TONGARIRO HOSTEL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1929, Page 8

TONGARIRO HOSTEL

GRATITUDE EXPRESSED

CONDITION OF TRACKS

(By Telsgrapli.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. The erection of a. hostel at the Tongariro National Park and the present state of the park were matters discussed at the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute. ' Mr. M. A. Elliott said an agreement reached between the Park Board and an all-British syndicate, which would erect and control this hostel, was a fair one to the whole of the people of the Dominion. People who could not, afford to put up at the hostel would be given every encouragement to pitch tents. There would be no restrictions. The problem of supplying wood for the hostel v.-as dealt with by Professor H. B. Kirk, who said there appeared to be a danger of the native bush being felled. If this were so it should not be allowed. ■ Mr. Elliott replied that for the present needs firewood was being carted to the park a distance of several miles. There was no danger of the bush being cut at VVhakapapa. The institute's representative on the Park Board, Mr. B. C. Aston, said some criticism had been levelled at the board. For instance, it hud been stated that the whole of the park had been leased to a syndicate, but in fact ouly a very small area of it had been leased.

Professor Worley, who said ho had just returned from a visit to the park, deplored tho condition of the tracks. They wore in a very bad state, aud if the Park Board did not have sufficient funds to carry out improvements, then some means of extracting the funds from the Government should be found.

Mr. Elliott said that although the tracks were bad, the road approaches to the park were in excellent condition. He understood that was due to the Prisons Department. One could now motor from the park to Taupo iv a few hours, whereas formerly it was a matter of clays.

A resolution was carried expressing gratitude to the Park Board for establishing the hostel and for'the improvement to the roads.