STRONG PROTESTS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1924, Page 9

STRONG PROTESTS

NATIONAL PARK HOSTEL HEATHER PLANTING AND GAME j IMPORTING TARARUA TRAMPING CLUB OBJECTS. Mr. M.-H. Field, M.P., presided, and there was a very good attendance of members at the annual meeting of the Tararua Tramping Club last evening. Details of the annual report, outlining various activities of a successful character during the past year, have been published in "The Post." In moving the adoption, of the report. Mr. Field remarked that the size of the attendance was a very healthy sign. The club had completed its fifth year since it was inaugurated as the result of the efforts of the present chief guide, Mr. F. W. Vosseler. There was one word in the report he would have struck out had he noticed it, and that was the word "slight" with reference to the misarrangement on the Sounds Track when the club party went there during the past season. Had it not been for the actions of the leaders of the party, they would have, missed their main object, the viewing of Milfprd Sound. The manage-' merit had been very bad, and he hoped the complaints made would result in something better. The- visit to the National Park had not taken place, but if would do so this year, sufficient members having sent in their names. The Park Board had recently decided on the site of the permanent hostel, and it was one that would not meet with the approval or mountaineers. There was an excellent site 4000 feet up, midway between the mountains, with a splendid outlook, but this had been turned down on the score of expense, and owing to a doubt as to the water and power supply. Those who went to the Park lie thought would want to go to the mountains, and the hostel' at the Haunted Wharo site would leave them a long distance from the nearest interesting climb. It was now a full day's trip to the top of the mountain, and this would not be possible from the hostel. He thought a mistake had been made, but he hoped this would not prove the case.' There was a. possibility of new huts be:iig built further up the slopes of Ruapehu, and in the meantime he supposed those who went there for the mountaineering would have to go to Whakapapa huts. They had had a fine trip to Kapiti Island, notwithstanding ■ the fact that they lost five of their members, who spent the night in the bush, much to the anxiety of the remainder of the party. In- future he thought that members of parties would have to' obtain the' permission of party leaders before leaving the party. The Tararua track improvement was continuing satisfactorily, and he hoped to 6ee new trips opened up as the years went ,by. The Tararua track would be rendered as nearly as possible to "fool-proof," so that any trampers would be sale. A great deal of work had been done on other tracks by club members who had earned the appreciation of every member. The membership continued to increase regularly, and now stood at 265, and the club was in a highly satisfactory position- financially and in every other connection. Mr. Field indicated that he had to retire from . the. position of , president, as his public affairs were occupying an increasing amount of his time, while he thought the honour should now' pass to other members quite worthy of the honour.

"NOTHING BUT A GAME PRESERVE." : Mr. Yon Haast said the most important point raised was that of the matter of the National Park. They were seeing' the Park turned into nothing but a game preserve,, by the planting of heather and the introduction of foreign game birds for a club to shoot and hunt. The Park should be properly national, a preserve for national fauna and flora, as well as a holiday resort for everyone; but particularly for the pooler man and his family. The placing of the hostel at the Haunted Whare' site meant nothing but that the visitors would be forced to spend money hiring horses or cars. The poorer visitor would be forced out. The board was largely comprised of Government servants, and those of the board who knew anything of what was required, were over-ruled. He thought the club would' strongly protest against, the hostel on a site so unsuitable compared with others available. He congratulated the president on his stand on behalf, not of themselves, but of the whole tourist traffic in connection with the Milford Sound trip. "We have got into some public discredit over this," remarked Mr W H Denton, referring to Mr. Field's complaints about Milford Sound. "We are under somewhat of a slur, and are regarded as feather-bed mountaineers, but we know we were in' the right. The Tourist Department stated it could not reply to the allegations until a report was received from its officers. No reply has ever been made, and I think this matter should be cleared up We should get this reply from the Department."

Several speakers condemned tl.e Haunted Whare site for the liostel at J onganro, and the planting of heather at the Park. One speaker asked it thcro had not heen enough evils as the result of animals, birds, and plants bein<r intraduced into the Dominion. Heather would probably take chai-ge of the whole park, and no one knew what the change of climate and soil for the plant would Jesuit in. . EXPERTS OVERRULED. Mr. F. W. Vosseler pointed out that the Tourist Department experts had selected the Whakapapa site as the best in the Park. Everyone he had spoken to was against the new site. He' took exception to the Mayor of Wellington voting on the site question at all. He may have gone" as far as Whakapapa, but he (tho speaker) would say that Mr. Wright had gone no further and knew nothing about the Park. The' experts were, over-ruled by people who knew too little about the thing. He agreed with members in heartily 'protesting against the introduction of game birds from India, which he understood were on the point of reaching New Zealand, and were to be liberated in the Park. ' In reply to a question, Mr: Field, who had vacated the chair in favour of the new president at this stage, stated that the cost of building the hostel at Whakapapa was estimated at over £400 less than the cost of building at the Haunted Whare site. ' The annual report was adopted, the words "slight misarrangement" being replaced by the word "mismanagement." .. Motions strongly protesting against the Haunted Whare site, the planting of heather, and the liberation of foreign game on the National Park were passed unanimously. The election of officers resulted as follows : President; Mr. i\ W. Yosseler, vice-president,;!, Messrs. Field, M.P.. ,T. C. Thomas. D. K. lloggnrd, and W. 11. Wilson; chief guide. ,Mr. T. H. i?. Fyfe : feergtpy-lrcaaurer, Mr. A. !N. Smith ; committee, Meiers. J, H. Gibbs, J. Slur-

phy, W. A. Py e , A. C. Gifford, S. A. VViren, L. B. Cross, G. B. Brown, H. C. Milne, A: J. Couchman, J. A. Baine, J. Rawnsley, S. E. Cousins; hon. auditor, Mr. J. Douglas; official photographer, air. H. C. Milne