the common good. Travel is, of course, the great cure-all. A change of scene accomplishes quickly what time can only do less effectively and very gradually. When it is realised that, if everyone in the world took a fortnight's travel vacation annually, there would be a total of seventy million people on the move all the time, the colossal possibilities for further developments in travel become dimly perceptible. Given the motive and the means, the question is where shall they go?

That they bring profitable business to the countries they visit, commercial men page 6 and economists agree in attesting. But do they know whither to go when they have the choice? A New Zealander, naturally, wishes to travel to England, America, Europe and Asia. He may desire to see Africa. He would take Australia in his stride. But what does the average New Zealander know about the sights which he most desires to see? Just odd impressions obtained from pictures or books, or special pieces of publicity that have come before his eyes or into his hands. London, Paris, New York, might be his choice among the cities. For other sights, a few stand out in his memory as places he has heard about, but to bring most of them to mind requires special stimulation. In this the average New Zealander differs in no way from the average citizen of the world, and it is here that effective publicity must be applied if the stream of tourists is to be tapped for the benefit of any particular country. We all know the principal land masses fairly well, but when it comes to particular states or provinces or counties most of us are more than hazy. To those who can devise the best means to keep their country's attractions most definitely in mind, go the prizes of the travel business.

New Zealand lies on one of the world's principal travel routes, and has attractions of its own that cannot be duplicated in any other country. The more it comes to be known the better it will be appreciated by the rest of the world.

New Plymouth Railway Anniversary

Fifty years ago (1st August, 1881), the first passenger train from New Plymouth arrived at Hawera. Before that date the terminus of the line was Normanby, but though the line beyond there was not ballasted, the contractors had so far advanced the construction that a special train was run on Monday, 1st Aug., 1881, to a special sale of Opunake and Manaia town and rural sections held at Hawera. The train left New Plymouth at 7 o'clock, arriving at Hawera about 11.30 a.m., and reached New Plymouth on its return journey about 8 p.m. The official opening of the line for general traffic to Hawera was on 21st October, 1881.

Northern Railways

Interviewed by the New Zealand Herald on the return of the Railways Board from its visit to the northern district, the Chairman, Colonel J. J. Esson, said:—

“We had a very cordial reception everywhere. I hope we succeeded in establishing something like contact between the railway management and its customers, and that perhaps we removed some erroneous impressions that may have existed. We did our best to remind members of the public that they were the owners of the railways, and that no publicly-owned railway system could serve its community to the full or pay its way without the patronage and co-operation of the people.”

“Advertising Lights the Way”

The importance of efficient publicity in relation to competition and the development of trade, was the theme of the following interesting message from Mr. Lloyd George, read at the Seventh Annual Advertising Convention, held recently at Glasgow:—

“To-day we certainly need all the help which the best brains and the finest energies to be found in business circles can bring to bear on our marketing problems (says Mr. Lloyd George).

“We want the shining lights of the advertising world to throw their most powerful rays on the question of competition and to light the way to more active salesmanship and wider sales development.

“Advertising, like charity should begin at home. New conditions call for most efficient publicity ideas. A prosperous home market greatly influences overseas trade. The manufacturer who develops trade in this country immediately improves our trading opportunities in foreign lands.”

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