The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1900. EGMONT NATIONAL PARK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 22, 20 November 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1900. EGMONT NATIONAL PARK.

Theough the courfcesey of the Commissioner of Grown Linda, we hare before us the Egmont National Park .Act of 1900, wnich comos iuto operation on the Ist January, 1901. The Act has been, passed to authorise the setting apart of what has hitherto been known as the Mount Egmont Forest Reserve and the Fatua Ganges as' a National Park, and to provide for the control and management thereof. It;is within the knowledge of our readers that the Forest Reserve has hitherto been under the control of Boards known as the North, East and South Egmont Reserves Boards, and lately steps were being taken to establish a Board to control the western portion of the reserve. The Act just passed constitutes a new Board of control, to be called "The Egmont National Park Board," which is invested with very large powers under the Act. This Board is to consist of ten members, viz., the Commissioner of Crown Lands, who shall be Chairman of the Board, two members appointed by the Governor, and one t.) be elected by each of the following local bodies, i.e., the Hawera Borough Council, the Stratford Borough Council, the New Plymouth Borough Council, the Taranaki, S tratf ord, and Hawera County Councils, and the OpunakeTown Board. The members so elected, including the Governor's nominees, bold office for three years, the usual provision being made to ensure attendance at meetings, etc. Where any local authority fails to elect, provision is made to enable the Governor to extend the time, or himself make the appointment. The first meeting of the Board is to be held at New Plymouth in the month of February, at such time and place, as the Ohaiiman may decide, subsequent meetings to be held at such time and placo as the Board may appoint, 'the Board may appoint a secretary and Hanger at sues salaries as the Board may agree upon. The powers of the Boa d aie very large and they :.iy make by-laws to give effect to their decisions provided, howevtr, that u.ey are apprjvi J by the Gjvenior a;id gazetted. '-• hey also have power io set apart leasing areas auc! let the same sn'"''j r ct to conditions imposed. Tho pt-nal y for any breach of the by-laws i-. live pounds and for damaging the park or the property of thiioiinl, twenty pounds. Amongst the ma*'its for which p m'.th saie im«' s •' are lighting fires, injuring fen .-* <>'■ uuiioings, cutting, injuiuig, or lom-.y----s;;, w<o'.', tKcy, fc~£.s, shrubs, .-. -tone, H.iiiera!.-> lun.'.-Utv, e i\, 'ih'L'i.v: ■ if cut'imr M>A , siiiv.ni'-jj t uty bid o "J.iimal, tiiii g ;h -. i.v:,r. oi-'H.'gs of >'n . b;.'-;.. Rangers ar.d c-mstihl s cro uki ■■nvestad with very larje powers uadi-r the Act, and may. without warrant, 'l'pniißi:d liny i iiii ci'imuHUng any ef the oiiVnci a csiumH'alfcd. To eriab'e ilin present lavA colUo' and interest in ' ho t-vv. r d psrf ii-'S of ' li; riii-1 vo ' L> b.-i maintained a V"y wiso pr.-nisio-. i toadp, the J:oird bei-.« empowered to appoint not icss'hsn four or moie than' "«vea mem bars to whom tbyft, Bou-d may (kkgate al' <>?'ariy of ih* p wms i scepß that of making by-laws and laasjog. This pwiu<3BprftcU<3ftliy opbha

the preseot Boards and syaemt of control to be preserved, and, looking ' at the value of the work done by the several existing Boards, is certainly a j very wise provision. Prevision is made , I for roads and tracks being made subject J to the sanction of the Board, and for ' the expenses of management. The weak ' point in the Act appears to be that of | funds. The Board does not appear to have any assured revenue, and to be , dependent on fees and penalties, money appropriated by Parliament, money voted by local bodies) who are by the Act authorised to vote money for this purpose) and money received from any other source, and rents. Provision is made for the audit of the Board's accounts, and for a statement of the same to be submitted to the Audit Office within ten days of the close of the financial year, 31st March. A schedule shows the area of the Bgmont National Park to be 72,556 acres, and it appears to include a largS'number of surveyed sections, the numbers of which are given in detail. Were it not for the restriction imposed on the Board in regard to leasing, a considerable portion of this land could be used for purposes of revenue. Section 12 of the act, however, restricts the area to be leased to two acres, and the leases shall only be granted for residental purposes or for aicummodation houses. If the object of the Government was to create a buffer between themselves and the Committees they have succeeded admirably. Notwithstanding these defects, the securing the reservation of the slopes of MouuiJJgmont as a National Park, is a great gain, and we have ne doubt, but that the difficulty as regards funds will be got over by the house voting a substantial sum each year.