STRAY CATTLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 11

STRAY CATTLE.

SERIOUS MEXACE AT TAKAPU>~A.

Great danger and annoyance, are caused in connection with the Takapuna tramways sen-ice owing to ttny cattle and i horses wandering on to tbe line at nighttime. The fact was brought into prominence at an inquest held at Takapuna yesterday touching the death of an old man who was run over by the engine on Wednesday night. The manager of the company stated at the inquest that although only one engine was in use, no less than seren lifeguards, costing £8 .it-piece., .had had. to be.constructed, as the result of the frequent damage caused through cattle coming into- contact with the lifeguards on dark nights.' There' wat a great deal of goree lining the roadways, which harboured the animals. As many ac four lifeguards had been smashed in two days, Time and time again owing to the negligence of their owners hoTses bad strayed on to the track, and it was th? greatest difficulty in the world to detect who the owners were. Speaking to a '-Star" representative after tho inquest the manager stated that the company had been compelled to pay the expenses of ' burying three horses which had been killed, and the owner* of which were not forthcoming. On more than one occasion at night time he had gone along the track and cleared it of straying animals, in order that the public safety might be guarded.