STRATFORD “MOUNTAIN” HOUSE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 36, 11 February 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD “MOUNTAIN” HOUSE.

WANT OF A CARETAKER, “WE ARE LOSING OUR GRIP.” As stated in our issue of yesterday, the track to the Stratford Mountain House is now in excellent condition, and niotor cars can ho driven right up to the House. Cr. King brought up the matter at the meeting of the Borough Council last evening, and a long debate ensued. Cr. King Laid that it was a very important matter to Stratford that the East Mountain House should hold itg own with the other Mountain Houses, yet at present our house had no caretaker. They had a representative on the National Park Board, and, while he did not wish to rellbct in any . way on Councillor Morison, he thought some efforts should be madt 4 to get a man to take charge of’ hostelry. Every ohe knew that the East Mountain House was splendidly situated, and that there was spacious accommodation, and if only there was a caretaker, there would be many visitors who would go there. There was' a telphone laid on

Cr. Dingle:: The telephone is not ; laid on, hut there is a sum of money i passed in order to permit of this bg- ; ing done. * \ Cr. King continued that it would \ bo ft very great pity if no effort was | made to secure the services of a cus--1 todian, and if this was not done the loss would be a big one to Stratford, : the more so because from time to ' time the Council had voted money 1 to be spent on the road from which expenditure they had derived no benefit whatever. He asked if Cr. Morigon would cars to explain the posi- , ticn.

Cr. Morison said lie was very pleas- ' 8 d that Cr. King had brought this ! matter up. In connection with the East Mountain House, he might say ! that after tlio season had practically i begun, the late caretaker had resign- | ed without giving notice. This put i them in an awkward^ position. r Ihe I speaker had conferred with the secretary of the National Park Board and also with Mr Rogers, the C ounty Council representative, and they had advertised for a caretaker in the local papers. Only one applicant wag obtained, and after the House had been inspected this one decided he would I not take the position. He had done j his level best to get a caretaker, and I had replied to several advertisements ’ in Auckland and Wellington papers. Ho might say he would be very pleased indeed to hear fo anyone w} lo would take up the position of caretaker. What had been said about the track : was perfectly correct. A motor j could be driven right up to the House, j The track was in first-rate order. It • was a pity, Mr Morigon went on to ! S ay, that more public interest was nob ; taken in this thing. Personally, he I had done his best to/ push it hard. | He was inclined to think that it would ' be a good thing to work with the | Dawson’s Falls House Committee, and endeavour to make the round | trip. j It was explained that the tele- 1 phono would be installed immediately i a caretaker was lorthcoining. Cr. King remarked that this was : i the first year that there had keen no j caretaker, and this year nobody at j all seemed to take an interest in the place. He would remind Cr. Morison that the labor market had been quite j us bad as in former years, yet they I had always succeeded in getting somej one to take charge. In past years i there had been only a moderately good ! track, but it was now in a better coni diiion than it had ever been before. C r . Dingle said that it was the Stratford people themselves who did not take the interest they wished to| in their own House. Ho might say j that Mr Morison as chairman of th©| local comrtiitt.ee, had been so successful that had ho succeeded in getting the House £l3O in debt for the Board. This year £-10 had been voted for the House, but tne money would he spent in reducing its indebtedness, and the House would bo still £9O in d y kt. No

further money would be available until tho debt had been paid off. In New Plymouth, people had put their hands in their pockets and found to build a splendid place. Public men in New Plymouth had gone as guarantors. Stratford could not stand against that, and ho reminded councillors that at present local peopl3. were giving the Dawson’s Falls

House their Support. He had seen ,hundreds of them passing Tils house at all times of the morning on route for the Dawson’s Falls House. Illustrative of the interest that Stratford people; took in the House, (Jr. King remarked that Madame Bernard. with her customary generosity, bad given a picture benefit in aid of the House funds. Three tickers .were. sold, and where £2O or £3O should iiave been taken no receipts were made. Or. Morison explained that the number of tickets sold was more like three dozen. The nigjht on which tne performance was held had been a most unfavourable one, and the weather was as bad as any he had ever experienced in Stratford. To make the House really 1 attractive they would need to spend at least £SOO. Cr. Healy asked what amount per annum the Government allowed tjp' National Park Board, and was informed that the grant was £2OO, divided up amongst the four houses. Cr. Healy replied that Stratford was losing its grip on tho Mountain; He recommended a resolution from this Council to the National Park Board. Cr. Morison protested that the position w r as being misunderstood. The Board had treated Stratford House mogt generously. Where New Plymouth had received £/5, Stratford had' got £SO. There was no need to pass any resolution to stir up the Board. Cr. King: Not at all; it is to stir up our representative (laughter). The Mayor stated that it was quite impossible to put tlie road in order with the grants received from the Government ; £2OO was not especially when the Dawson’s Falls and New Plymouth Mountain Houses got tho lion’s share. ° Cr. Morison further remarked that he believed a good caretaker could make as much ns £3OO a year. A man with his wife was what was needod„ No motion’was passed, it being understood that steps will be taken to ensure a caretaker being appointed.