The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1885. A. UTILITARIAN SCHEME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 64, 17 February 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1885. A. UTILITARIAN SCHEME.

At the last meeting of the SandonCarnarvori Road Board, Warden Sanson moved the following resolution :— " That the residents of Sanson be allowed to graze cattle and horses on the streets of the said township on payment to this board of the following sums — vix.:-^-For every horso of any kind or age, Is per week, or 30s per annum ; for every head of neat cattle of any age, 9d per week, or £1 per annum sterling j and fnrther, that all those who have any part of any street or district road m said township enclosed, shall pay rent at the rate of 10s per acre per annum. In all cases, the amounts above stated to be payable half-yearly, m advance, and the year lo be from the Ist January to the 31st December. No one family to be allowed to graze more than 5 head of horses and neat daittle taken tog«ther, and that it be an instruction to the ranger, when appointed, not to impound any cattle or horses grazing on any part of the paid township, for which, payment to the oleik of the rates above stated •hjivve been made. The clerk to be paid 5 per cent, of the amount received for keepiug the necessary books, etc.; and the balance to be paid into the Bank of New Zealand, Sanswi, to the credit of the Public-hull Fund, provided the money above referred to can be applied to the object stated, and that the chairman get the written adyfee of Messrs Cash and Esam on the subject/ In proppsjng the resolution tho . mover pointed out flint there were fifty acres of streets m the township, independent of the main rond, and fifty acres of unoccnined sections. These one hundred acres would be willingly taken up by residents m Sanson for the purpose o£ grazing their cattle and horses, and thp Act gave the board power to ad mit of i>hh beipg done, JTe argued that, as was pointed out at a pnbljo meeting recently held m Sanson, if the gm<s were allowed to manure, the thoughtless act of throwing a lighted match on it when dry jnip lit sweep the whote town off by fire. With regard lo tho disposal of t|ie fupda, he thought the board bad power toc«»ry out the proposition of placing them to the credit of the Town-ball Fund.

A public hall was much needed m Snnson, ami, as an instance of the interest taken m the s.-heine lie. might nifnlion that two years ajjo a section I of land was given and subscriptions promised towards building a hail. Nine-tenths ol the residents of San.son hailed the prospect of tho resolulinn passing with some degree of satisfaction. The people themselves would be benefited, and the public at lar#» would participate m tho result Aftev considerable discussion the motion was carried. We think the scheme m one that might advantageously engage the attention of other local bodies. In several of the townships m Manawatu, the grass grows luxuriantly m the street* and thoroughfares on which tjaffic is not great, and also ou absentee sections ; and m the autumn the dry herbage becomes a source of danger through accidental ignition. On the principle lhat nothing should be wasted, the herbage on those unused streets or unoccupied sections should be; put to any use that would not become a nuisance, and which, as m tho scheme referred to above, would prove ti source of revenue to the local body. It will be interesting to noto how the new proposal works m the future'; and it is not uulikely that m other places similarly circumstanced local legislation may be framed with the combined objects m view of turning waste pastures within town boimdar ies to serviceable account, diminishing the danger of disastrous visitations by fire, and increasing ihe revenue from previously unutilised sources.