EGMONT NATIONAL PARK BOARD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 22, 24 September 1915, Page 8

EGMONT NATIONAL PARK BOARD.

(From Eltham Argus). Tlie meeting of the Egmont National Taik Board was held at Eltham yesterday, when there were present: Messrs Hullard (chairman), Commissioner Crown Lands, T. R. Anderson (Stratford), W. A. Collis (New Plymouth), R. McK. Morison (Stratford), C. Goodson (Hawera), 11. Dingle (Stratford), T. B. Crump (Eltham), J. It. Hill (-New Plymouth), and H. Stacker (secretary). Apologies for absence were read by the chairman from Messrs F. W. Wilkie (Hawera), S. Kitehingham and Percy Smith (New Plymouth). The chairman, referring to the matter of noxious weeds at Kaitieki said that he supposed nothing further could be done than simply by serving notices. He had had a good deal of experience of this noxious weed business, and his experience was that if a tenant left land in a bad condition with weed, there was difficulty in finding another tenant to take the land. After somo short discussion it was decided to take no more stringent steps meantime, the chairman undertaking to keep after them. A letter was read from the ActingCoroner at Stratford to the effect that at the inquest on the body of the late Henry Alfred Pearce. who lost his life on the slopes of Mount Egmont, the jury brought in the following rider: "That the Egmont National. Park Board be asked to consider the making of a by-law prohibiting any person (singly) climbing the mountain without a guide, who is under the jurisdiction of the Board. ' Mr Goodson intimated that on his side of the mountain they had made wooden sign posts of two boards at right angles, and this had proved of great assistance as a guide to people. ° Mr Collis intimated that they had painted racks as indication marks of the track. Mr Crump thought the letter should lie acknowledged and a reply made that tho Board could not take any action, as they saw no way of enforcing any regulation in that dircctiou. Air Collis said that the grant was on the estimates and ho thought that if they made the allocations now, it would probably he in the power of the chairman to waive the next meeting of the board if there was no very important business. He moved the following alocation: North' Committee, £6O, South Committee £6O, Stratford Committee £45, West Committee £lO and £25 for work on tracks and roads. Mr Dingle moved as an amendment that tho alocation be reduced by £5 on the tracks and roads, and. the allocation to the Stratford Committee be increased by £5. Mr Morison seconded. On a vote the amendment was lost. Power to lease for a number of years (five with renewals) was granted to the South Committee in connection with their new building, the erection of which is at present under contemplation. The Egmont Mountain Club made an application to the i Board for assistance in the matter of advertising. They asked that the Board grant them £25, to be spent in this way'. Mr Collis moved that whilst being in the heartiest sympathy with the desires of the club, the Board regrets that it has no funds at present for that purpo.se. This was approved and carried. Mr Crump said That in this connection he thought that the Board ought to make some representation to the Tourist Department with a. view to their giving s»nie assistance in the matter of advertising. It appeared to him that the Department were doing comparatively nothing with regard to the advertising 'of Mountain resorts. He did not know whether the Tourist Department confined its energies to resorts from which they derived revenue or not, but he thought that if that were so, the Department had not exhausted its functions in doing so, and that they ought to do more than that in the way of notifying tourists of the varieus resorts of tho country. He,moved that the Government ought to be approached in that direction. Mr Goodson seconded. The motion was approved and carried. It was resolved that tho chairman should waive the next meeting in December if he found it practicable. »