SCENIC RESERVES

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 4

SCENIC RESERVES

NEGLECT BY LANDS DEPARTMENT. ' In a letter to Mr H. G. Ell, Mr W. H. Field, M.P, for Otaki writes:— "The'receipt of your communication reminds me of some facts that were brought very forcibly under my notice when visiting Tongariro National Park three weeks ago. I was horrified to learn from quite a number of people that the scenic reserves on the Main Trunk, many of which were constituted as the result of your efforts, are being utterly neglected. One flagrant instance is that at Bangataua where a reserve of bush and other scenery had been made, which ho£ now become bo hopelessly mutilated that I am informed it is not worth keeping.

"So far as I can learn no attempt whatever has been mad© to care for these reserved since Mr Phillips-Turner ceased to be inspector, and joined the Forestry service. The result is, and I believej it is true of every reserve, that the reserves have become public propj erty to be grazed on, felled, mutilated, I and burned by anybody wno cares to come along without let or hindrance. Men are filling in their spare time cutting posts and firewood out of these reserves, and selling them in large quantities. Where fences exist these are broken down and cattle turned in systematically. The nett result is that many of the reserves are now, I believe, past saving. | "I referred the matter tq a number of young Forestry offioers whom I met, active and energetic men, who take a keen interest in scenery, and who in- : formed me that they would be only too ' willing to include in their duties the • care of these reserves. Immediately on I my return to Wellington I made repre- | mentations on the subject to the Minister of Lands, but have not yet received his reply. I also saw the Commissioner of Crown Lands and Ranger Landels on the same subject. "I gathered .i<hat the unfortunate feeling which seems to exist between the Lands and Forestry Departments is t

likely to militate against these reserves, though utterly neglected by the Lands Department, and of no use to them, being handed over to the Forestry Department, who would immediately proceed to take them into their watchful care. ; "I thought I would write to you on the matter to acquaint vou with the position in order tnat you might say a word or two on the subject if vou think . proper. You, of course, had perhaps the largest voice in New Zealand with respect to scenic reserves before you went out of Parliament, but unhappily since then there has been practically ( nobody but myself to spy a word on the subject, and I find it nPpeiess fighting aione with people who if not actually vandals themselves, have not the least regard or sentiment for our beautiful bush scenery. "There are, as you know, (very few votes behind soenic preservation, the real enthusiasts being so few in number. If we had more people interested in this matter, which you and I know to be a highly important one, affecting as it does the generations to come, we should not have to submit to the destruction of the scenic reserves which form the main subject of this letter, and to the sinful destruction of the beautiful bush on the slopes pf the great mountains which form the Tongariro National ; Park. !

"Some of us are making an attempt to check this evil, but the forces against us are, I fear, too strong, and much irreparablo damage and vandalism has already been committed."