NO REVENUE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 35, 9 August 1930, Page 7

NO REVENUE

A NATIONAL PARK

BOARD AND RAILWAYS

(By Telegraph.) (Specir to "The Evening Post.") CHEISTCHUBCH, This Day. Strong criticism of the Bailway Department's refusal to increase the esj cursion fares to Arthur's Pass and Otira by a surcharge of sixpence, to raise funds for the development of the National Park, \. , made by Dr. D. M'Kay, chairman of the grounds committee of the Arthur's Pass National Park Board of Control, following a meeting of the board yesterday.

"The meeting decided again to apply to the Eailway Department, impressing upon it the necessity of making a surcharge of sixpence a. ticket on these excursions to raise funds tr go !to the development of the park," Dr. M'.Kay told a eporter. "Our previous request made sis months ago met with the reply that since the Department was not represented on the board it could not grant the request. - I pointed out that at Greymouth a similar surcharge was made on tickets to the Omoto Bacecourse to find funds for the Grey Jockey Club. "It seems an inconsistent policy," Dr. Al'Kay continue^, "and more than that to permit this surcharge being made at Greymouth and Bicearton,

nd to refuse it when the money is needed for such a praiseworthy public work as the development of National Park. We want to use the money simply for the development and better ment of the park. It is our only pos-'

sible source of an adequate revenue to do anything material to make the park the national asset it should be. '.'The board," said Dr. M'Kay, "decided that if the Railway Department were to refuse .this further request, it would take every possible step to obtain tho concession. The Department seemed blind to the fact that improvements to the National Park would benefit its own traffic." The board decided to approach the Prime Minister asking him.to include in the Finance Bill a clause empowering the board to raise with the Government's approval, and from one of the Government's lending institutions, such as the Public Trust Office, a loan towards the erection of a hostel at Arthur's Pass.