THE SUMMIT ROAD TRUST.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19290, 20 April 1928, Page 11

THE SUMMIT ROAD TRUST.

' TO THE EDITOR 01 TBS PBEBS. Sir,—AS lam spoken ot iu the letter sigued "U'iat Lux'' in to-day's Piiesb, and am advised to contine myself to Summit road track walking, and the Uoard of Trustees are advised to free me, of all financial responsibility, 1 propose to make some comment upon the letter. As your readers.know, siiiy at least they oujght to''know, as they have been told otten enough, 1 bought the site on'which the "Takahe" staiiil3 ii. I'9iß, with the- generous, assistance' of : ,th'9 : late Mf Thomas. Stone, and itiimediately after getting possession' I commenced with two stotie masons' to build the "Sign. of. the. Takahe," and with periods of enforced inactivity 1 have been engaged on the building and furnishing of the "Sign of the Takahe" ever since. But it has not cost "thousands" of pounds. In all the past I have not been seeking my own advantage or benefit. The building is not finished, but it is counted ■aa ; worth visiting, and wins praise from most of the visitors, and when I have finished my work on the and on the decoration of the interior, I venture to predict that the "Sign of the Takahe" will be counted as one of the prized possessions of .the people of Christchurch. At least I hope to make it so; that isnvhat I am working for—nothing more; for Ihave learned long ago that I need not expect any thanks from the general public. I am looking forward to the time when I can hand over the "Takahe" to the trustees and walk out or the building, and it will be with a feeling of relief.' Meanwhile I must stand by my Summit road friends, who have, year in and year out, stood by me in the long-drawn-out struggle to erect the "Takahe."

Craeroft Hill with the "Sign of the Takahe" carries two mortgages, one for £4OOO and a second mortgage of £IOOO to Mr W. J. Charlewood, who generously raised it, so my financial responsibility is not a light one. However,- the "Takahe" is doing well, as'between January Ist and April loth I have paid into the treasurer £538 7s. 3d, and with the certain growth of business .there is a good prospect of the "Sign of the Takahe" finding enougfc to pay interest and a sinking fund- to free Craeroft Hill. Your correspondent is too pessimistic. The other parts of the Summit road scheme have not been neglected. Useful improvements have recently been made to the house at Kennedy's Bush, and the leaky roof of the Kaituna House has been replaced by a good roof—guaranteed to keep out the wet for twenty years or more. Ella's track, the short-cut into Kennedy's Bush, has beeii put in good order, and the road also has been made fit and safe for motor traffic. Then, through the thoughtful help of. Sir Heaton Rhodes, I have been able to employ labour to put the Summit road pathway down to Cooper's Knob from Kennedy's Bush in eood order—it is now a pleasure to walk down to Anuriri Bush.—Yours, etc., H. G. ELL. April 19th, 1928. DVith his letter Mr Ell has enclosed two slips—one showing the gross . takings from the Takahe tearoom week by week from January Ist to April 15th (a total of £538 7s 3d), and the other the net profit month by month from the beginning of DecemI ber to the end of March (a total of £250 18s lid).—Ed. The Pbess.]