TONGARIRO CHATEAU

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 121, 18 November 1929, Page 12

TONGARIRO CHATEAU

NO LICENCE SOUGHT

STATEMENT BY BOARD

CHAIRMAN

Mr. J. 13. Thompson (Under-Secre-tary for Lands and chairman of the Tongariro National Park Board) was interviewed by a "Post" reporter tojday with reference to the following Press Association message received from Auckland on Saturday:— "The Akarana Maori Association resolved to send to the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, a strong protest against the issue to the new hostel at National Park of a licence to sell spirituous liquor. A licence has been granted by the- Maori owners, and the exception taken is on the ground that f.lie licence would be detrimental to the Maoris of the district. It. was stated during the discussion that the Mao.ri districts which were included in the area had been opened up to white people on the distinct undertaking that no liquor licences would be granted." "TJie Chateau Tongariro people," stated Mr. Thompson, "have never applied for a licence; and, as far as the Park Board is concerned, it is going strictly to observe the present law and the agreement as to an embargo on liquor in the.King Country entered into by the New Zealand Government with the Natives. The board will take no steps whatever iv the direction of seeking for a licence for ■ the Chateau so long as the embargo on liquor in the King Country remains in existence. Obviously, there must be some mistake regarding the statement that 'a licence has be«n granted by the Maori owners,' for there are no Maori owners of the Tongariro National Park; and in any case, if there were, they would not be in a position to grant any person a licence to sell spirituous liquors."-