FENCES ON RAILWAY LINES STILL UNDER DISCUSSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 October 1947, Page 4

FENCES ON RAILWAY LINES STILL UNDER DISCUSSION

[SPECIAL REPORTER] REEFTON; This Day.

The difference of opinion between members of the Inangahua County Council and the resident civil engineer. of the Railways Department at Greymouth (Mr W. E. Puddy), concerning the maintenance of fences along railway lines shows no signs of being resolved. A further letter from Mr Puddy was received by the council at its meeting yesterday and evoked some sharp criticism of the department’s attitude from Cr B. Topp.

“On August 30,” stated the letter from Mr Puddy, “a herd of stock at Rotokohu trespassed on to. the railway line and six cows were killed. These were reported as part of a wandering herd unclaimed by anybody and apparently they have been breeding in the bush at the back of Mr Payne’s property at Rotokohu for a few years.” Stock A Menace “Due to the poor condition of the farmers’ fences in this locality,” continued the letter, “the stock have been wandering about the countryside and are considered a menace. I would be pleased to know if your council could take some action in preventing. this stock from wandering.” Cr Topp: Who wrote that? ' The clerk (Mr C. A. Belcher): Mr Puddy, the resident engineer. Mr Topp: Why ask the farmers, to fix their fences. Why not fix the department’s first? The department wants to look at the state of its own fences before writing letters like that. . The chairman (Cr J. J. Coghlan) said he did not know who owned the cattle referred to in the letter. He believed that Mr Payne’s stock was sold during the war and apparently the herd came out. of . the bush occasionally. Cr. F. W. Archer said he thought it., was the department’s own fences which were at fault.

Burning-off Proposal Cr Topp agreed and added that he thought it was time that the department adopted a policy of using a flame-thrower to burn down the growth alongside the fences during the autumn. months, instead of letting it grow and then have it catch fire and burn the fences. “It is all very fine writing a letter like that, but the department should look at its own fences,” he concluded. Cr Archer moved that the council inform Mr Puddy that it considered that the department should fix its own fences.

“And that will stop the stock from getting on to the lines,” commented Cr A. W. Bell. The motion was seconded by the chairman, and carried.