THE MOUNTAIN HOSTELRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 120, 30 August 1910, Page 8

THE MOUNTAIN HOSTELRY

MEETING OF GUAR AN -ORS. A meeting of the guarantors of the No.-th Egimmt Mountain Hostelry was held at ftp Ti;wn Hall last night. Mr. W. A- Cuiiis presided, and there were i':s<: present: Messrs. C. H. Burgess, M. FraseV, Newtor T iing, J. B. Roy, J. Paton, 0. W. Gow.ct, C. T. Mills, T. Avery, F. Messenger F. Oarrington, C. E. Bellringer and J- E. Wilson. Mr. Collis reported that the committee had visited the mountain with a view of selecting a site. Six of the committee were of opinion that the hostelry should be erected above the present accommodation house, in the upper right-hand side of the horse paddock. He, however, was o. oinion that the house should ibe erect*., oit a lower level, below the present house. Mr. 8. Percy-Smith wrote as loliows: "It seems to me that the upper site has advantages over the lower, in that I think you will get ibetter shelter from the westerly winds by reason of the wooded hill, higher than the proposed site, and now covered with timber; and again that the view looking down the gully out to the north will be very fine if a few trees are taken down. There is room at the bottom of the clearing (of course after ibeing levelled) for a tennis court, and paths could be cut in the standing forest out to the Waiwakaiho Gorge without crossing a deep gully, as probably would be the case at the lower site. And, if the water haa to be brought from up above, there would be less distance to bring it than to the lower site, though it is said that water C3n be got for the lower site not far down th ;r!lv on the west of the present house, i hi* ido not know anything about. What I should fear in tiie lower site is that even if a good belt of timber is left along the road, the slope of the land being to west as much as north, the site would be exposed to the westerly winds. The vie as of the mountain from the upper s e are truly magnificent, and it is dou L ful if the same could be obtained from the lower one. The extra distance to 'be travelled is nothing. After a vehicle lias once come all the way from town, especially as by adopting the route suggested iby me, by easy side cuttings, the grade would he easier than most cf the present road to the present house, i think that a good and pretty site should not foe abandon just to save a little distance, and I do not see that the extri road should cost more than betweei. £7O and £BO. It must also be remembered that the present site is practicleared already. It is also probable that in excavating for the crossing to the little stream, the same band oi better metal will be come across as is seen in the Xjmtnro road on the east of the present house."

A road on a very easy grade can be made very cheaply. It would b? about 20 chains long from the present house, side cutting in very easy ground; and in making it, possibly gravel will 'be opened up. In any case the gravel on the road down to Ngatoro is almost sure to run through to gully on proposed road. It will be an important thing to get water from above, carried up to the hill top out of gully under Humphries' ijastle toy water ram, and then be brought by %-inch pipe to reservoir above new house, at say 100 feet above it. The reservoir will take off excessive pressure, and still give enough for supplying the house and electric lighting. And, moreover, as firewood i* g n 'ng to be a trouble after a time, the power will give radiators, instead of !. At first, perhaps, a concrete tank coutd supply water for house. Expert opinion on character of gravel for concrete woul't be necessary." Mr, King moved that the lite be in the horse paddock, as lesommended by the committee, and tbflt two acres be applied for. It w r well sheltered, and .-e a glorious wew. Mr. D'raser

There was a lengthy discussion ipon the repori,, which- was supported by Messrs. Fraser, Paton, Mills, Govett and iPaton, whilst the chairman and Mr. Oarrington wero opposed to the «ijj.«er site. Mr. Oarrington considered it was not sufficiently shelter^. Mr. Callia, in opposing the motion, ss that sc the upper site there would to an 2M*H- •'. - : *e in some respects, and its T>r» ,»'. • j.nt- of advantage was the v.ertr tunable -A am there. The area o f land .'tain.i .* *as of fairly good dimension?- -'Tid T° 1- sneltered from tun •-,(:.,„.*,.... "-m-! south-westerly winas, mi ■.v:...-ti .■.•.«! nees were removed for -he rn, improving the *ew toward* .sew Plymouth, this v aid admit the i »>■ 3 terlies to as great a degree as they now strike upon the present Huse. Roadin" would be an expen? h iwm, and together with levelling the site, would probably cost at least £2OO. The proposed site of building being near the ■M* used tor bing t>e mountain, wou .iot be *s q-ut* km! pi...'.v would a site lower <l*..-n. - ,,p wwition of the site ad 3 er>o jiu.<the cost of buil'li..g, it it we •> 'dfi tc build in concrete, as a eupi Oi w uer for this purpose would not ce obtainable. In regard to the lower site, the expense of roading and clearing ww -j not 1« nearly as as the upp i site, anc looking to the possibilities o fu • 3 vequiremepts, the area of compai iHy Vve. iand was enormously in * .>■ J the lower site. This was a %r x consideration, which must not be Ist sight of, even in the face of sacrificing some of the view, which, however, he thought would be equally good herf as at the upper site, when it was open<* out. In dealing with the view, ;.m visin'i tcuVS Ty» Tiade in the buildhi- ?oN :vl<-OUt .....> ""♦'ie 8 'it*' ■ J : 'VV :ie root. {■' ':il~ J w ere d""'. rl *:<j\v would be better fchur - ....n'j.e *> the upper site, as it wouid ?•• ■- 'l'.'oter sweep in the direction ot j-ynt f vi. and would also embrace a bettt. vope to the left or round in front of the Poimkai ranges. In regard to,quiet and privacy, the lower site would (if the building were placed back from the road) reader the place perfectly private and secure, as the traffic would pass it unobserved, and visitons to the other ao'ise as a rule extended T.heir ramus* up the mountain. In the cf> jf tat »wer Hte, water would be arguable for i< 'ldm« purposes by laying a small pipe from J'<? cottage to the site of building, aiid this ;v;w.fv o' watt-r would be easily uverconib. in r 'i anu stormy weather the lower site ,d, he was sure, show its superiority ov*r the upper site, which, while Vn ' sal fine weather spot, was not equalh warming during stormy seasons.

The motio was carried, the chairman ■m. ; \Ti. (a s'ington dissenting. Mr, tihvi it moved t application be made to Mia Egmont T ational Park Board '"c: ». isase of tv acres for the lm'p'jsc of erecting tkv . i£telry.—Phis was agreed to. Mr. Govett considem. t the ..ork of making the road ehou/d be put, in liand forthwith. It would be a v *ake to allow a year to be lost in formalities. Mr. Collis said that there wo* money available for clearing and stusiping the it ■« »a -1 voided that the committee be

ii:i-.:.---:««:,i to have plana prepare*! lor tiit I'u.uiii■;.;. and, if thcv iliinK it <idviwb'e, :c W« . . U(U | "laid oil. It wub „„» 0 decided ro ask that those who had promised donations to pay over the money to the secretary and treasurer.

A vote of thanks to the Site Gommitte"e concluded the business.