BITUMEN THROUGH FOREST PRIMEVAL

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6902, 7 May 1929, Page 7

BITUMEN THROUGH FOREST PRIMEVAL

Opened by Prime Minister

GOATS ON RESERVES MENACE TO TARANAKI

EXTERMINATION ESSENTIAL.

Per Perss Association,

NEW PLYMOUTH, Last Night.

Till) Prime minister to-day opened the new bitumen sealed road to North Eguiont mountain house, 3{ miles through primeval bush. The cost was £7OOO, half of which was a loan raised by the New Plymouth Borough Council under a special Act on behalf of the !National Park Board and the ether half .fc.und by the Government. The day. w.as gloriously line. Sir Joseph spoke apprcciately of the line public spirit shown by the people of the district in developing the mountain resources and the .desire of the Government to assist in such good work, a l so of the beautiful bush in tftrpark. The chairman of the Park Board (Mr, T. C. List) stated that the good road had already justified itself, by the added revenue accruing being sufficient already to pay interest and sinking fund on the loan.

One of tho greatest problems before the board was exterminating goats from the reserves. Bangers had during the past few months shot over 600 near the road, blit thousands more were devouring the floor of the forest and barking trees up to 24 inches in diameter.. If the work was hot vigorously pushed, tho goats would destroy the whole vegetation and forest, leading to the drying up of the present catchment areas and ruining Taranaki as a rich pastoral province. The board had recently commenced reafforesting its open land, having planted 110,000 trees and it hoped to continue the work and provido work for unemployed in tho winter.