SAVING THE BUSH

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 February 1927, Page 5

SAVING THE BUSH

MR COATES’S PROMISE.

(Special to "Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 26. Mr H. G. Ell recently telegraphed the Prime Minister (Mr Coates): “Delighted you brought the challenge cup which Mr Loder'has given.in the earnest hope it will inspire the people in New Zealand with a stronger desire td preserve the more beautiful bush and plant .life of ,this country. I hope that the first influence of Mr Loder’s generous gift will be with the officers of the Railways Department here, who with utter disregard of certain consequences, are permitting railway excursionists to Arthurs Pass and Otira to despoil and damage one of New Zealand’s most beautiful scenic reserves.

“When these excursions were first announced, I saw one of the senior officers and pointed ou€ to him the damage that was sure to result from thoughtless , acts of visiting tourists to this lovely alpine preserve, in tearing up and taking away plants and native wild flowers, by each and every excursion. I asked him to see that the public were warned not to take any native plants, ferns or flowers, as it was a scenic reserve, and so protected. He promised me that this would be done. Leaflets were given out at the last excursion, but no such intimation was printed thereon. Wild flowers from this unique beautiful scenic reserve were openly sold at the railway stations and on the trains, yet no warning against the practice has been issued. Such wantoh indifference deserves your condemnatioif. I think that the officers controlling these should be called upon for an explanation.”

Mr Coates replied as follows: “Replying to your telegram, I fully recognise the necessity of action being taken, preventing the removal of ferns and flowers from scenic reserves. The Railway Department will be instructed to co-operate with the Forestry scenic authorities to bring about a discontinuance.”