DROVING YARDS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 89, 1 May 1937, Page 19

DROVING YARDS

Neglect and Disrepair of County Paddocks ACTI0N Is URGED As a way out frpm the complaints made regarding the condition of droving paddocks, eertain members of the Hawke's Bay County Council a shorfc thne ago attributed thq disrepair to dealCrs ' stock. Members overjooked that a very large pereentage of the stock they were referring had been purchased from settlers who were xatepayers in the county. Advantage is taken hy many to graze quiet roads while waiting for the saies ahd hy clearing np feed before it gets to the roughage state mere good than harm is done to the roadsides. Dealers, however, do not enjoy a monopoly of the grazing of the "long acres" and it fcannot be fairly asserted that fhey have more than their share. The trading of stock is the lifeblood to most of the settlers in the eountfy and what is to their advantage in good marketing, though it be through the medium of dealers, it is to tho indirect advantage of the council. Drover Inconvenienced. Little, however, has since been done in th© way of repair to any of the yards. A few nightg ago a drover wanted to put a moh of fat bullocks intp the yards at Allen's corner, Pakowhai, for the night when he found tfiat this was not possible owing to the dilapidated state of the railings. This eaused him considerable ineonvenienpe, espeeially in view of the careful driye that he was glving the ''bullocks m order that they kill out at the works in their best condition. At the Fernhill yards recently a line of dealers' cows were piit into one of the yards where a nurnber of tins had been deposited. One of the cows got her tail tangled in one of the tins and the rattling which took place cansed the mob to take fright and stampede, breaking. through the yards. One of the cows, in rolling over, was jumped on by another and had to be destroyed. The dealers who owned the cows, at their own expense, fully repaired th© damage done, putting in new railings. The job that they made of it was an example of how repairs should he made to such yards. Loss to Farmers. This incident was responsible for a loss of saveral ponnds and if greater supervision was kept over the yards it Would not have occurred. With the big increase made in its rates last year the condition of these yards is far from heing a credit to the council. A poliey appears to have been adopted of waiting to see if the Assoeiated Auctioneers or the freezing companies will make a move. Mean* while those obliged to use the yards are inconvienced and deprived of iaeilities that should he at their disposal. . • The present position is very unsatisfaetory and attention with a view to placing all holding yards in at least usable condition is long overdue.