NATIONAL PARK BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 248, 29 March 1915, Page 3

NATIONAL PARK BOARD.

THE QUARTERLY MEETING. The Egmont National Park. Board met at Dawson's Falls diouse. oa Friday, when there were present;— The Chairman (Mr. G. H. Dullard,. Commission.;)' of Crown Lands), Messrs C. Goodson (Hawera Borough Council), J. R. Hill (Taranaki County), T. B, Crump (Eltham), R. McK.. Morison.. (.Stratford Borough), Percy Smith (Government representative), P. Wilcox (Egmont), W. A. Collis (New Plymouth Boroug'j).,- and H, Stoekcr (secretary). An apology was received from Mr. F.. W.. Wilkie (Hawera County). CORRESPONDENCE..

Mr. 11. J. G. Allen, lion secretary, Kuponga, wrote, stating that a Tourpt Committee had been formed in the town for the purpose of .assisting tourists ar..| advertising 'the. Dawson.. Falls. House. By this means they anticipated increasin the revenue and. popularity;. of, tun scenic resort. This action was subject to the approval of the Board, which they desired to obtain.—Approved. The Clerk of. Parihaka. Road Board Wrote stating that the Board had b<scii, granted the sum of. £20.. towards, work on the track to the Rahotu. Mountain House; also asking that tlw work lie carried out at once.—Received..

Mr. Percy Smith forwarded, translation of a letter sent to him .by a. natiw, one Taurua, of Rahotu, as follows: "Friend, this hmy word.to,you t lam desirous of goinjr to Mauuka; Camp, hilow the Mountain.House, where I would like to live permanently, and dia there, at the place aliout which I am petitioning. I will take care of the road, to the mountain if my prayer is accoded to.— From Taurua Murirapa"—The- Board had no power to grant the petitioner permission'to live at the house. The secretary of the South Taranaki Automobile Association, at. llaweia, wrote as follows:—At a meeting of the Association the following resolution Was passed': That the Board lie written to suggesting that a 'twopence in th-" slot telephone''Be installed at the gaie of the reserve, and that this Association is willing to contribute half the cost of eame, with a limit of liability to the Association of £2. 10s. —It was agreed that this wag a very good suggestion j for the protection of travellers on the. harrow and circuitous track, and the' Board decided to pay half cost up to £l2 10s to ihstal the telephone. TREES—MORE TREES.

Mr. Morison ventilated the question of tree-planting on the reserve. He considered the Board should write to the Government Forestry Department with j, view to. making a start k planting suitable trees on the reserve, Th»ro were hundreds of acres of practically waste lands, which could be made use ef in this way. He referred to what was being done at Rotorua. No end of timber would he required in New Zealand in the future, anil it would be a useful and permanent work. His idea was to apply to the Department for the supply of 100,000 trees from the State Forestry and have them planted bvi the Government. The Pembroke Road Reserve was one place he had in mind for the scheme, but there were many other places where it could be put into operation. He mentioned, two trees—sprues and pinu3 radiata—which he was certain would do well in these localities.

MembcTs agreed that the idea was in the right direction, and on the motion! of Mr. Morison, seconded by Mr. Crump, it was decided to apply to tlie IGovcvnment for the trees and for the planting thereof. j

-GENERAL, As to the Board's leases, it was stated that one tenant was behind in payments, and it was decided to give the tenant three months' notice; also to give another tepant notice to clear his section of- gorsc.

-Mr. Morison moved that Air. J. 11. Hine, M.P., 'be written to soliciting hU assistance in having the Pembroke Road reserve outside the forest reserve vest;d in the Board.—Seconded by Mr. Wilcox and carried, the chairman agreeing io write to the Under-Secretary for Lands on the subject. On the motion of Mr. Collis, secondjd by Mr. Smith, the matter of the Everett Road reserve, near Inglewood, was. referred to the chairman for report at next meeting of th e Board. In connection with a desire from tlw North House for the levelling of some trees in order to obtain a better view at one spot, the matter was left with Mr. Collis, with power to act. Mr. Smith intimated 'his intention to donate some seed of the Japanese walnut for planting at the house. He sa;d the tree was a beautiful one, while it also had the merit of growing very quickly. QUARTERLY STATEMENT.

Receipts.—Balance at 31st Decenibebr, 1914, £055 4s Id. North Committee.—Park fees £52 Us Cd, cottage fees £25 2s, horse toll £0 9s, motor toll £33 Is Cd, stable and paddock fees £1 6s, hostelry fees £2OO 0s Id, Government subsidy £oo—total £444 10s Id.

Soutli Committee.—-House fees £l7 103', cottage fees £8 10s, motor toll .£3 17s 6d, horse toll £2 4s, Government subsidy £oo—total £O2 Is 6d, East Committee.—House foes £3 6s Cd, park fees £lO 4s 6d, horse toll £2 4?', motor toll £1 15s, Government subsidy £6o—total £77 10s. West Committee. —House fees 10s 6d, Government subsidv £20 —total £2O 10s 6d. Grand total £1289 10s 2d.

EXPENDITURE. North Committee. —Committee travelling expenses £3, repairs £l3' lis, track work £49. 7s, carting £l2 3s !><i, advertising and stationery £3 17s 3d, collector toll fees £l3 13s 4d, hostelry wages £242 10s, .hostelry supplies £540 13s 3d. Total, £B7B 13s 7d. South Committee.— Advertising £l2 10s, track work £l9 2s Od, repairs £l-1 15s 3d, supplies £l3 7s lid, caretaker lees £73 3s ttd—total £132 19s sd. East Committee—Supplies £2 IS.; "1, repairs £ll 10s 9d, track work _£S Is 9d, advertising and stationery £3 17s, committee travelling expenses 16s Od, caretaker fees £ll 15s, bank charge astotal £39 4s Cd. Board.—Audit fee £0 13s <>d, petty cash (stamps, telegrams) £2, track work (Manganui gorge) £s—total £;3 13s 4d. Balance 20th February, £235 5s IdGrand total, £I2S9 16s 2d.

BALANCES. Nortli Committee, £ll2 4s M. Soutli Committee, £34 12s H«l, X;iponfta account £3O 18s—total £«5 iOs East Committee £22 9s 3d, East Stratford account £8 4s—total £3O 133 lid.

West Committee £2O 0s sd. Board, dr., £3 4s Sd. Total, £22; 3s 4d— Stratford Tost.