Race carnival ends on high note

The Port Macquarie Race Club’s four-day holiday race carnival concluded on Saturday with an excellent day’s racing.

The club is very jubilant at the success of the carnival as it was the first four days racing on the new track and surrounds. A very large crowd paid just under $600 at the gate and were treated to a thrilling afternoon’s racing, with some very exciting finishes.

Taxing tourists

Few will not agree with Alderman Matesich that it would be highly desirable to have some form of tourist tax operating, especially if the taxes are devoted to providing much wanted tourist amenities.

Other than on a camping area or beach, very few people would look on water and sewerage - in a motel, say - as an amenity. Today, these things are part of the deal.

Taxing tourists is something this newspaper has advocated in recent years, but we have maintained the only way this can be done is by state government legislation, applicable to recognised holiday resorts with the tax raised to be spent on pleasure grounds.

A ten cent or twenty cent tax on every hotel, motel, or flat booking, with the money spent in the town where it is raised, would soon win the appreciation of those paying it.

Loading sewerage pedestals in an endeavour to maintain a minimum charge as low as possible, for local people to have the greatest amenity of all time, is not likely to be looked on favourably by tourists or those who deal with them.

The convenience of both water and sewerage must be shared by the whole community, small and large users alike.

It will be a brave town indeed, ready to risk the chance of its own self destruction, that makes a unilateral move to tax people for coming to it.

Two-way radio for council

In a move to achieve maximum efficiency and reduce travelling time and mileage of senior officers Port Macquarie Municipal Council will shortly install a two-way radio system.

The plan is to ultimately have all senior officers constantly linked with the Council Chambers irrespective of what part of the municipality they may be visiting.

In its estimates for 1969, the Council allocated $1800 to meet the cost of installation. This sum will purchase the transmitter and two receiving sets for cars.

The number of receiving sets will be added to as funds permit.

The first two cars to be equipped with two-way radio will be those of the municipal engineer and water supply foreman.

It is believed the installation cost will soon be recouped in the saving of travelling time and mileage of officers.

Record crowds visit museum

The Hastings District Historical Society’s Museum at Port Macquarie continues to attract record crowds.

Some idea of this can be gained from the $1200 collected in admission fees at the museum for the beginning of this year.

At 20 cents for adults and no charge for children this represents a continuous stream of visitors all the time the doors are open.

Great interest is shown in the new section, opened in October last.