CORRESPONDENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 742, 3 February 1915, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Letters for publication, and articles for insertion must be accompanied (not necessarily for publication), by the name of the writer, and, provided they are not offensive in any way, will be lublished as space permits. The Editor does not identify himself with the opinions expressed by correspondents, and accepts no responsibility for them. The Editor. Sir,-~ln your issue of January 20th I note a report re the Mangakowhai metalling job. If the chairman will trouble to come out and inspect the Mangakowhai road I think he will come to the conclusion that we have a just cause of complaint. The contract was for 2200 yards of metal at 6s Sd Der yard, which would give ub a dressing of nine inches of metal nine feet wide. Now, sir, if the metal was cut, say, every chain, and an average taken, we have not got an averagu depth of seven inches; at places it is only three or four inches, and, besides, some extra had to be crushed to finish tha job. I should like to know where is the metal that has been paid for. as it is not on the road. The scandalous manner in which this road has been metalled otight to be enough to condemn the Council's present system of metalling, as it is open to serious abuse without redress, as in the present case. Under the old system, if the metal was found to be too thin, the contractor was required to put more on before the job was passed. Would it not be a better way to call tenders for a certain depth of metal. It would not matter how full the contractor filled his drays, or what number of loads he took out, the quantity would have to be put on before the job was passed. The Council could still put on men to spread the metal if they wished. Then, as to size of metal, there is much of it on the Mangakowhai that would not pass through a six-inch ring, and it will require to bo napped by hand before the job is finished. And where are the screenings that were to be put on? The engineer's estimate of this job was £9OO, and it has already cost £IOOO, and it will cost much more before the job is finished aB it ought to be. —I am, etc. ARTHUR SAVILLE.

The Editor. Sir,-—I have seen various reports in the Chronicle and elsewhere, re Californian thistle and ragwort. To my mind the Act ought to be strictly enforced. It is hard, after one has spent days in cutting ragwort on his own place to see it blooming like the rose on neighbour's, and by the road aids; for, go where you will in this district, the ugly yellow flower is evident, and nothing being done by the authorities to enforce the Act. Has it became inoperative, or are the "powers that, be" asleep? I know sheep men tell us that it is nothing to ba alarmed at; that sheep will keep it down; but I notice on these same men's places some of?- it in bloom. It would not be so bad if they would keep their seed at home, but they allow it to blow far and wide, and it is the small holder that is to suffer; the man that milks and can't run sheep. As this is becoming a great dairying district, more care must be taken to keep this pest down. As.regards thistle it has not got a great holi yet, and if the Act was enforced and everyone doing their best to eradicate it by cutting it often below the surface it would soon die out, but I notice in this case also it is the large holder that wants to do nothing. I notice a letter rabbits. These are nothing to fear compared to the above weeds, and, with the plough and the fumigator, these are easily overcome. —I am, etc., SETTLER.