THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 231, 4 November 1909, Page 4

THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE.

IMPROVED ACCOMMODATION ■:.. REQUIRED. •-MPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION EVINCE AS INTEREST. A conference" was held °n Tuesday night of members of the -New Employers' Association and the Noith Vnion't fountain House Committee, at the invitation of the former body. Hit subject for discussion was the improvement of the accommodation provided for visitors to Mount Egmont. Mr. Goodacre, president %f the asso--......lion, was in the chair, He regretted the absence of Mr. F. C. Bellr.ngcr lliroii"h illness, for it was at his instance that this conference had been arranged, lie said that it must be admitted that, ihe accommodation at the Mountain House was inadequate. A few years ago the late premier had visited the house at the invitation of local people, and as an outcome of the visit the Government had mad:- a {.-rant for the improvement of the road. He had said then that within twelve months of the completion of the road the Government would have a proper accommodation-house erected. Upon a suggestion being made, that the existing house should lie abolished, Mr. Seddotrhad said that was not his intention, but that superior accommodation should be provided for those ready and villing to pay for it. and leave the old honse"stamling for use as at present. The people were very pleased at the -.lospccl thus opened up, but a long twelve months had passed now without realisation of their hopes. He had personally pointed out to the Premier and to Sir Joseph Ward, then Minister in charge of the Tourist Department, that ■ye in Taranaki, despite our undoubted natural scenic attractions, were not being sufficiently recognised and assisted by the Government. There was no doubt that without the provision of better accommodation we would never get a great .-.mount of the travelling tourist traffic aiiimr this way. The Tourist Department of the Dominion had been to very

irrcsit expense in many places in providing first-class accommodation in more out-of-the-way places than Mount Eminent, and where there were considerably less attractions in the way of scenery. If we eonld have such a building erected hero it would be a good thing. Of one thing he was convinced, that the attritions of Mount Egmont only needed to be more widely known to make it ever so much more popular than now. Mr. Collis. chairman of the North Egmont House Committee, said that as they were here by invitation and willlcut knowledge of the association's requirements, his committee had no scheme to lay before the meeting. But he could add a little to the president's story of what liad been done and what remained to be done. The policy of the committee, ever since the late Premier's visU just referred -to, had neon to push on and complete the road, feeling it useless to expect the Government to assist m ihe matter of erecting lirfit-class accommodation whilst the road was in such a stale that the tourist, after being taken sc far, 'had to he dumped into mud up io his knees. Now the road was practically complete to the house. Another matter which the committee had kept in view was the improvement of the water supply, the inadequacy of which had been one of the handicaps, there being no spring or stream which could he drawn upon. Prices had been obtained that very day for the completioi of .the work. To get even as far as this had been slow 'work, involving an amount of correspondence, interviewing, and depntationising that was almost appalling. The committee had now received the pleasing advice that instructions had been given to have the Mountain House connected with the telephone system. So it would be seen that the committee was pushing on with improvements. Coming to the question of th" mountain houses, they were all agreed that improved accommodation was necessary, but the question was one of ways and means. The committee's very limited funds were swallowed up in keeping the house going. Speaking in reference to the intention- nf the Government. Mr. Collis said that Sir Joseph Ward had maintained for years that the Government was going to evert an n<-c.-mmoilation-house on the mountain, but about twelve o r eighteen months ago he had veered round and saiil they would do nothing until the reserve was handed o-.er to the Government. The Egmont National Park Hoard had thereupon offered them the full ami sole control o: am- area required for the purpose of victim.' n Government house, but declined to hand over control of the whole vsevve fearing that by such action thev roitfhl deiirive the local people of their present picnicking privileges. It was perhaps as well that the Board had taken this precaution, for Ihe Government wa= now proposing to lease som-"-ot their resorts, and we might have been vrrv litlle further advanced than now. The coinmi'.tce realised Hie importance of providing further and improved accommddation, and had had plans pre-y-arod of a building which would form a uecleus of the extension scheme. Not a building for tourists was proposed, but more of a caretaker's cottage, with' a large public dining-room. The commUtce. however, was prepared to do more

if arrangements could be made for fin-r-nco. It had to be borne in mind that work up there cost about 50 per cent, more than here. Recently a goodly sum had been spent in creeling bathrooms, to be connected with the new water supply. Tl would now lie possible to obtain hot

mid cold baths thorp. With regard tn the oomniilloo's income, th'cv got their share cif (lie Government grant of £2OO, ,]i viili-il between the foiiv houses. On top of Unit Ihov received the tolls, tivothirds of Ihe fees af. the house, and half the collage renl.s. Ihe remainder of this source of revenue going tn the caretaker.

There were varying opinions concerning Ihe accommodation. Some Wellington \i-itors hist season had told him thee hail been led to expect a very "rough shop," hut were agreeably surprised, '•'lie committee provided the shelter, firing, crockery, knives and forks, cooking utensils, hunks 'and mattresses, and lighting, all for u s'hilling a day (including night). The tariff, however, was going to be revised for this year, an extra sixpence being charged to people slaying overnight. Ite concluded by reiterating Unit (he committee was prepared In go right ahead and provide improved accommodation if the association could show them how and where to get the money.

To .Messrs. Morey and Avery, Mr. (Vllis said that (ho Government had not boon asked for a subsidy, as until recently the Government had always promised to erect a house of its own there. He didn't think there was much clianee. for they had refused to even instal tin" telephone until the committee had guaranteed to make up an estimated deficit of tl:i a year. Mr. Pnokrill said that of course theie •■'.as no record of the late Mr. Rednon's promise. The chairman thought that the Government might bo made to understand that promises had beeii made and not kept: and that there were great probabilities hoe. in the development of wlii.-li the Government had donated so very little in comparison with the large amounts esnondeil in other parts of the Dominion. Mr. Colli, said dial for (lie few mm-ilri-ds of pounds spent by the Government her.' there had beeii thousands of visitors, whilst on (lie other hand (here were places whore (he Government spent thousands, and there were not a hundred visitors a year: Over five thousand visitors inscribed I heir names in the hooks at the various mountain houses last year. Mr. Goodlier;, ilioughl that the people in New Plymouth, luglowooil. anil Waiiara districts, using the North Egmont House, might raUc a pretty fair amount, and the Government would probably siibUdisc tins at (lie rate of pound for pound. Mr. Omkrill pointed out that the pre-! sent accommodation was quite sufficient for the one-day picnicking visitors, who very often paid their shilling and had lunch under the trees. This new and more elaborate place spoken of by the association was intended to be. for oucside tourists who were prepared, or ..voulil be expected, to pay ordinary firstclass hotel tariff. The chairman thought (lie reason wily ihe necessary funds had not been fort l !- Mining was because the committee ha 1 been too modest, to -which Mr. Collis replied that the committee had generally I

had to Jive their own personal guaran-1 tee to the bank for funds and devote a lot of time to the work. The comm't-1 tee, he could assure the meeting, was | quite willing to receive help and to have the sphere of influence extended. After further discussion, Mr. Dockrill >;ut the position in a nutshell: "It comes to this. In the past we. members of the committee have had to do the 'joint and several' business. Now, how many of von gentlemen present arc prepared to .Join us in the 'joint and several'?" Mr. Goodacre' thought the 'joint and several' would be n great mistake. It would be better to get two or three hundred people to take a £1 debenture rack He was prepared to put in his pound straight away. Mr. Standish doubted whether the people would subscribe CI each. U<~ .vas rather inclined to the belief that they would not. At any rate, the burden would fall on a few of the townspeople.

;The majority of the people in the. district were content with the present pic nicking accommodation, and it wasn't fair for the local people to have to erect an accommodation-house for the tourists. Mr. Goodacre was sure that it wot,ld be a direct benefit to the whole district to develop Mount Egmont as a tonri'it and health resort. He for one wasn't satisfied with the present accommodation. There would soon be a bigger tourist traffic if New Plymouth and Unpeople around were a little bit more i-i-.terpri-ing in pushing this undoubted irreat natural asset. Replying to the chairman, Mr. Collis raid that the Government had not set lt-:clf wholly against private enterpr-se, but onlv upon that -occasion when it was proposed to erect a licensed hotel on the mountain. Mr. Collis said the committee would he prepared to guarantee the payment nf interest on a requisite sum of mono/ eiovidcd by local people, That appeared o him to be the best and most feasible

•cheme. Mr. T. Avery moved that a committee from the Employers' Association be appointed to confer with the North Egmont Mountain House Committee to consider fully the proposal to raise mnnev and consider plans for the provision of oetter accommodation on Mount Egmont.

Tn seconding, Mr. Collis suggested that when matters were further advanced the, Mayor might be asked to convene a pub lie meeting, with a view of raising th» necessary funds.

The motion was carried, and Mess??, n. Goodacre, A. L. Humphries, F. C. 8.-li-ringer, and T. Avery were appointed to act for the association. The Egmont House Committee having withdrawn, the association came to thconclusion that, th- first thing to do was to see if the Government was prepared lo subsidise local effort, and it was susjisted that the president might interview the Minister in charge during his visit to (he Empire City lis delegate to Hie annual meeting of the Employers' federation during the present month.