THOUGHTLESS NEGLECT AND SELFISHNESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 3, 4 July 1939, Page 8

THOUGHTLESS NEGLECT AND SELFISHNESS

(To the - editor,) ! Sir^After a motor tour in almost) any part of New Zealand one is h>i elined to believe that we are becoming a careless, thriftless, selfish people, without any appreciation of the wonderful beauty of our country. Motor 7 ists, cyclists, trampers, and picnic parties 'leave a trail of litter wherever they stop to camp QF. payge for regt, 'i The roadsides' and beaches, practically from one end of New Zealand to the other, are littered with papers, peelings, empty cigarette packets, tins, bottles, and all odds and ends that are of no further use. Having managed to carry these when full, surely they could carry them away again when empty and*place them in rubbish receptacles, or at least bury them, So -many inviting*looking places by the wayside, where one could rest in the sunshine, are found on ciagej? investigation to b§ littered with dirty-looking papers, rags, and old straw, etc, left by campers or picnic parties, All these papers and un« sightly rubbish, if brought back to the rubbish receptacles, are put to some useful purpose by the local authorities, Surely It is-an easy matter to collect the odds and ends and leave places clean for those who com© after, Again, passing by farm landi one sees the same want of care. It Is a common sight to see expensive agrleul« tural machinery lying in the fleJdi rusting and the fields a mass of thistles, gorse, or blackberry, One wonders, are there no men available on the farms to keep the machinery in order and save waste or to clear the fields; or is it just thriftiessness? Road overseers and makers of roads are also amongst the class of road-users who seem to have no eye for beauty and order. When making roads through beautiful bush, why need the near view be so utterly spoiled by masses of dead trees and branches which have been cut to clear tho way for the road construction? While the men have the horses and drays on the spot it would not take much time,of effort to remove these to the camps, where they could be used for flres, and when breaking camp what remained could bo burnt up with other refuse. Unsightly tar containers coul*d also be removed instead of being left in heaps to rust on the roadside,' The curse of the blackberry seems to escape the eye of the road overseer, too, I have driven for miles looking for a place alongside the road where it would be possible to get out and have luncheon, but have had to stay in the car on the bitumen, as the blackberry was quite impenetrable, The menace of the blackberry is becoming as serious a problem as the deex 1, as it is encroaching and spreading through the forest lands, and will be even harder to deal with, as to attempt to burn it would mean the immediate destruction of the forests. Surely forest rangers should have pointed out the very grave consequences to the country if steps are not taken to eradicate this pest, which is threatening to smother the forests and create waste lands. The happy, joyous freedom of the roads and beaches and the enjoyment of beautiful places are being taken from us through our own thoughtless neglect and careless selfishness. Can anything be done about it? Can our beautifying societies take up the matter with city councils, road boards, and the Government in an endeavour to clear away hideous dumps, advertising signs, rubbish, and noxious weeds from our highways and beauty spots? Can something be done to educate people to outdoor cleanliness?—! am, etc,, v,c.