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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 43, 17 March 1877, Page 2

Many are the annoyances and troubles which settlers m a new district have to put up with, before rules awl regulations to secure order and good government m the- community can be framed, and when framed, can be made to work smoothly, without inflicting undue hardship upon individuals whilst preserving the safely and ensuring

the comfort of the public. The inconvenience and even danger occasioned to travellers by wandering cattle upon our country roads has been frequently alluded to m our correspondence and local columns ; but, notwithstanding, complaints have continued to reach us from time to time from those who have suffered m some way or other from the nuisance m question. It has been stated that these wandering animals will sometimes make a rush m advance of a vehicle, and despite every effort made to pass them will continue to obstruct the thoroughfare for miles. The greatest danger, however, appears to exist at night when cattle lie down alongside and even m the middle of the roadways. On a dark night it is certainly at the risk of life and limb that an indifferent horseman rides an animal given to shying upon any of our country roads ; and we have heard of more than one serious accident m the neighbourhood attributable to this cause. It would no doubt be thought a hardship by those owning cattle, and who are possessed of but small plots of land, to be denied the privilege of running their stock upon the highways. It may be argued, too, that a large quantity of feed that would assuredly go to waste were this privilege denied to settlers is now advantageously used, and further that the animals running at large do a certain good m keeping down a superabundant vegetation, and iv this way save the Road Board some expense. But whilst m themselves these arguments are reasonable enough, there are more cogent reasons on the other side for putting down such a practice. When cattle are allowed to roam at will upon the highways by night as well as by day, they not only obstruct the traffic upon those highways, but, upon our narrow country roads, bounded as is generally the case by a deep ditch on either side, they seriously endanger human life. Therefore, though we are prepared to admit that it would inflict a hardship upon settlers m struggling circumstances to be denied the use of the road sides whereon to depasture their cattle, we see that by continuing such privileges to them the public convenience is interfered with ; and serious accidents have happened aud ma}' still happen as a consequence if the practice be allowed to continue. Moreover the damage done to roads and drains by animals at large upon the highways is far iv excess of the good done by them m keeping down rank vegetation. It must also be admitted that some settlers are more industrious and painstaking than others, and the settler who has expended money and labour m providing sufficient paddock accommodation for his stock is placed at a disadvantage if his less painstaking neighbour be permitted without restraint of any kind to turn his cattle at large. It is a well known fact that wandering cattle frequently commit depredations by breaking down tolerably secure fences, aud trespassing upon enclosed pastures and crops ; so that m the interests of the careful and painstaking settler, as well as m those of the public generally, it is desirable that the practice of turning cattle out upon the roads should be discontinued. We observe from the minutes of the last meeting of the Manawatu Highway Board that the Board has had its attention drawn to this subject by one of its members, and has resolved to bring the provisions of the Impounding Act into force on the various road lines m the district by posting up notices m conspicuous places thereon. We think that the action of the Board m adopting this course is m every way commendable. It has taken a wise step, and is deserving of the thanks of the public and of those settlers m wdiose interest it is acting.