LICENSING GUIDES TO MOUNTAINS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 183, 30 April 1940, Page 9

LICENSING GUIDES TO MOUNTAINS

Attitude Of Federated Clubs OPENING UP HIGH COUNTRY FOR RECREATION Licensing of guides, signals for search parties, and the opening up of the mountains by the Government for public recreation, are topics discussed in the annual report of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand. The report recalled that at the last annual meeting delegates favoured pressing the Government to introduce immediately legislation for the licensing of mountain guides, though it. might have involved the licensing of leaders of amateur climbing and tramping parties. Delegates considered such legislation would be unworkable, as would soon be clear to the Government, and the legislation would be amended to confine it to professional guides. Clubs were asked to approve or dissent from this poliyc. Of replies received from 16 clubs, including all the large clubs, eight were in favour and eight, against the policy. In these circumstances it. was clear that the executive would not lie justified in approaching the Government as proposed; tint the whole position of guides and control of parties continued to go from bad to worse. Sulisequently officials of the federation interviewed the Minister and the Surveyor-General. The Minister, intimated that he did not desire the licensing of small amateur climbing parties. The Government was anxious that the controlling authority to be set up to administer the Act should be constituted on as simple a basis as possible. The sole desire of the federation was to have the Act brought into force as soon as possible. A letter was forwarded to the Minister asking him to draft an Order-in-Council to give effect to his intentions, and to submit it to the federation for consideration. Search Parties. During the year the Taranaki Provincial Ski Committee submitted a request based on experience at Egmont that the federation include in its code of distress signals a “recall” signal and suggested two signals at one minute intervals. Search parties were usually and unfortunately conducted in very bad weather when conditions of visibility and hearing were at their worst, the report stated. It was felt by the executive that iij. these circumstances there might lie danger of the signal suggested being confused with the existing distress and acknowledgment signals. A sulb-eommittee had accordingly been set up to determine the most suitable signal. A revised search list for use by the Police Department in co-operating with clubs in tlie conduct of search parties and inquests had been forwarded to the department. It was Intended that the list should be revised annually to keep it up to date. Clubs were reminded that where notification of missing persons were first made to clubs, the police should be advised immediately and ail arrangements made in concert if the terms of the agreement made by the federation were to be adhered to. Otherwise the’ police would be unable to contribute to expenses incurred by clubs in the search. About the time of the first, annual meeting, information appeared in the Press regarding proposals of the Government to develop mountain areas by constructing tracks and huts, with a view to making the areas more widely available to people for recreational purposes. The Minister was advised of the desire of the federation to supply any information of value to the Government in formulating proposals, and arrangements were made for the local clubs In two areas concerned to co-operate with the Department of Internal Affairs in the matter.

The whole question was most important. from the point of the federation and affiliated clubs, if large-scale development proposals of tins nature were visualized by the Government. The great majority of persons with wide knowledge of the mountain areas of New Zealand would be found in the menibers of clubs affiliated to the federation. This knowledge should be availed of by the Government in formulating plans for opening up the mountains for recreational purposes.