MENACE AT OHOPE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 96, 4 December 1939, Page 4

MENACE AT OHOPE

Sir, —"Fire and Disease" exposes in your columns a real yearly menace at Ohope. The Council should gi>ve its ratepayers first consideration and not allow holidaying travelling strangers to be a danger and a nuisance to its ratepayers. Apart from the danger of camp fires and of disease the holidaying nomads of the reserve mentioned cut down the bush for firing and break down fences in their clambering about to get water. These nomads are much like the gypsies of the old land and, believe me, they act as if they were the owners, of the place. They are not paupers and could well afford to pay the small charge at the proper camping place. Goodness knows we Oliope ratepay. ers pay enough rates to the council (upwards of £450 a year) and we deserve protection—the nomads pay nothing neither rates nor charges. Surely the Council must know it is the right thing to protect our beautiful seaside, our property and ourselves from the menace of these travelling illegal occupiers. If any of these reserves are fenced for goodness sake let them remain so. All reserves should be fenced, leased and used until such time as the purpose for which they were set apart required them. They should not be allowed to become waste land—a weed menace to the whole district. I have myself dug up and removed ragwort from two of these reserves.

Yours etc.. RATEPAYER No. 2.