STRAYING CATTLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1916, Page 3

STRAYING CATTLE.

AN ENERGETIC RANGER. The nuisance arising from cattle straying on roads is an evergreen subject of discussion at meetings of local bodies, and the Parihaka Road Board has been no exception. Complaints have been rife that not only do cattle accidentally stray on the by-roads, but that there are some latepayers who deliberately make a practice of "farming" the roads, i.e., turning their horses and cattle out to graze? on the road. The Parihaka Road Board recently appointed a youth as ranger, and he lias, energetically applied himself to the prosecution of his duties, with the result that quite a large number of animals have .been bagged, and, though many have been released before reaching pound, the poundkeeper has been kept busy. Naturally this energy haF proved distasteful to many. At yesterday'.-* meeting the ranger found his action the topic of considerable discussion, but members were of opinion that they now had a good man in the position, and were also equally emphatic that farming the roads would not be permitted.

The Chairman stated that, m response to complaints, he had sent the Northern ranger to the Waiteaka Road, in the south end, where he had secured some cattle, one of which had been rescued from him.- This, the speaker neinted out, was a serious offence, and prosecution would have followed had the ringer, who was new to that district, known the delinquent. The chairman stated that there had been a lot of trouble over this road, and the Board were determined to put down the nuisance. Not only would the cattle be impounded, but the overseer had been instructed to lay information against the owners, and the cost of these prosecutions would be charged against 'the .'oad, the maintenance of which would suffer accordingly from lack of funds. The chairman .said that it had put the ranger to considerable expense, sending him to that end of the district, and, on his motion, it was decided ti pay the ranger 24s expenses, to be charged to the Waiteaka Road account. Mr. A. McQuaig wrote, asking that the Board lefunls 7s, which his wife s Jiad paid Hie ranger. He stated thai the ranger had found two steers on the Kiua Road, and was driving them to the pound, when thev got into the writer's paddock through a hole in the fence. The ranger came to his house, and demanded 7s from Mrs. McQuaig, pointing put that it would cost double if the cattle were taken to the pound. The writer complained that the money was taken illegally, as there was no means of know ing "whether the cattle were hii, or had been on the road. The Chairman stated that he had instructed the ranger, in cases where cattle accidentally got on the road, to endeavour to find the owners, instead of driving the cattle to pound. He understood the law permitted the ranger to follow cattle in his charge on to any property that they might break into.

The Board decided not to admit any liability. The Rahotu poundkeeper wrote that lie required more ground with the pound, as the paddock was too smal'. for the number of stock coming in. Since he had taken charge there had been over fifty head of cattle impounded, and he could not keep on the pound unless ho was a'towed the use of the horse paddock. This matter was left in the hands of the overseer, the chairman remarking that this rush would not continue, as ratepayers would find it cheaper to keep their cattle in their paddocks than pay poundage. One. ratepayer remarked that the effects were already to be noticed by the splendid feed growing on his road.