PRIME MINISTER

Hokitika Guardian, 7 May 1929, Page 6

PRIME MINISTER

OPENS JIT. EG MONT BOAD. k ßy Telegraph—Per Pres* \ssociution.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Mav 6. 'l'he Prime Minister to-day owned the new bitumeii sealed road to the North jEgmont Mountain House, of three and a-quarter miles througl primeval bush. The cost was half of which is a loan raised by the New (Plymouth 'Borough Council under a special act on behalf of the National Park Board, and the other half was found by the Government The day was gloriously fine. Sir Joseph Wiard spoke appreciatively of the fine public spirit shown by' the people of the district in do--veloping the mountain resources, and of the desire of the Government to assist in such good work. He also spoke of the beautiful bash in the park. The Chairman of the Park Board (Mr T. C. List) stated the good road had allreadv justified itself by thp added revenue accruing, it being sufficient already to pay the interest and sinking fund on the loan. One of the greatest pToblcn;s before the Board was in exterminating goats from the reserves. Bangers had during the past few months shot over 600 goats near the .road, but thousands mm-o were devouring the floor of the forest and barking the trees Tip to 24 inches in diameter. If the work were not vigorously -pushed, the goats would destroy the. whole vegetation and the forest, leading to the drying t up of the present catchment areas and ruining Taranaki as a rich pastoral province. The Board had recently commenced renfforesting its open land, having planted 'llo,ooo .trees, and it hoped to continue the work and work for the unemployed in the winter.