"PIN-PRICKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 33, 9 February 1928, Page 11

"PIN-PRICKING.

CONDUCT OF NATIONAL PARK

VIGOROUS REPLY TO CRITICS N.Z. INSTITUTES COMPLAINTS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. A reply to the recently-made criticism of the administration of the affairs of the National Park has been made by the chairman of the board, Mr. J. B. Thomp-

In regard to Professor Worley's statement, he said the Prisons Department was paid for every scrap of work it did for the board and it had received up to date over £7000 for the use of prison labour.

"One would hardly cxpect the time of the New Zealand Institute to be taken up with a diatribe upon soiled pillows and the lack of hem-stitched pillow cases," said Mr. Thompson. "Mattresses and pillows in stout casings were supplied in quantity for visitors, but as there was no laundry the board draws the line at providing sheets aud pillow cases."

Explaining the charge made for baths, Mr. Thompson said the board had limited funds and it must try to pay its way. Some £300 had been spent on the bath houses. The small charge of a shilling was made for a hot bath, but there was no obligation to use it, there was a stream handy. Firewood was free, the board cutting it and dumping it on the spot, so that there should be no invasion of the beautiful bush adjoining the camp.

Mr. Thompson dismisses the criticism of the proposed site of the hostel for various reasons. "There will be no view, anyway, in bad weather," he said, "and the proper place in good weather is out of doors. Also, it is impossible to look three ways at the same time." The hostel would be simple, but at the same time picturesque, and it would not in any way resemble a hut encampment. The present camp huts were as clean as they could be reasonably expected to be. The onus rested on each party occupying them to leave the huts clean on its departure. A septic tank and a completely linked-up drainage system would come when the hostel was erected.

In regard to other complaints, Mr. Thompson remarked that the park contained something like 15,000 acres, and it would be quite easy to escape "the maddening crowd of wealthy tourists." It was the duty of the board to cater for others than purely campers. There were only four Government members of the board, said Mr. Thompson. Of the ten others, two were the Mayors of Wellington and Auckland, and the rest were private members, whose services were gratuitously at the board's disposal. It would be difficult to find a board so well balanced and representative of all parties and phases of public interest. The board would continue to provide facilities from time to time, commensurate with its finances, and it would welcome helpful suggestions from responsible citizens, but pin-prick-ing criticism was to be deprecated.