MT. HECTOR TRACK.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 December 1913, Page 7

MT. HECTOR TRACK.

DISCUSSED IN. THE HOUSE

There was a good deal of talk in the House of Representatives on Monday about a vote of £2OO on the Supplementary Estimates ; towaicLs the construction of a tourist track ovei Mount Hector, from Otaki to Greyt(VMi-' C. K. Wilson declared that it was a waste of public money to spend it in cutting a track througfc the mountains at a time when money was so scarce. Mi* J. Robertson said that it was quite true that this was a tourist track, but it had been asked for many times' by a great many people. It would open up a fine tourist district and confer benefits upon the citizens of Wellington and others. At the same time an equal sum was required to give some settlers in another pait of his district access to their holdings. It would be better to spend the money upon this latter object if it wa.s' to be a choice between the two, but he would prefer both votes. Sir Walter Buchanan said that the vote for the track had not been put upotn the Estimates- at hia instance, but at the instance of. a deputation from Otaki. The track would bring the two districts of Otaki and \\ airarapa within, fifteen miles of one another, whereas with the present means of communication a distance of nearly one hundred miles ®had to be «traversed. Anyone who had been in the district must admit its scenic beauties. The track would pass l ight over the top of Mount Hector. The people, on both sides of the mountain had gone to considerable expense and contributed largely m both monev and labour to the construction of the track, and he did not think any fault could be found with a vote of £2OO. Mr Wilson still insisted that it was a scandalous waste of money to spend £2OO "for scenic purposes when settlers wanted money For roads. Dr Newman suggested that it would be better to spend money m completing the road from Waimanno to Taupo (about £3OOO was required) than to throw it away on a track over Mount Hector which no tourist would ever use. The vote was allowed to pass without further opposition.