ROTORUA TOLLS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 14

ROTORUA TOLLS

HOW GOVEaNMENT SEVENTJB IS ' '.-:■;:/../-vC /-EAISED./ '-- ' ..;,,- '■'■ ;''A V MEBCENAET.PABADISE. Visitors to Botorua, in particular those who have visited the place., before, are Ipd4-in',their complaints .about,the new order'pf things.recently instituted , by the Government, .whereby,, there are tolls which have.to be paid befprei anyone'ean visit certaiafof.' the' sights..'.Formerly it 1 was only ra<matter, of. taking■ a bus to Wnakarewarewa.(a-.ten-minutes,'.ride rrbm Ebtorua); and jail ,whb wished-. the'. , sighfa':there;'. Now the Government has barred/the road.into/ : Whakarewarewa just beyond the bridge'(where-the Maori , , boys and:girls'-scream.'to'iheXpakeha.fpr' pennies.,' incessantly,;. from i , th'e,.stream,'be-! low),\ with Van /ugly 'toll-gate,' and" each one ;'who' wishes to enter.' must, pay '■ a ehilling.". Then-just inside ithe.'gate/is an announcement';'.to ■.theTcffcct- :.that6:the. ling-? a , , head; 'for * 'each ■ cohducbed oyer'-:Jthe"»grpiind.-;..y-'.Vv.'.V-b ! ,''>;•'■'.'.'■ ■■.'■ ' -.'i-.;TheiMay.^the-;.Vfriter.f visited-- "Whaka-. re'warewa'wo'rie/ gentlemah ';tobk' ;: 'but : ..'fonr ladies,.'so;he' ; had.:tp pay.'-fbr;.his 'hour's, entertainment::«4s.Vfpr''bus fares;: 45.; in, toll fares;' , and'^.ii : guide' fees—l2s. in , all, not' to' mention the pennies' demanded by/'jthe' screaming, Maori/children in ; the stream '.under the ibridge. , .-There is ;now' also'.a• toll -at Tikitere,-■ and-along the road to'/another , well- visited place., a 'loudvoiced irate OtheUo r like"person : arid his grim-visaged; wahine, • demand / a shilling, toll/from' everyone':whb passes" along the road; .- No one seems ,to know/if -they have the/right : to;so , -'demand, but it Iβ certainly a very, disgusting.element that is encountered by eightseers at,Bbtofna;,and one' that harmonises ill "with the beauty of ..the scene,-and,, tho. thermal wonders which no other country' in , the world can show. , ":-'. , :. ~i', ;.',• ./;-. "".•; .-,./;• -,■'■;■': It is. suggested .that ;the. ""Government '.at/.itsi/.Tpuristi Bureau .in. Eotoruaithat .wpnld.cover: thecost ; :'of these .; irritating: calls, including guideifees/ -'Pewwould. object, to.payingi , . say,Sss;,:for ,/the;, right ;to be; shovni over; 'Wnatarew.arewa, Ohinemutu , ,;;;the.:/' , Hai/ mu'rana..Spring,. Okere-.Ealls,-iafdnTiki-tare',;(apart 'from:' coach;.and boat;fares),■ and , ; , such.aii■; arrangement■ would dpl'ete thei that is'jso wrongly-evident, wherever, one,, goes in';Eotprua.v fj,^ : ! ?;?;!■. ?;:i/, ■ :,;.i ;An.; unpleasant. ;6cene.' ogeurred; at 'one,' place/of ;resbrt a';fe'w./dayefago.Hj>A party; off- perhaps^.tivehty/"people , : the , * toll ;either:. to-.'.s;Maori.ortto his'iwahirie,.: had/visited the falls, and;thei;wprks, and.', were, about•,to;'; , emßark>fbr"Eotbrua,, when-: .theVMabrj.'cbuplo;'came.down; making a' 1 great .'clamour, about;'the/toll money be-' ing 4s. short.:"AU'testified that they had; paid, but 60 objectionable did,. tho Natives become that one of/the party handed over/' another-. half-crown, amid the /pro-/ tests of 'the others.: : Snch -incidents do ;not • increase ...the/ charms of /the Hot Lakes 'district. '/' !■■;. .:■':.?'■-,< '■,/ /•"' '.:/'/. •