FREE ACCESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 10

FREE ACCESS.

NATIONAL PARK.

MR. SAVAGE IN FAVOUR.

REFERENCE TO MT. EGMONT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. "We can straighten anything. I am a pliable individual, but I am strong enough to attend to those things. No one can defend the charging of admission to your park."

With these words the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. M. J. Savage, gave an assurance at Kaponga that the Egrnont National Park would be opened to the public without the fee which is at present charged.

''I do not think any park should be dosed to the people," said Mr. Savage. "I do not know what is involved in the closing of the Egmont Xational Park, but whatever it is it must be done away with."

What impressed him most during hi 3 visit to England for the Imperial Conference was the number of large open spaces devoted to parks and gardens for the people in the heart of London. In Xew Zealand every encouragement should be given for the preservation of reserves for recreation.

The Prime Minister's attention was drawn to the Egmont Xational Park by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., when extending a welcome to him. "That reserve you see before you," he said, pointing to Mount Egmont, "shows the foresight of the people in retaining it as a national park. I hope when Mr. Savage goes back to Wellington he will see what can be done so as to make it available to the public free."

The prolonged applause that greeted Mr. Wilkinson's reference to the park was repeated when the Prime Minister said that whatever had kept the park closed would have to be done awav with.