THE PEOPLE'S COLUMN.

Northern Advocate, 18 June 1925, Page 6

THE PEOPLE'S COLUMN.

[Our columns are quite open to the public for the discussion of matters of public concern. We invite correspondence, but do not identify ourselves with the views expressed by our correspondents. —Ed.]

STRAYING STOCK ON COUNTY

EOADS,

(To the Editor)

Sir, —The want of rangers to clear the stock off our roads is much and increasingly felt. The use of the long paddock by all and sundry when grass is short in paddocks has been greatly abused and needs control. Take any night in the milking season, and one bumps into milking cows with a cat or any vehicle, especially towards Hukerenui and To wai, or between Waiohi and Whakapara. The universal squatter with open gates, farms the universe. Pigs root on the sides of the graded road, cattle tear down the banks, and Councillors, being stock-owners themselves, like Ithuriel with his spear, touch very lightly on these subjects at. Council meetings. The traffic inspector, if von furnish a complaint, wants a date, and a witness and when supplied with day and date and witness, starts thinking furiously that lie has too much to do. The game goes merrily on—like our roads, is left to Providence to look after, and as Providence has fixed nature with immutable laws, which do not follow engineering alignment, but are like the wind, which bloweth where it listeth, our roads are great. In the Bay of Islands Courity on the Akarama Hill, shingle was placed last summer, and the. traffic is right through into the clay. The Whangarei County end of it, nineteen chains, is a veritable quagmire, and towards Hukerenui the metal wants raking in as it is getting rutty, and the overflow bridge, at Waiohu is slowly washing away. The dip between the two bridges is almost impassable.. But we have hopes of an earthquake raising the road if it happens along to shake things up a bit. All these things, like the dream of Gerontius, will happen tomorrow. —I am, etc.,

RATEPAYER