The Star.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 278, 24 July 1882, Page 2

The Star.

MONDAY, JULY 2i, 1882. FENCING RAILWAY LINES.

Complaints are made of the heavy losses inflicted on settlers on the Mountain Road through the railway line being left unfenced. By calculations made by settlers at Inglewood, it has been ascertained that cattle to the value of £350 are known to have been destroyed by the engine within the past two years, one man alone, losing £50 worth. No doubt many others have been killed but not recorded. It is evident that this sum would more than pay interest on the capital required to fence the line. Two barbed wires run along the trees by the side of the • railway would m most cases be quite sufficient to keep cattle from, straying on to the line. Such a fence could probably be erected for about £40 per mile for each side. Assuming that there are twenty-five miles of unprotected line, the total cost of fencing it, as suggested would only be about £2000, which, considering the saving effected both to the public and to the Government, would be a judicious expenditure. It has been suggested that throughout the land already sold the Government and the settlers should divide the. cost of fencing. Seeing that the land was sold subject to a railway line running through it, the suggestion seems a one. The Government (like the gods) are generally willing to help those who help themselves.