MOUNTAIN GUIDES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 145, 22 May 1939, Page 6

MOUNTAIN GUIDES.

NEED FOR RECOGNITION. SAFETY OF PARTIES. Per Press Association. AVELLING’iON, May 22. Consideration was given, at the annual meeting of the Federation of Mountain Clubs, in Wellington on Saturday, to the need for official guides for mountaineering parties ami tor such guides fo im-ve a definite standing That there was a need for mountain guides in New Zealand being given a status that would encourage good guides to take up the work of making climbing sate was stressed by the president, Air G. G. Lockwood (Christchurch). He said that New Zealand had reached the stage when visitors could not secure reliable guides and something would have to be done. He moved that mountain clubs be recommended to take steps to get the alpine guide legislation amended land made operative. Mr A. P. Harper ( AVellington) said they had put forward a Bill, which had passed the House of Representatives only to have a clause cut out in the Legislative Council, so that it became inoperative. All they wanted was the replacement of that clause. They wanted guides to have some positive standing.

In a further discussion A[r Harper said what they wanted was to have men who were paid to take parties into dangerous country licensed, but they did not want amateurs interfered with.

Air R. B. Gray said they should make it clear their objective was to secure reliable guides for dangerous country to protect climbers who did not know the country visited and to preserve the freedom of amateur climbers. The president said the federation did not agree with the imposition of licensing of amateurs, but they should insist on licensing professionals, even if it brought about the utterly silly position of having to license amateur leaders of parties. The motion was carried without dissent.