TREES CUT BACK

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3268, 26 May 1943, Page 6

TREES CUT BACK

DAMAGE ON THE COAST REPORTED BY A RANGER COUNTY WORKMEN BLAMED At the May meeting of the Coromandel County Council the engineer' reported that Mr Rogers, one of the rangers, had reported that a council workman had cut down pohutukawa-’ trees and a number of tree ferns and native shrubs. '■ Mr Rogers had reported to him (the engineer), that when he had remonstrated with the council . employee he ha'd said he had been told to cut back the growth to clear the vis- - ion. He had been distinctly hostile. Mr Rogers had then come into town: and in the absence of the engineer, he had seen the county foreman, who also had taken up a hostile attitude, added the engineer. Mr Rogers waited on the council and intimated that, failing to get in touch with the engineer, he went to the police. He i pointed out that a case of his nature should receive severe treatment. In his opinion it was not necessary to cut back the growth for the distance that had been done. A summons had been issued against the workman, but he was apparently over-zealously or misunderstandingly doing what he was told.

As he was a Chinaman and hard to understand there may have been a lack of clearness in giving the order, but Mr Rogers asked that in.future the man be kept off that sort of work. Several councillors spoke warmly in support of Mr Rogers’ prompt action in getting the necessary steps taken with offenders of this nature.* In view of the steps recently taken by the council to appoint rangers in an; endeavour to protect the native "trees and flora it was their duty to back up . the ranger who was on the job. The matter was finally left in the hands of the chairman and engineer to view the damage and take what ®,ction was necessary.