PRESERVATION OF PARITUTU.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 104, 20 May 1901, Page 2

PRESERVATION OF PARITUTU.

On Friday a deputation, beaded by hiR Worship the Mayor (Mr. E. Do krill), \nd supported by Messrs. Percy Smith, Strauchon, MacDitrmid, G >ve't, C 1lis, HugheP, 3. B. White, ant W. H. Skinner, waited on the Harbour Boar.t to draw a'tention to the threatened destruction of Paritutu, and to urge on the Board the necessity of t*king action in the matter.

The Mayor said the deputation had been appointed at a pub io mee' ing to press on the Botrd the danger which existed of the destruction of Paritutu owing to work of removal goiojj on, which, if not checked, would s oa efface this ancient landmark.

Mr. Govett said that Paritutu wes being made into a quarry. He had >een instances of similar vandalism in Auckland, and the excuse given was these mountains were so u;,'!y that tbey could not be made ug'ier. A considerable amount of ihe facing already been denuded off P .rit ltu to get at the quarry. The old inhabitants thought the place was too S'cred and too beautiful to touch, ard nil thoy asked was it should bo 'et ali-no, Mr. Hughes said tint one of th. great attractions of New Plymouth "a* its scenery, and that it was very de-ir-able to make the place be-utiful f.»i re.-idential purpng e. In addi ioa to this th re wis a great hope that by preserving such places c f noble bunty assistance would be given in the dire.r tion of att-acing a laige iuc.eass nf peop'e to the town, a process in which the Board would benefit by means of the traffic to the bieakwater. The money value of the s'oue taken should not enter into the question, as tber was plenty of that matrr'al at present without touching Paritutu. Mr. Skinner pointed out that i'. was not the Board who w ra working the stone, but it was prac'icdly r private quarry that was being opened up andtherefoie he urged, tVe Bo>rd to stop it, Mr. Percy Smith s .id that as an o'd settler hi had a reverance f >r Pari'utn in the same way that he had f.>r Mount Egmont. He spoke stron«ly on th« aspect the tourist question ha J on the matter, sating it had increased in ten year fiom 100,000 to a quarter of .. mil ion, and he considered this should be a powerful argument in favour of the preserva i n of such places. Tbe Chairman s iid the Board was quite in sympathy with the deputation aud would consider a'd discuss ! he request with every wi.*h of dn'ng i s best in tbe di e;tiou urged by the dtputa | tion. He was strongly impressed wth 'ho grtat value to the community ol [having these groat national historic* and beau iful attritions preserved, as ibe onsidered tbsy had a large it Huence on the minds of the people, and they were al»o a source of p!easur» 'ope pie in passing steamers. When a short while since he saw a great scar on tbe fare of Paritutu i caused him much regret, and be had expressei an opinion at the time that the whole of Taranaki would rise up against the desecration. He referred to the legal aspect of the question, an I suggested that the place should be fenct d and planted. Mr. Higcett stated that with a view of making lims If acquainted with the matter, he had the previous day'ascended P..iitu'u, »nd hecocsidired it would be a gross act of vmd -li«m to suffer any fu-ther injury to be done there, Mr. Connett heartily agreed, and cnns'deied it wo'ud ba well for tU Board to deal with the ma'ttr while 'ho deputa'ion was present. Mr. said ho had a drea t, in which he saw large ocean steamers coming to th- wliaif, while on the top of P..ritu'u a biill ant electiic li ght one over t l e harbour. He hoped the v'sion migt t prove a leality. Mr. Ward i lso spolte in f.ivour of the views tf the dep'ita'ion. The Mayor ihanked iiie B-wrd o M alf of ihe deputation, which the'\ withdrew. It was refolved that the Boird heartily co-operate with the Tararaki Scenery Preservation Society in i!s de sire to preserve Paritutu in'set, and that the rfmoval of etone from thence be immediately stopped.