The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 19. EGMONT TOURIST TRAFFIC.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 343, 19 March 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 19. EGMONT TOURIST TRAFFIC.

The correspondence between the committee of New Plymouth citizens, tCie Egmont National Park Board, and the Tourist Department on the question of a modern accommodation-house on the north side of the mountain should revive .public interest in this important question. Mount Egmont presents a greater variety of sight-seeing and health-recruiting possibilities within #■ defined area than any other resort of the kind in the North Island, and is, moreover, so easy of access that no inconvenience whatever need 'be experienced in reaching it. Reachable from all points by motor-car by a beautiful drive —a drive scarcely without parallel in this country —the accommodationhouse in telephonic communication wit'i the townsJ of the province, Egmont should be the leading rest resort of people of moderate means. That t'.ie mountain is visited by many hundreds of .persons annually at present is but a ' slight indication of the extent people ■would avail themselves of its; attractions were more comfortable quarters available. That an up-to-date accom-modation-house would more than pay its way no one doubts'; the question is merely that of finding the money to erect and equip the necessary buildings. A large number of local citizens have interested, t'hems'elves in the project,' and have indicated their willingness to finance the undertaking provided the Board is willing to co-operate. As b»e citizens who are prepared to subscribe and guarantee the money would do ?o not as an investment, but solely to popularise the mountain as a res'ort, their request that the revenue of the J Board should be pooled and the pay.ment of interest to the bank made a first charge on the net receipts is a perfectly just one. It is surely much ■better, if it can be satisfactorily financed, that the Board and the Mountain House Committee should exercise control over the whole of the reserve and the accommodation. The only pos- , Bible alternative to this method woula be the granting of rights to private] enterprise to erect an up-to-date hotel, j But the Board has in the past, wisely! we think, set itself against parting' with any portion.of its control, and as'' , they ore strongly opposed to handing j over the management of the reserve for I its development as a resort by the: Tourist Department, there is still less reason why any portion should be allowed to be conducted by private enterprise. We must confess we were sceptical (regarding the possibility of obtaining a Government grant towards the erection of buildings. There should be no great difficulty to induce the Govern- i ment to advance the necessary money to the Board, however, at -possibly a lower rate of interest than the bank would require. It is rather unfortunate that! the Board did not discuss the propo&i-' tion at its meeting on Thursday; had they done so, or had they given an ia dication that they were willing to cooperate with the citizens of New Plymouth in furthering the project, something tangible might have been evolved. However, we still think the committee ought to continue negotiations with the North House Committee, which at present regards the proposal as l rather ambitious. We do not think the committee need have any 'hesitation in deciding to proceed with the scheme, for we are certain that there will be an immediate and constant demand, at payable rates, on the new accommodation. Even, however, were a loss aa-' ticiipated for a year or two, there is not the slightest doubt that there are any number of public-spirited people who would be prepared to guarantee the committee against running into debt over the venture. It is to be hoped that the offer of those gentlemen t who voluntarily agreed to guarantee the money necessary to erect the build-1 ing Trill not he allowed to lapse b/J default of the committee or the board, I who as trustees of the people's estate' should welcome the practical evidence I of public interest.