BEST PACK-HORSE KILLED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1532, 30 August 1912, Page 4

BEST PACK-HORSE KILLED.

h . "GORGE TRACKS WITH SUDDEN ( DEATH BELOW." Tlio Land Board is usually quite a serious body, and little arises out of their deliberations which conduces to laughter or ' even, a vagrant smile, but yesterday there were ripples of laughter when the Commissioner (Mr. T. N. Brodrick) read a letter received from a Ciwn tenant on the Wnngamii llivor, who desires betteT access to his section. The settler wrote:— "Gentlemen,—l wish to draw your attention to the so-called Gft. track in our block and to the absurdity of expecting settlers to effect improvements each year > under present circumstances. I engaged [ buslimen this season, but was unablo to , pack their camp in, as the track was completely blocked for four weeks to horses, j and could only be traversed on foot at ■ the risk of our lives. Last week I had the : doubtful pleasure of seeing my second-best , pack-horsu and four coils of wire go over [ the side of the Gft. (?) track into tlio ? gorge. At the point she was killed the . track was about 18 inches wide, with a J 100 ft. drop to the stream. Probably the Public Works Engineer thought that a little risk would help us to appreciate the generosity of the Government in giving us access to' our land. During the last five months fencing and bushfalling could only : be carried out under difficulties which could easily be obviated by a small slice " of the money no\y beini? wasted on Par; t liament House or 011 the State Maori farm at Jerusalem, where it takes six cooks for thirty men, and where pakeha ' and Maori go for rest cures. I trust that. „ the members of the board will uso any ? influence which they must and do possess : to givo reasonable means of access to Crown lands. I know there ore many " worse off than we are, but still _ gorge ~ tracks with sudden death below justify '' complaints." , ~ , Mr. Georgetti (laushing): Well, wove I nothing to do with Parliament House. ,• Mr. Ellingham: "They've stopped the work there—perhaps they are Roinf; to spend some of the money on roads. The Commissioner intimated that he thought that he might send a copy of the 5 letter to the Under-Secretary on the matc tor. lie said that his son had lost a horse in the same manner.