Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 18S7. A Word to our Public Bodies.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2030, 25 February 1887, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 18S7. A Word to our Public Bodies.

A letter appears in another column, written by a Morrison’s Bush settler, who has suffered considerably by grass fires. We are thoroughly in accord with his sentiments, and consider that the Greytown Borough Council should have acted in accordance with the suggestion made by us and by a correspondent, who quoted what was done under similar circumstances in Australia. The matter was talked over at the last meeting of the Council, but it dropped—no decision was come to. There is considerable danger in having so much long dry grass growing in our less frequented streets. A spark falling amongst it would probably cause such a fire that before help could be rendered, valuable properties might be consumed. Should such a disaster occur, we think that the Council will not be without blame in the matter. This long growth of dry grass should not be allowed, and when it is considered how acceptable it would be just now, as feed for cattle and sheep, liberty should be given to their owners to run them under proper supervision during certain hours If a cricket field, or reserve of any kind, was being overgrown with grass, the owner of sheep would be asked as a favor to put his sheep in to eat it down. But our streets may be a source of danger and continue so until there is a conflagration, and then doubtless, the town regulations will be relaxed. Consider • ing the losses of the settlers also, we consider that public bodies should show a little sympathy. What our Morrison’s Bush correspondent says about fences being down is quite true. Many chains of fencing runuing along the public road are gone and it is rather hard that in addition to spending days and nights in keeping down the fires they should be in jeopardy lest their cattle should be run into the pound for trespassing on a public road. We trust that a discretionary power will be given to the difierent rangers, and that this power will be be made known to the settlers.