A KOKATAHI GRIEVANCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 February 1925, Page 4

A KOKATAHI GRIEVANCE.

(To the lidilor.) Sir, Reading of a deputation in the '■Guardian ’’ of February 11th, Coiiniil Meeting 1 wish to explain the true facts. Councillor Jeffries had a good deal lo say in rescinding the grant that .Mr Cliestcrman and Mr Keenan got for Styx and Dorothy Falls track. Messrs Andrews and O’Reilly had a notice in the papers a few wees ago, stating they would prosecute any persons trespassing on their property, and notices stuck up on Mr Andrews’ property to the same effect. The track

is on a road reserve, with a small grant spent it would make the people independent of Messrs Andrews or

O’Reilly, who have had their gates locked for years; stopping the people Irom riding around the lake. Mr Andrews stated his property was fenced. '1 here are no boundary fences, only a lew chains between him and his neighbour. Councillor Jeffries riders to illicit poaching, the people who go deer stalking and oppussum trapping have licenses to go on the Crown Lands, bar mm who lived at the lake, and destroyed thousands of opossums ; they were lying dead in the hush everywhere. There are people who appreciate this wanton destruction, hut not the sport. The people intend to asrsist the police in preventing this union lid destruction of the opposum in the fnlure. As for deer stalking, the best heads arc between the Kokafahi and Hokitika Rivers. There are good specimens of deer there, so why go to the lake where most of the heads are malformed. They are only good for destroying the forest. There were two trappers who let their horses go at the top end of the lake on scenic reserve and they wandered on Mr Andrew property, lie came along and pounded them, on two different occasions, which he had no right to do. There is a person in the district that will give fJdl) a year to the Land Department for the right to graze stock - on scenic reserve and Crown Lands adjoining Messrs Andrews and O’Reilly property at the lake, for which they pay no rent or rates. So there is no difficulty in knowing why these two land-holders are objecting to the Styx and Dorothy Falls track being completed. They fear the people might stop and give their horses a feed on the scenic reserves while riding along the lake. They stated stock had been shot at the lake, it was never made public till now. There lias been shooting at Kokatalii for the last thirty years or more, and no stock was ever shot or at the lake either—that’s all bluff. These two land-holders should be compelled to fence their own property in, and if not, they should he prosecuted for grazing on scenic reserves and fencing in scenic reserves. This would make an ideal Tourist track when completed, and as it is essential to our districts, we hope it will he completed immediately. Tf the Council do not wish to assist, the people will. I am, etc., FAIR PLAY. Kokatahi. February 14th.