A STOKES'S VALLEY GRIEVANCE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 10

A STOKES'S VALLEY GRIEVANCE.

-. : ; Sir,^ffllowjm§.-co : ;craye,W in/the/columnsi/of :'your valuable /paper. : with .'a, : view of: ventilatrng the following /grievance. -'■' :M ■ ih'e" "present : ' time 51 , 'the' taxpayer /is /./oalletf •'•upon; 1 .'t0'... contribute '.large .sums .vto the 'upkeep of -an' Jlrmy of: inspectors;/' In i a«t,' we havez inspectors ■for everything—weeds/', noxious .'and 'otherwise, .dairies, orchaids,,' etc :■ If ; ,a" luckless farmer is .unfortunate"'enough' to/;possess r a ; few \fruit trees which show the-slightest signiof disease, imaginary . or; sroalj -he is •imEnediatoly palled .'on' toeither -destroy ittto trees, or go 'to the expense.;anfl.trouble' of litigation.-/ Yet, ; sir,,-wiile 1 the. are''so dras-;tic;-ibn;;!tho;.matter/ mentioned,-.'a pest .which ;is. far-. ,nior£l formidable.--than .'the codlin' in/undoubted menaqq; to the farmers : qf,,the district, is practice 'ally '.'.'winked.;at. ,u '';''l:refer ■' to /the/man-' rrer.;'in /'.which 'acres and : acres of' gorse", is/ allowed io spread' itself uiicheoked•inzthe district.'of . Stokes's: Valley,, in spite" of the';fact that the;attention', of the /district inspector, and-also that of' the.:- Department, has been {repeatedly drawn to tho-faob; The farmers at the. .tpp'.e'nd of-t'he vhlley have'so; far buc"ceeded 'in,keeping.the pest. back, from their. i boundaTies,>]while.i certain Settlers at the-lower end Mars 'completely, "overrun'/with it, /and tare, taking absolutely no action to ikeep : it in. check,', while it is'j-apidly gaining, ground..:; On certain' .portions' 'bf. 'the - rabid in winter time. W findj/it /necessary /lib / either wade : ' over 'our/ boot tqps':throi!(gh- a ,bog or/patibntly.'.engineer our way* through almost *a'penetrable; patches '■■pi' gorse,,- either■ of ; which; is.,decidedly lunpleasaht. ; The"', present ./deplorable: state "of affairs is unques'tibnably due:'4b the negligence of certain /settlers, -'•aqpentuate'd /.by the apatn'et'io'marmer'/iii) which'the Depart-ment-on the one hattd, and the: County Council on the-other;are performing the. they are being paid./' Hoping it/fiat- lam/not tresspassing : too*, much'' on /.'your. raliiaulo' ' space.—L am, etc., v .'. ::.//::;...', ...-l-fPEEPLEXEA.:.":;.":-