NEW MOUNTAIN HOSTEL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1920, Page 6

NEW MOUNTAIN HOSTEL.

THE STRATFORD PROPOSAL. DISCUSSED BY NATIONAL PARK BOARD. The action of the citizens of Stratford in launching a movement for the erection of a hostel on the east side of Mt. Egmont, was yesterday's meeting of the Egmont National Park Board. Mr. J. B. Richards, representative of the_ Stratford Borough Council, comiplained that the east side of the mountain had been sadly neglected, and they had only just got a promise to have Pembroke Road metalled. The Stratford hut had Buffered badly through having no one to look after it, and some vandals had deliberately cut out the canvas from the bunks and broken up the furniture, but until they had a caretaker, very little could be done. The only thing was to get a decent house with a caretaker in charge. Mr. H. Baily remarked that Stratford had been granted a subsidy by the Government. He did not know how the Board stood in the matter,- and the Tourist Department said they knew nothing about it. Mr. Richards replied that the grant had been made and Stratford had always taken a keen interest in the mountain. The chairman (Mr. G. H. Bullard): Isn't it just a little sudden! _ Mr. Richards said that with the object of increasing the interest in Mt. Egmont, a Mountain Club was formed in Stratford in 1914. The upper Pembroke Road leading to the mountain house was very bad, but the club succeeded in getting about 90 chains metalled at a cost of £OOO. Then they conceived the idea ' that if they had a good metalled road right up to the hut they would help the development of Egmont National Park, and they approached the Government and secured a promise that £3500 would be granted for the. purpose of metalling the track. A company was then formed with the object of building a hostel, but a site for the hostel had not yet been decided on. The chairman said that the Stratford people seemed to be going in for the scheme without first ascertaining how it should be done. He reminded Mr. Richards that the Board's permission would have to be obtained. Replying to a question, Mr. Baily said the Board had power to lease a site to the Stratford Hostel Company for a period of 21 years. The Board, would however, have to take over control of the road to the hostel. ' After further discussion the Board approved of the expenditure on the Pembroke Road by the Public Works Department. Mr. Richards said the company would »srMohjtli« bowd offioiaHj; wh«n * jita