MR. WILLIAM SALT.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 164, 13 July 1929, Page 10

MR. WILLIAM SALT.

WANGANUI, this day.

News Avas received in Wanganui of the death of Mr. William Salt, second son of Mrs. E. Salt, of Nile Street,. Wanganui East, and the late Eli Salt, Deceased was a well-known bridge contractor, and the popular president of the Ruapehu Ski Club. Mr. Salt did more than any other man in the Dominion to arouse interest in the possibilities of developing Mount Ruapehu as a pleasure and health resort. As a member of the Tongariro National Park Executive, he was to a large extent instrumental in the erection of the chateau at Tongariro. Mr. Salt took the first party of winter campers, which were mainly comprised of Wanganui residents. Later on, these gatherings became particularly popular among other mountaineers throughout New Zealand, but prior to that, when no proper road was available to Whakapapa, Mr. Salt personally undertook and helped unstintingly of his time to pack up sufficient material to build a hutment. This accommodation, although primitive at first, was added to from time to time, Mr. Salt and other pioneers throwing their weight into the projectHe was a mountaineer and geologist of no mean experience, and his reputation as sueli had spread beyond these shores, and Alpinists from other countries looked upon him as an authority and were delighted to meet him when they paid visits to this country.

The deceased constructed many bridges in Wanganui and surrounding districts, including that of Kauangaroa. One of liis recent jobs was that of patching up the Bulls Bridge, making it fit to carry motor traffic until such time as the bridge spans the river. Prior to the time of his death he was engaged in building a bridge for the Government at Field's track. A few days' ago he was involved in a motor collision on liis way to Kairoi, his lorry capsizing on him, breaking the pelvis and inflating other injuries. He was in his fortysecond year.