ARTHURS PASS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1932, Page 2

ARTHURS PASS

TRACKS CONSTRUCTED

BOARD’S ANXUAB AIKKTIXG

eifRJSTCHI'KCH. April 21. The annual meeting ul‘ th«- Arthurs p.ns Nal ional Park HiHin! of Control v. llS !).•' i yi'-ti ro.iy. the chairman (Mr Vs. St! wart) prtviilum. There \v« re also j,,, • sir Arthur Dudley l)obf 0 n, .y lt .,, s rs \V. K. Ji'Alpbi!’. 11. T'vyiifhani, S C. A. Dai by. Di \V. .M'iCiy. Dr ETvieht'lniann and I’l'oi, ssor 11. Speight. •jii’.in::! report and linanvial stateerr adopted. Amor■; improvements reported or suii- .. ~.j ct of tin' ({rounds Commit ict\ presented by Dr V. M Kay, v; . . y,| |i M ,|! ro:i:.ti action of two tracks. 'll,. ;j;■ o track leads from the main highway just north of bake -Misery, Jjnir f" it . right dank of the (Kira River .in <?•}.: upper reaches. It extends far about, a mile and a half, emerging on ila. shingle of the upper valley, where a Mdcodid view is obtained of the Roller ton C lacier, the snovviielrls ot V; .miit Rrlleston and the giant ci• que a[ ,uut Rol'i'Ston and Mount Philistine. This route also provides an y r. urn for those .•limbing Rnlles•hm' or I’hilUline by aVriaDve routes. There I'ro’.ibiv exists no other snowf,e!ds in Xi-.v Zealand that can be re.-.'-h'd bv so short a tramp from a main road. The second trick is that to the top of Mount Bar run (5560 ft) by "ay of ( fen-k. The Public Works Depart. ,net’s approach to the water intake lends to a height, of 660tt above the railway. Prom the intake- there is now u track of easy grade, so that the < limb . i,,., ~ ir;v;ii!v simplified, and begin]M.|, •- Jt ihicj from near the railway s , slfHii.l, when better known prove p .pehr. ITTCRE WORK. While tlf advantages of erecting a bridge over the BeMey to the Punch},.)W| w, re appreciated, it was consider- , l it;uppertur;■ to proceed with its construction. The finance available was diverted to less costly and more genera) amenities. The report added 'that tu order that aec.-s might be pruv.ded wh m finance was available, Mr dohusjon of the Public Works Department, V'.dted the 1 .eaiity to secure prelimin- .... v ,I.t. and would furnish a report later. , , -ini mi tt " rcr- .nimi nded that the hoard approach the Post and Telegraph Department, with a view to having a post oline ins, lied at the pass. It would be of • leaf convenience to the public, as at present one had to roy, in th of <■' [iv/rji'y-.all ..telegrams <>■ t . n ■ me s;..a>s. e uircl.. on the good nature of railway officers. The report was adopted. The commit! -H s fimetimiing last year V, i • re flee: ei . V Vote of thanks was passed to the limiovary surv e., .Mr .1. M'Kuy. who had'-dmu a gieu deal of valuable "oik during ‘--he year.

DISCOVERER’S CHOICE OF NAME,

RECOMMENDATION TO MINISTER

The controversy concerning the -name of the alpine pass which was discovered by Sir Arthur Dobson in his youthful days and which gives road access to the West Coast from Canterbury was advanced a step at the annual meeting of the Arthurs 'Pars National Park .Board yesterday, when the occasion was taken by Sir Arthur himself to express his views oil the subject.

Sir Arthur said that he had recently read the views of Air Johannes Anderson concerning the name. To his mind, said Sir Arthur, to omit the would make the name .ridiculous. A place such' as the Pass was generally named after 'the discoverer a river or some action or Incident connected witth the discovery of the place.

THE otira river. Personally, if he had been allowed his way, ho would have named the Pass after the Otira River. He drew attention to a number of passes in Canterbury, and asked members of the Board to think how inappropriate it would be to take the “s” from their mimes, mentioning Jack’s Pass, Jollic S Pass, Harper's Pass, Burke’s Pass, and also liver's Pass. “If you make such a change,” added Sir Arthur, "you wil lose the history of these places.’ ,

"I am in complete agreement with all Sir Arthur lias said,'' stated Mr B. Tvyueham. "Arthur Pass’ is a most curious name. As Sir Ai" bur lms said, the name sounds ridiculous. He added, however, that he did not mind the omission of the apostrophe, Sir Arthur: Fancy the "Jollie Pas s ” oi' the "Jack Pass,”

The chairman (Air W. Stewart) pointed out that a difficulty was that 'die. Board was constituted to control what was de-eribed as Arthur Pass He asked if Sir Arthur wr,.s prepared to move a motion concerning the mil (ter.

"1 would rather someone else did it.” said Sir Arthur.

Air Twyiieham: I would rather see : Sir Arthur do it. Everybody would know. >in such a case, that there was nothing behind it.

CASE OF THE lIA AST PASS. Professor R. Speight said that Jje did not agree that in every case it spoileu a name to take away the possessive. For instance, “Hnast Pass’’ sounded quite correct.

Eventually, o,n the motion of Sir Arthur Dobson, seconded by Mr Twyneham, it was decided to recommend to the. ATinisver for Lands that the name of the Pass be Arthurs Pass (apostrophe omitted).