TOWNARIRO NATIONAL PARK.

Otaki Mail, 11 January 1922, Page 4

TOWNARIRO NATIONAL PARK.

« —■ — DESTRUCTION OF NATIVE TREES. Mr W. H. Field, M.P., who has just ■eturned after spending a week at the I'ongaririo National Park, informed a ‘Mail” representative on Friday he •egretted to say that much of the’ beauiful bush on the slopes of Tongaririo vas being destroyed. He wms strongly it opinion that this should not only re preserved, but the bush country >n the east side of the railway be,ween Raurimu and Ohakune and stretching towards Tongaririo, should re kept in its natural state and atached to the Tongaririo reserve. "It

is not our property to destroy,” said Mr Field. “This beautiful bush should be kept for the generations to come. Instead of that, sawmills are at work in it, and there are gangs of men there cutting ■ posts and smashing up the bush. Every tree there ought to be regarded as sacred.” Proceeding, Mr Field said tiie gangs working there would be doing better work ii' they were employed making roads through the reserve, and incidentally mentioned that a little time back one of the men dropped a match which resulted in a fire that destroyed the growth of 3000 acres. This was absolutely irreparable, thereiore tiie bush that was left should not be further encroached upon. Mr Field staled /hat it seemed absurd that the Government was planting foxglove, Scotch heather and lupin in places on the reserve, and yet was allowing the destruction of the beautiful native trees. He added that he would bring the matter up in the House, and see if something could not be done on the lines he had mentioned.