CHATEAU TONGARIRO.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19733, 25 September 1929, Page 4

CHATEAU TONGARIRO.

MAORI NAME SUGGESTED. s [THE PRESS Special Berries.] WELLINGTON, September 24. A further plea that the Chateau Tongariro at the National Park should bear an appropriate Maori name was made in the House of Representatives to-day. During the Estimates discussion Mr K. S. Williams, Eeform Member for Bay of Plenty, asked the Minister for Lands (the Hon. Mr Forbes) to make representations in the matter. Mr Williams quoted a Maori proverb which stated: "Taupo is a great lake, Tongariro is a great mountain, Te Heu Heu is a great man." As the first two names have been perpetuated, Mr Williams suggested it would be a gracious act also to perpetuate the name of Te Heu Heu, the donor of the National Park. The name Te Heu Heu could be very well substituted for the present name of Chateau Tongariro. Sir Apirana Ngata (Minister for Native Affairs): Would you retain the word chateau? Mr Williams: No, I would just call the place Te Heu Heu. The Minister said the position was that there was a National Park Board which had control of the Park. The suggestion that a Maori name should be applied to the hostel had been represented by the Board to the company which leased the area on which the hostel stood. The company's answer was that it was catering for tourists to whom a Maori name would not convey the expectation that what might be called chateau comforts were available at the hostel. As the company was running the nostel as a financial concern, the Board thought the company should be allowed to use the name it desired. Mr Forbes suggested that Mr Wil-. Hams should represent the matter to Mr W. H. Field, M.P., a member of the Board, who was also interested in the preservation, of Native names.