A DANGER TO THE CITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 989, 2 December 1910, Page 4

A DANGER TO THE CITY.

TEE GOESE "NUISANCE. Referring to • the gorse nuisance on t&a, Town Belt,. the Eeserves Committee r<w commended fo the City Council last ing that provision be made, on next year's estimates for the expenditure' of .£looa for gorso grabbing on the Town Belt,, and that the gaiig of four men engaged;, in this, work should be kept on at present. In an accompanying recommendation, it was urged that Town Belt sections should be resumed, cleared of gorse* and then re-leased. Councillor Barber suggested that & I comprehensive scheme should be "adopted in regard .to the Town Belt. Propertyowners might be invited to carry' out planting on portions of the Belt adjoining their property. The speaker would, undertake to say that all the propertyownors, from the Infectious Disease's Hospital to Coromandel Street,. would agree, . if. permitted, to fence in a small-strip . of the reserve, to plant and keep it in order. . Councillor Shirtdiffe strongly objected to-the sn?fostion raised by Councillor ■■■.Tiber. The gorse question was more: serious than was realised. . Unless immediate steps were taken, the council • might ultimately.have.to raise, a loan to clear this gorse away. It "was a serious danger to the- city. : Councillor Trevor suggested that work- v ers past their prime might be employed in clearing gorse. . ■ ' . . Councillor Luke said the Eeserves Committee was.making the best possible use of available resources. The only way to bring this matter to finality was to resume the sections, clear the gorse, and then re-lease them in small areas to people ivho would keep them clear. It was idle to sneer at the Eeserves Committee' as if it had plenty of money, aafl had not made the best use of it. If the- . committee had .not the confidence of tns council, lot some councillor put the committee on its trial. . Councillor M'Laren agreed that the committee was doing the best it could. ■. The recommendations of the committee were approved as submitted. On the motion of Councillor Luke it was agreed that any prosecutions pending against tenants failing to clear gorse should be suspended until the next meeU ing of the committee. . .