SUMMIT ROAD TRUST

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21225, 25 July 1934, Page 8

SUMMIT ROAD TRUST

Plans Discussed MEETING WITH SCENIC RESERVES BOARD Plans for the continuation of the work of Mr H. G. Ell on behalf of the Port Hills-Akaroa Summit Road Trust were discussed at a meeting of the Summit Road Scenic Reserves Board yesterday afternoon, when the board met a deputation from the trust. There were present at the meeting Messrs W. Stewart (Commissioner of Crown Lands), who presided, W. G. Jamieson, George Harper, F. M. Warren, W. Machin, and W. F. Parkinson. Messrs L. B. Freeman and C. H. Bascand represented the trust. Mr Stewart stated that the representatives of the two organisations had been brought together to allow the board to gain some idea of th: intentions of the trust about the continuation of Mr Ell's work. Mr Freeman described Mr Ell as having been the central, and practically the only, figure in th" work. The time was premature for a general statement about the trust's intentions, he said, and the trustees had not decided on a definite plan, other than that the completion of the Sign of the fakahe was of immediate impor'ance. Probably the trie . would very soon go into the whole subject of what it was going to do to carry out the wishes and plans of Mr Ell as far as possible. As soon as it had decided what was going to be done the board would be advised. Mr Bascand, replying to a question by Mr Machin, said that the trust had taken steps to see that the work at the Sign of the Takahe at Kennedy's Bush, and at the Kiwi was continued, under effective supervision. Mr Ell, jun., was now n charge. Mr Stewart asked whether the trust had considered continuing the control of the scenic side of the work on the hills, or whether any proposal had been made to hand over that work to the organisation which originally controlled the effective preservation of scenery on the reserves in the hills. Mr Stewart referred to the responsibilities of the trustees under the Scenery Preservation Act, and under the conditions set out in the arrangement whereby certain of the re serves originally under the control of the board had been vested in the trust. Mr Bascand stated that the trustees were aware o' their obligations in that respect. ' He thought that the board would be quite satisfied with the plans being prepared by the trust for the continuation of the work oil the hills.