MOUNT EGMONT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12439, 17 December 1903, Page 5

MOUNT EGMONT.

If anything lis to' be done in the direction ; ot attracting tourists to Mount Egmont and making the best ti.se of it as a pleasure , and healthful resort, it' seems certain that private enterprise will.hay? to step in. The efforts of the '"Government through the Tourist Department, are mainly concentrated upon the Rotbrua district ami the Southern Alps, so that very little assistance tan be expected from that quarter; at any rate for some years. In the meantime golden 1 opportunities - ,are being lost. . The tourist traffic, which has - already reached large" proportions and which is certain to grow very rapidly- in the immediate future, passes by Taranaki simply because our . uttrac|ions are not sufficiently..,known and that thereis not proper" accommodation, ' particularly on Mount Egniont, which is and must remain our trump card. Strenuous, efforts' have" been made' ;to induce the" Tourist .Department to take the matter in hand, but the Department is so taken up^ with other parts of "the colony" that it has neither time nor .money to ! do much* here. Consequently it depends, very much upon ourselves whether the magnifi- , cent asset _we . possess .in Mount Eg-., mont is to be macte the most of, or,j whether we are to go en' aa we, have j done, indifferent *• whether' tourists I come, or ' "whether we take full advantage, ourselves of the benefit and pleasure a short residence on the mountain slopes afford^. With a j view of endeavouring to meet the j want of a really comfortable and up- j to-date house, a movement is being initiated by Mr Standish, who has armeh himself , with .a -'lot of information as to the cost of erecting and carrying on a first-class ' hotel there, | providing proper means of access to j it, and other details. This information will shortly be laid before the public, when, it is hoped the matterwill be warmly' taken, up and before another summer . comes the house will be > an accomplished fact. A preliminary meeting of "persons interested will bo heltl- at Messrs Standish andKerr's f ofßce o"n> Monday next, at 4.' p.m. •