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Session 11. 1923. NEW ZEALAND.

TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK (REPORT OF THE BOARD OF THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Sir, —■ Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 18th June, 1923. I have the honour to submit to you the report of the Tongariro National Park Board, covering its operations up to the 31st March last. I have, &c, J. B. Thompson, Chairman of Tongariro National Park Board. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands. REPORT. Tnw Tongariro National Park Board was constituted by the Tongariro National Park Act, 1922, which came into force on the Ist January, 1923. Prior to the passing of the. above Act the park had been dealt with under the provisions of the Tongariro National Park Act, 1894. This provided for the administration by an. official Board consisting of the Hon. Minister of Lands (as Chairman), the Surveyor-General, the Director of Geological Surveys, together with Te Heuheu Tukino the younger, the chief of the Ngatituwharetoa Tribe.; and by Governor's notice in the Gazelle the Under-Secretary for Lands, the General Manager of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, and the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Wellington Land District were appointed additional members for five years as from the Ist November, 1907. The Board was abolished by section 54 of the Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1914, which placed the management of the park under the. Tourist and Health Resorts Control Act, 1908, the executive officer of that Act being the General Manager of the Tourist and Health Resorts Department. This administration was, however, superseded by the passing of the Tongariro National Park Act, 1922. Under the present Act the Board consists of—The Minister of Lands ; the paramount chief of the Ngatituwharetoa Tribe if that chief is a lineal descendant of Te Heuheu Tukino ; the Mayors of Auckland and Wellington ; the Warden of the park ; tho Under-Secretary of the Department of Lands and Survey ; the General Manager of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts ; the Secretary of the State Forest Service ; the President of the New Zealand Institute ; and by notice appearing in Gazette of the 25th January, 1923, the Governor-General appointed as additional members—Messrs. W. H. Field, M.P. (Otaki), A. G. Simpson (Hunterville), T. A. Blyth (Ohakune), and W. Salt (Wanganui); whilst at the same time His Excellency appointed the Under-Secretary for Lands (Mr. J. B. Thompson) as Chairman of the Board. The Board, having been duly constituted, met at Waimarino for its first meeting on the 25th January, 1923. The original area of the Tongariro National Park was 62,300 acres (vide Proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette No. 76, of the 29th August, 1907). This included an area of about 6,508 acres donated by the late Te Heuheu Tukino, chief of the Ngatituwharetoa Tribe. Tho Act of 1922 increased the area of the park to 145,000 acres, taking in areas of Crown land and State forest adjoining the original park. It may confidently be said that the park as now constituted is second to. none throughout the world in its scenic attractions. It contains the highest mountain in the North