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Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2543, 27 October 1888, Page 2

Tiie Minister for Public Works has issued a circular to Local Bodies, accompanied with the copy of a Bill to amend the Public Works Act, 1882, and later amendment Acts, which it is intended to introduce during the next session of Parliament. The Minister invites the various boards to study the proposed measure, and to communicate to him any objections that may be raised against any of its clauses. The principal amendments in the Bill deal with the various classes of compensation claims ; and with the vesting in local authorities any portion of land taken for railway purposes, for use as public roads and streets; the liability of local bodies in respect of certain roads, streets, tramways, watercourses, &c.; as regards errors or misdescription in issuing proclamations taking land for public works; the resumption of land bv the Crown for roads, &c.; and tho construction of gates, ferries and bridges by local authorities. The clauses in the Bill which are of interest to our County Councils and Road Boards are those that refer to the suppression of the gorse and bramble auisauces.

Clause 9 deals with Section 15 of the Amendment Act of 1881, and provides that all the words in the proviso of the first paragraph of that section shall bo repealed, and the words ''to clear away and destroy," in sub-section 2, shall be replaced by tho words " to cut down and remove." The sub-section will then read as follows :—To cut down and remove all obstructions to traffic arising from tho growth of gorse, sweetbriar, bramblo or broom upon such road or streot. The words " or grubbing up and removing such gorse, sweetbriar, bramble or broom " in the last paragraph of the above-named section, is to be repealed by this clause in the proposed Bill, and tho words "or cutting down and removing such gorse, &c." are to be substituted. The following new section is added in the Bill to deal with these evils: — 10. The occupier, or, in case there is no occupier, the owner of any land shall grub up, clear away, ami destroy all gorse or sweetbriar growing on such land, and which does not form part of a bouti fide hedge or fence of reasonable width ; and on failure to do so, the local authority may order the occupier or the owner, as the ease may require, to grub and destroy the same, and if he does not grub up and destroy such gorse or sweetbriar within three months from the date on which such order is served upon him, he shall be subject to the penalties in section 15 of "The Public Works Act, ISS2, Amendment Act, 1854," in the case of a person failing to remove gorse or sweetbriar growing on a road. The aforesaid section fifteen and all amendments thereof shall, mttt'tfis mitfitnflis, apply and may be applied in any case where necessary to compel the grubbing up and destroying- of gorse or sweetbriar growing on any private land in the same manner, and to the same extent as it applies in respect of gorse or sweetbriar growing on roads; and subject to the express terms of this section, the local authority shall have and may exercise all the powers and authorities conferred by such section and the amendments thereof in any such case. The penal portion of the section referred to above provides that - A penalty not exceeding five pounds for every day during which such order is not obeyed, and a further sum equal to the cost incurred by the local authority in trimming such hedge, or grubbing and removing such gorse, sweetbriar, bramble or broom ; and the said cost shall be a charge on the land, and may be recovered as rates are recovered under " The Rating Act, ISS2." , * ! . , ' ,