Road Through Tararuas

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 189, 7 May 1937, Page 13

Road Through Tararuas

Sir, —In your issue of Wednesday there appeared a report of a discussion at the Automobile Association's meeting on the question of roads in the Tararuas. The claim was made for a car road trom Pakuratahi into the Tauherenikau Valley. One speaker stated that there were other interests behind the proposal; personally, I can see the shadow of the sawmillers behind this road scheme. The combination of a road into this forest valley and a Minister who believes in the "scientific removal of matured trees” will stir all trampers and lovers of the bush into still greater antagonism to auy roads at all into the Tararuas. Those who have had the pleasure of walking beneath the magnificent forest giants of this locality, long safe from destruction, will surely rise to repel this threat. Those who advocate car roads through the ranges may be sincere and disinterested, but so perhaps were those misguided enthusiasts who introduced the deer, thar, chamois, etc., and started an orgy of destruction that will take vast work and expense to end, and generations to recover from. Motives of selfishness hare been attributed to tramping clubs, but the tremendous amount of voluntary work done by these clubs to open up and make safe the ranges for all classes, disproves such statements. Trampers have seen perhaps better than any other class the steady deterioration taking place in practically all forest reserves. Something must be done to prevent this, otherwise the future of the Wairarapa, West Coast, and other districts, already suffering, will be seriously menaced. Car roads into and over the ranges would make things vastly easier for trampers. many of whom are motorists, but resultant disadvantages and dangers to the terrain outweigh all other considerations, hence their unanimous disapproval. Let them make aeroplane landings at Totara Flats, Taru Ridge, Kime or Mitre Peak if they wish, but keep the car roads out.—l am, TRAMPER AND MOTORIST. Masterton, May 6.