NATIONAL PARKS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21716, 25 February 1936, Page 12

NATIONAL PARKS

More Unified Control Sought ■ MINISTERS'* REPLIES TO DEPUTATION .- = zss iis3c:iT-C5 tslegbai:. WELLINGTON. February 24. The case for more unified control o: New Zealand's national parks, with greater State expenditure on them, the licensing of alpine guides, - the conservation of forests in prefer-! ence to spending money at regular: intervals on repairing hood damage,. aggravated by forest denudation. : and the systematic destruction of deer, chamois, and thar. was presented by a deputation from the: Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand this morning to the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage), ; the Minister for Internal Affairs; (the Hon. W. E. Parry), and theMinister for Lands (the Hon. F.; Langstone). The Ministers expressed! complete sympathy with the objects of the deputation, but made it clear! that there was not much hope of; the Government giving a lot of ; money away to parks as it was deal- ] ing at the moment with what might; be described as “bread and butter; problems," ! The deputation, which represented I 33 clubs, with between 4000 and 5000; members, comprised Afessrs L. O. j Hooker (president). A. P. Harper, F. i W. Vosseler, S. A. Wiren, and A. R. • Perry (secretary). Mr Hooker spoke: of the necessity for a change in the: present system of control of national parks, pointing out that there was no unity. The deputation recom-; mended a central controlling author- ■ ity at the seal of Government, con-' sisting of 10 members, with the Alin- ’ ister as chairman, five Government s departmental representatives, and. representatives of the users of, parks, two of these to be appointed i by the Federated Mountain Clubs, j “Better System Essential'’ Air Langstone said it was abso- j luteiy essential that some better I system of co-ordination should ob-1 tain in the future. He did not know j that the solution lay in national park; boards, or whether they should not; have centralised control through the ■ department. They did not want a, cumbersome committee. The prob-! lern of bush denudation was serious,; not only to settlers but also to the Government. He assured the alpine j clubs of the Government's sympathy, j The destruction of deer was an | important question which would be! tackled, said Air Parry. It was a! question of money, and men had to be trained to do the job. The work of destroying deer would be pushed on much more vigorously than in the ■ past. i The Prime Minister said they agreed with the deputation's object, and it was only a question of detail. J National parks had been starved ' through lack of money, but so had everything else. That was the prob-: lem to be handled, and they would handle it with credit to themselves.; and with benefit to the people of the : count rv.