ACCESS TO ALPS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 197, 18 May 1936, Page 3

ACCESS TO ALPS

Alpine Club’s Criticism The efforts made to obtain unified control and the right of access to the mountains were discussed at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Alpine Club by Mr. A. P. Harper, who contended that the national parks of New Zealand had been run in a most, haphazard manner and without any plan or policy whatsoever. The Now Zealand Government was being asked to sot up an organisation similar to that in the United States, with a central executive of which the Minister would bo chairman. The central cxoeulive would have the right to lay down tlie general policy and local committees would deal with particular parks. Mr. L. O. Hooker, president of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand, said that the national parks system was a “Cinderella” as far ns New Zealand was concerned. The Mount Egmont area, a “mere shovelful of earth" compared with some of the huge parks in the United States and in Canada, had four committees nnd a board to run it. and £23.000 had been spent on a single road, politically procured, but never required. Other members stressed Hie ncccssitj of freedom of access to the inmint.'iins nnd the right Io build high-climbing bivouacs.