Summing up the Tour.

“The success of the first two tours justifies the suggestion for an annual tour.” The President of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce expressed this view at a happy valedictory gathering on the train at Whangarei. Members of Chambers in other parts of New Zealand expressed their gratitude for the opportunity of joining in the tour and said they had been so impressed as to welcome the thought that it might be possible for representatives of their respective districts to join in future tours. A special vote of thanks was conveyed to Mr. H. H. Sterling and his staff for the successful working of the tour.

Mr. Malcolm Stewart, Vice-President of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, told his interviewer on his return to Auckland that he was greatly impressed with what he had seen and was convinced that dairy production in North Auckland would increase at a greater rate than in any other part of New Zealand. Farmers were now getting better results by means of top-dressing, rotational grazing and herd testing. With their mild winters, abundant supply of water and paspalum grass for summer feed, farmers of the North were greatly aided by Nature. The northern portion of the peninsula, too, possessed wonderful scenic attractions in the Trounson Kauri Park, Waipoua Forest, the Mangamuka Gorge, the great West Coast Beach and the two harbours of Whangaroa and Bay of Islands.

Members of the party were full of thanks to the residents of North Auckland for their great hospitality not only in arranging delightful functions at all places visited, but also for so generously providing motor cars in which to drive the travellers through districts away from the railway lines.

The travellers also commended the enterprise of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in promoting such tours and expressed unstinted admiration for the efficiency displayed by all branches of the Railways Department in carrying out the tours.