THE SUMMIT ROAD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16582, 20 June 1914, Page 18

THE SUMMIT ROAD.

£ progress of the work. MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. A meeting of members of tho Summit Road Association was held in the Cadona rooms last evening. Mr G. ■ Harper (chairman) presided, and there ivas a good attendance of ladies and gentlemen. • COMMITTEE'S RETORT. I The committee, iu a report dealing with the term since the previous gen- ] oral meeting was held, stated that, considerable work had been done, lhe, booklet suggested at the last meeting had been published and highly praised. Mr ’S. Hurst Seager, the honorary ar-| chitect to the Association, had designcd a house for Kennedy’s Bush reserve and Messrs J. and W. Jamieson had generously advanced the whole ot the money required to erect tho building, tho stone for which was taken from a deposit near /the site. The Board m 'charge of’the reserve had appointed a caretaker, raid refreshments were supplied to visitors. Many of the business peoplo of Christchurch had generously made contributions towards furnishing the house. Two fine springs at Cooper’s Knob reserve had been fenced iu, and through the gift of tho Hon K. H. Rhodes a pretty drinking fountain : had been erected in stone, v aluahlo additions to the reserves along tne Summit Road had been secured. Air R. M. D. Morten had presented .Aliuriri Bush reserve of twenty-seven acres, and tho Hon R. H. Bbodes had given Cass’s Peak Bush reserve. Mr Robert Allan had presented a pretty piece of bush near Cass s z Peak, and a gift of CoO bv Mr A. .E. G. Rhodes, supplemented bv a Government subsidy and aided bv generous terms conceded by Mr Walter F. Parkinson, had secured a very beautiful piece of bush at the northern ■ head of Kaituna. Valley. Through A handsome donation, supported by the granting of easy terms, three areas ot • beautiful native bush in Kaituna v alley equalling about seventy acres, had been secured, but a large part of the nurehase money had yet to bo found. Cooper’s Knob Hill was now a public reserve, acquired by exchange, thanks to the Hon R. H. Rhodes. An area of ' about seventy acres, including about fifteen acres of bush, had been acqnued, and also an area of about thirty / acres. These two areas had been added to Kennedy’s Bush reserve, and formed a link'with Hoon Hay reserve, so that a fine reserve now’existed, extending the whole length from the east face of Hoon Hay Hill to the south face of Cass’s Peak Hill. The Hon F. Massey had authorised tho grading and survey of the Summit Road from Cooper’s Knob, the present terminus to the • Port Levy-Kaituna Pass by way of the south face of Mount Herbert. [he road would run round the head ot Kaituna Valiev, and would afford a succession of 'beautiful views, and would pass through some fine areas of native bush which would add a great charm to The balance-sheet showed that the income during the year from Mav - 1913, to May 31. 1914. was £2OB 2s 6d, and the expenditure £643 6s Bd, leaving a balance (lue to the bank ot £l* 4s 2d. The assets were set- down at £39 11s Bd. and the liabilities at

£1206 3s Bd. , , . i In moving that the report and bal-ance-sheet should be adopted, the chair- « mail explained that the large sum on V. the liabilities side was due largely to the purchase of reserves, tor which the • Association was only nominally bab e. Tiie reserves would he vested m the King. Messrs J. and V .Jamieson and Mr loe, and the Hon H. F J W who had given a guarantee at the bank in order to purchase the reserves, h> been verv good to the Association. In Association depended mainly on subscriptions and donations, and he hoped that those would be given generously thia vear. It was hoped that before long a motor road would be made, right upto Kennedy’s Bush. Tbe Association had begun in a small way in 1909, anci now it was doing an excellent work. ve ars to come posterity would thank small band of workers who established it.

ADDRESS BY MR ELL. , M r H G. Ell, M.P., seconded the motion. He said he hoped that future generations would keep in remembr«£ those who were working for the Association. In doing that work they wer following in the footsteps of the pioneers of tho eaily hfties. sociation, in fact, was attendmgtotke interests of those who would come at ter The work was being largely extended, and its progress was demonstrated by the recent acquisitions at Kaituna. * He wished to specially mention the Hon R. H. Rhodes the Hon H. F. Wigram and Messrs J. and W. Jamieson, R. E. M Dougall, A. E. L. llhcdes. R. Allen, S.. H. teeager and ■ C. H. Gilby in returning thanks, me I, ands Department had given very valuable services to the Association in a very courteous manner. In A tew years the Association would possess a track running on the tops of the lulls from Christchurch to Akaroa. hoped that it would always resist et- ' f o rts to introduce, pin us msigms and - macrocarpa on to the res ? r '’ e ,®' Native flax', tussock, fern, shrubs and trees were 'wanted. He would hko to c ee a walk made undor certain cliffs overlooking Lyttelton Harbour, near .. Kennedy’s Bush and Cooper s Rnoh. There was some bush on the sout : eastern face of the Sugarloal Hill, lhe • land was under offer to the Association, and he hoped that it would be acquired. Alpine plants and other native plants could be introduced therm He hoped that more young men and voung ladies would take part in the ’ Association’s work. Those who were engaged in it felt great satisfaction at the results of then; abour. The * Association was deeply indebted to Mr Gilby, the enthusiastic secretary, who was giving very valuablo services. | DR CHILTON’S PRAISE. Dr Chilton said that the Association had a record of splendid achievement. The value of the reserves acquired was far in excess of the items on the liabilities side of the balance-sheet. In any case, the members of the Association would have every confidence in it as long as‘Mr Ell was behind it. (Applause)” The reserves should be maintained in their native state. On me ' hills near Christchurch there were plants that could be seen nowhere else ‘ in the world. The best way to secure „ the expansion of Christchurch was to make it attractive. That could be done - by supporting such an organisation as the Summit Road Association. The people of Christchurch needed a broader -j physical outlook. They could get that ’ by going up on the hills, and a broader i physical outlook led to a broader mental outlook. -! interesting plant life.

! Mr R. M. Laing suid that when tho road was linked up to the Hill Top Hotel, on the way to Akaroa, it would give access to the summits of the highest hills on Banks Peninsula. There could be found many interesting alpine and sub-alpine plants. On the top or / ■Mount Sinclair there was a very fine view. The people did not half realise the value the road would be to Christchurch. As soon as they realised the boon conferred on them the Associa- ' tion would progress even more rapidly than it had done in the past. Mr Ell said that the road after leaving Cooper’s Knob would go through 1 s piece of virgin forest at Kaituna, ; 300 acres in area. If it ever happened jtbat ho was unablo to attend to the of the Association, he hoped

that its officers would 6ee that no road more than twelve feet wide was made through any of the forests. It was a great mistake to make forest roads a chain wide. They robbed the walk or drive of all its beauty and glory. Tho chairman said that it was not the annual meeting of tho Association, and that tho report was merely an interim one. Tho annual meeting would be hold in September. . A vote of thanks was passed to the officers on the motion of Mr Laing, special reference being made to Mr Ell's services.

The business was followed by a programme of songs, instrumental selections and recitations, those contributing being Mrs L. L. Cordciy, Misses Alice and Annie Gibb, and Messrs L. L. Cordery, .T. Mercer, Clarke, Carter, D. Adams, F. Macdonald. On the motion of Mr J. C. Anderson a vote of thanks was passed to the performers.