NATIONAL PARK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22352, 25 February 1936, Page 10

NATIONAL PARK

EXTENSION URGED CONSERVATION OF FOREST PRESERVATION FROM MILLING [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Monday Reference to the needs and future of Tongariro National Park was made today by a deputation from tho Federated Mountain Clubs to the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, and other Ministers concerning tho control of New Zealand's national parks. Mr. F. W. Vosseler said Tongariro National Park was destined to be, if it was not so already, the great recreation area of the North Island. Twenty years ago he spent a fortnight there without, after tho first day, seeing a single person, but to-day the park was visited by thousands. In a decade it would bo visited by tens of thousands. Urging that the Government should do everything possible to preserve this wonderful park in as natural a state as possible, Mr. Vosseler said they would like to see activity in forest conservation, particularly in the area round about Otuku, on the slopes of Tongariro, where tho lands were nativeowned. Some of the timber had been milled and it seemed likely that all privately-owned forest lands in that area would bo cleared in the near future. Future of Ketetahi It could be truthfully stated, he added, that many of tho Hoods they had been reading about lately had been greatly aggravated because of forest denudation in high country. Surely it was better to spend money on parks and forest preservation than to spend it at regular intervals in repairing flood damage. "We would like very much," said Mr. Vosseler, "to see in the National Park all that area in the direction of the mountains, and bounded by the National Park Road to where it connects with the desert road to Waiouru, as well as some areas of land that exist between the reserves on the western side. We do not think this would involve great sums of money and we think a reasonable expenditure would be well justified. "There is also a small native-owned area at Ketetahi, where the mineral springs are, and, should opportunity offer, we should like to see this become Crown property. Before very long it is likely there will be a branch of the Chateau there and this spot will become famous as a health resort." Menace of Deer Mr. Vosseler also urged that the deer menace should not be overlooked. Although some people regarded the position as not yet serious, it very quickly would become so. Deer were fairly numerous in certain areas. It was on departmental record that two men near Erua in their sporting leisure hours one year shot 102 animals. It was said deer were most prolific in the Kaimanawas and Kakaramea and Pihanga areas. Thus it would be seen that the menace was a very real one and growing in intensity. Referring to huts, Mr. Vosseler said the Waihohonu Hut was in a very bad condition. There seemed to be an opinion among trampers, who said they paid fairly substantial sums for accommodation there, that nothing at all was spent on it, and that the building was rapidly going to ruin. The building of huts at high altitudes or in remote sections should be encouraged, as these were safety valves. More Unified Control Urged First-class ambulance equipment, including stretchers, should be maintained at the Chateau and all the huts, and kept in a proper state, Mr. Vosseler added. This should be the responsibility of the chief guide. The park had been starved financially for years. • The deputation advocated more unified control of the national parks, recommending a central controlling authority consisting of 10 members and the Minister as chairman. Five members would be Government departmental representatives, and tho other five representatives of the users of the parks, the latter to include two appointed by the Federation of Mountain •Clubs. The Ministers expressed sympathy with the objects of the deputation, but made it clear that there was not much hope of the Government giving a lot of money away for parks, as it was dealing at the moment with what might be described as bread and butter problems. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry, said the work of destroying deer would bo prosecuted much more vigorously than in the past.