OUR NATIONAL PARK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1858, 18 September 1913, Page 8

OUR NATIONAL PARK.

A NEGLECTED RESORT.

MORE ATTENTION DEMANDED.

Tho claims of the Tongariro National Park to some attention at the hands of the Government were strongly urged by Dr. A. IC. Newman in the llouso of Representatives yesterday, when tho Estimates of the Tourist Department were boing considered. These Estimates, Dr. Newman pointed out, did not give one shilling to the Wellington Provincial district, although the provineo possessed such scenic attractions and tourist resorts as Mount Ruapehu and tho Tongariro National Park. Dr. Newman declared that tho hot springs in tho National Park were superior to those at Rotorua, and urged that tho place should not any longer be neglected by the Tourist Department. Ho asked the Minister to visit tho park during tho reecss. The Hon. E. H. Rhodes said that tho Tourist Department had no resorts under its control in tho Wellington district. The National Park was controlled by the Lands Department, and tho Estimates of that Departnvnt carried an item of £100 for tho National Park. The Minister added that if possible he would pay a visit to the park. Mr. It. W. Smith (Waiinarino) also pressed the claims of the Tongariro Park to be developed as a holiday resort for people not rich enough to visit Rotorua and similar places.

In the afternoon Dr. Newman returned to tho attack. Ho said that he had looked up tho item in tho Estimates of which tho Minister had spoken. He did not know whether tho Minister was trying to "pull his leg" 1 Mr. Rhodes .said that the item he had mentioned was in the Lands Department Estimates.

Dr. Newman: Yes, I know, and out of the £100 the amount spent was £1. I don't know what' gigantic work they did with tho £1. Now-, the Minister has taken the balance of £09 and added £1 to it. I think that the Minister ought to spend at least £2 or £3 this year! Jlr. R, W. Smith also took up tho subject again, and complained with some heat that the Minister had put him off with an indefinite reply. He asked for •information as to what' steps should be taken with a view to having this area brought under tho control of the Tourist Department. It was being altogether neglected under the control of tho Lands Department. Mr. Rhodes said that tho change would require an Act of Parliament. Dr. Newman said that there was a board which was supposed to look after tho park, but as far as he could find out it did nothing. It was not at all necessary to bring the park under the Tourist Department by means of an Act. Mr. Rhodes said that the Tongariro National Park Board had been created under an Act of Parliament, and that Act would have to be repealed.-

I>r. Newman said that the board had gone to sleep. Mr. Hino: Are you on the board?. Dr. Newman: It would not Ije asleep if I were. He begged tho Minister to take the Tongariro Park Board in hand and galvanise it. into life. Besides tho park, Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngarunoo should be placed under the control of the board. Tho park was the nearest playground for the people in Wellington, Palmerston, and other places. It was tho quickest and cheapest trip that the people of Wellington oould make, and By far the healthiest and brightest, let this National Park was consistently neglected, and year,after year nothing was done. People in conscquenco preferred. to make the much more. expensive trip to Mount Cook because there comfortable accommodation, motor-cars, and other (facilities were provided, whereas people who went to 'iongariro Park had to "hump their swags" and endure hardships and inconvenience. Tho Minister said that ho .would take into consideration what tho hon. member had brought under his notice, and would lay before the Prime Minister the suggestion to galvanise the board into activity.