DAWSON FALLS HOSTEL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 October 1928, Page 6

DAWSON FALLS HOSTEL.

MEETING OF SOUTH COMMITTEE A meeting of the South Committee of the Mount Egmont National Park Hoard was held at the Eltfaam Municipal Chambers on Friday afternoon, when there were present: Messrs. W. G. Walkley (chairman), T. B. Crump (acting-secretary), J. Cocker, A. Gamlin, E. Long, N. C. Innes, R. G. Cook, A. V. Tait, B. Lysaght, and G. J. Bay ley. Apologies for absence were tendered”by Messrs. L. Abbott, A. G. Liircom, J. Hickey and I. J. Bndger. A report by the sub-committee was submitted, making alterations to the proposals brought down at last meeting and suggesting the expenditure of £B2O instead of over £6OO. Mr. Cook explained the details of the alterations and the ideas of Mr. Tait' and himself on the -problem. Qn the motion of Messrs. Bay ley and Long, it was resolved that the sub-committee be empowered to carry out the work in terms of the report. A letter was read from the Alpine Club, suggesting improvements in the way of sanitary and bath accommodation. They felt that, in view of the development of tourist traffic, additional conveniences were necessary. Messrs. L. O. Hooker and Rod. Syme addressed the meeting in support of the request. Mr. Hooker said the inception of the Alpine Club brought a new phase into the matter of the work to be done at the hostel. The accommodation now provided was for the benefit of those who stopped at. the hostel, but there were the others who visited the resort, paid their tolls, but had no accommodation in return. Mr. Hooker said he had had experience of four excursions to the mountain, and it was impressed upon him that there were no proper conveniences. On the last occasion there was only one convenience each for males and females. The essential matters were the provision; of dressing accommodation and bathrooms. The club -did not want the; improvements for nothing. Members arrived back'at the hostel with wet: feet and possibly wet clothing, and there was no convenience for those people where they could change and set out for home dry and comfortable. It could not be expected that people would return to the mountain- if the ordinary decencies of life were, not provided. H© said he would not continue to advocate taking crowds to the mountain under the present conditions. The Alpine Club felt the position very keenly, and was prepared to assist in the matter of finance. Mr. Syme endorsed Mr. Hooker’s remarks.” He pointed out that Mr. Murphy had generously allowed the alpiners to use his hot water system and the bathrooms, but only a few enjoyed such privileges. Mr. Cook said that the proposals were included in the first plan, but bad been turned down. He agreed that the request of the deputation should be supported. Mr. Bayley said that notwithstanding the eventual erection of a new hostel they would still have to cater for the day traffic, and something should be done at once. He moved that the sub-committee with the chair-man be convenor and appoint members to the sub-committee and interview representatives of the Alpine Club on the question. Mr. Cook seconded.

A discussion followed on tire' question of site for the conveniences, Mrs Innes considering they should he separate from the main hostel. Mr. Crump agreed with the motion, and favoured the site being attached to the old house. He moved that the present sub-committee (Messrs. Tait and Cook), with the chairman, with power to add, he empowered to confer with -the Alpine Club and Mr. Murphy to make the necessary enquiries, with power to proceed with the sanitary conveniences. Mr. Long said that the sub-commit-tee deserved the thanks of the committee for their work on the reports. Sir. Bayley withdrew his motion in favour of Mr. Crump’s proposal. Mr. Tait thought the motion was ambiguous. The site should be fixed now. He suggested that the cost should be met by a £.for £ subsidy from the Alpine Club. Mr. Hooker: Personally, I will lend you the money to do the job at five per cent.

Mr. Tait said it was very good of Mr. Hooker to make his offer, but the committee was not in such desperate straits just yet. The cost would he from £IOO to £1251

Mr. Hooker said that those people who made day trips to the hostel were prepared to pay for a hath. The olnb had in mind the development of the mountain, and was prepared to assist in the solution of the dfificnlties, hut at the same time the finances of the Alpine Club should not be called upon for providing accommodation. It was essential that what was done should he lasting and substantial. Mr. Crump's proposal was amended in the direction of empowering the sub-committee to confer with the Alpine Club and proceed with the establishment of sanitary conveniences and bathrooms in accordance with the deputation’s request. Mr. Innes considered that a plan of the work and the cost should be placed before the committee. The motion was carried. PUBLICITY METHODS. The chairman referred to the directions in which the committee was working to advertise the Dawson Falls hostel, specially mentioning bulletin No. o, a copy of which was handed to each passenger on the excursion train from Wellington, together with a pamphlet embodying instructions to the tourists and enumerating particulars of nine trips on the mountain. The chairman drew attention to the exhibition in the room of four large photographs of views of the mountain | which had been taken by the Tourist Department and were being displayed throughout New Zealand. Mr. Walkley stated that at Patea in the south and Auckland in the, north the Automobile Association had established information bureaux. In the past this very good chance of ad\ertiisng Dawson Falls had been neglected, hut the leaflets would fill the bill in the future. He suggested that a sum should be voted for the use of! their publicity officer in this connection. Mr. Bay ley suggested that £lO be voted for the purpose, and the motion was seconded by Mr. Cook and carried. TH E SHOP FT ARY,SHIP. The secretary, Mr. H. G. McDonald, forwarded Jjjs resignation, having taken tip duties in New Plymouth. Oh the. motion of Messrs Tait a.nd Gamlin the resignation was accepted with regret, and .it was decided to place on record the committee’s appreciation of Mr. McDonald’s services. [Regarding the appointment of his j successor, Mr. Bayley moved that Mr. ; be appointed, and this was < HHBfcded bv Mr. Gamlin. . :

Mr. Cocker nominated Mr. Crump,’ and Mr. Cook seconded, but as it was advisable that a permanent officer should be appointed Mr. Crump asked that his name he withdrawn, and this being agreed to, Mr. Hooker was unanimously appointed. FINANCIAL STATEMENT. The following statement was presented : Credit balance in bank, £165 11s 8d; F.D.R., maturing October 24 £l5O, maturing November 16 • £100; Stratford Borough Council and interest, £2O0 —total, £615 11s Bd. Income March-August, tolls, etc., £234 16s 6d, subsidy i£27 19s 3d—total, £262 15s 9d. Accounts to pass, £238 12s lid (custodian’s share of tolls, etc.. £132 7s 3d, J. P. Murphy for road maintenance, six months to August 31, £75; secretary’s honorarium, £l2 ids; insurance renewal on hostel, £8 17s 2d; sundries, £9 18s 6d). GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES. In reply to'Mr. Gamlin, who said lie had not noticed in the press that any Government grant had been made to the South Committee, the chairman said- they had made representations for £500” but no reply had been received. The sum of £IOOO had been voted for afforestation, but that was for the hoard and had nothing to do with the committee. He had spoken to Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P. for Patea, but owing, no doubt, to pressure of work, he had not yet replied. No official information had come to hand as to the Government’s attitude. In the general discussion that followed, Mr. Crump said regarding afforestation on the ranges that the revenue of between £7O and £BO was board finance, and last year this revenue had decreased to £26. The areas were being afforestated by means of departmetnt grants, and the revenue was the hoard’s and not the North Committee’s money. POINTS OF INTEREST. In referring to the .loss of splendid specimens of trees adjacent to the; main road to the house by the recent gale, Mr. Lysaght suggested that; something should be done to make deviations leading to points of interest and big trees near- the track, and he moved that Mr. Syme be asked to make recommendations on the matter.; This was seconded by Mr. Tait and carried. COMMITTEE’S JURISDICTION. Mr. Cook inquired regarding the area on the mountain oyer which "the committee had jurisdiction, and Mr. Crump replied that it was generally understood that the area extended to the summit, but -the boundaries had never been actually laid down. What the boundary was be did not know, j though no doubt the area was defined. mountain; tracks . The committee having previously requested Mr Syme and <Mr Murphy to report oij new: tracks on the mountain, Dir Sym-et briefly spoke of what bad been done. H© said that their arrangements had been interfered with considerably by bad wea'iher, and the general state of the tracks above the house w r as deplorable. Manganui Gorge was blocked entirely. Mr Murphy and he had decided that it would be well to approach the board on the question, believing that it was the 'board’s duty to look after the tracks above the house. He pointed out that no money had been spent on the tracks fori years. The work that was being done by the Alpine Club; was voluntary, and the members did not regard it as their responsibility in any way. They had no- objection to facilitate work on the tracks and would assist with their labour, but they did not consider it was the duty of the club to- spend their finance upon such) work. They would be pleased in bvery way to assist, but did not want to have to do too much spade work. In sending a. deputation to the board they asked that the committee would lend them moral support. The chairman said that no doubt the tracks were in a very bad state, and they must have Government assistance in the matter of track maintenance. SIGN -POSTING

Mr Hooker spoke of the necessity of sign-posts being erected on the mountain. The club considered that the preservation of life was. of - the most importance, and sign-posts would be of the greatest assistance to climbers who ■got off the beaten tracks. Lives had been lost on the mountain owing to the lack of sign-posts. Mr Tait agreed that sign-posts- would be very handy, but it was all nonsense to say that lives had been lost because there had not been any erected. Mr Innes said that sign-posts indicating north* south, east, and, west, would certainly be handy and useful to the mountaineer.

The chairman suggested that the sign-posting be done b-y the Alpine Club.

Mr Syme referred to recent accidents on the mountain, pointing out the value of sign-posts which wo-ulcl reduce the risk of people -being lost. He promised that the club would erect the sign-posts if they were provided by the board. Mr Cocker was entirely in agreement with the idea, and he moved that the committee support the Alpine Club in its endeavour to- get assistance in erecting sign-posts.

This was seconded by Mr Innes and carried.

HUT ON. FANTECAM’S PEAK. Mr Syme said tlie Alpine Club bad obtained, a plan and estimate of kite cost of erecting a hut on Fantham’s Peak, and wanted to know if any assistance from the committee could he expected. The members had three objectives in view; (1) that it should be erected; (2) that it should be for the use also of south tourists; and (3J that they should approach the Park Board for sufficient money with which to build the but. If the south committee would provide the finance the club would erect the but. In co-operating ■ with the committee, however, they ■ wanted the club’s rights to be protected. They did not want a position to arise that when a party from the Alpine Club arrived at the hut they might find it already occupied by a -number of visiting tounsts. The chairman’s proposal that the I club should place its requests before the Park Board was agreed to. IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE. During the excursion to Dawson Falls yesterday a meeting of the South Egrnont Park Board was held, when it* was decided, to staih at once with a scheme for additions and improvements to the hostel. Another living room will be\ built for Mr Murphy, and several bathrooms and other conveniences will bo 'greeted at the back of the present building, while repairs will be made to the detached buildings at the rear of the hostel. Meimbers present were Messrs Walkley, Long, Gamlin, Cook, Messana and HookerA The question was fully discussed amd l an unanimous decision was reached. \ The members also inspected

die buddings. It was found that the old.houses at the back were in good condition, and well worth repairs, the timber being very sound.