GRASS FIRES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19150, 5 November 1927, Page 21

GRASS FIRES.

PROTECTIVE MEASURES DISCUSSED.

At the Southbridge Town Hall on Thursday night a number of farmers holding property on the plains and to the west of Southbridge, met, at the invitation of Mr W. J- McEvedy, to discuss proposals that protective measures should be put into operation to prevent serious damage being done in future by grass fires breaking out on the plains. It was suggested that 'firebreaks* should be made at suitable points-either by ploughing or burning. Mr R. G. Bishop, president of the Ellesmere branch of the. Farmers' Union, 'who presided, stated that always when a dry summer followed a spring season in which there was a heavy growth farmers on the plains and adjacent thereto, lived in fear of suffering heavy losses by grass fires. The principal danger zone was the area bounded by the main south railway line, Oakleigh-Eakaia road, the road leading from Newton's corner to the river, and on the west by tho Rakaia river. After the meeting had been addressed by Messrs TV. J. McEvedy (convener), E. J. Cowan (chairman of the North Eakaia River Board), J. P. McEvedy (member of N the Ellesmere County Council), S. R. Wright (County Engineer), Denton, F- H. Greenwood, and others, it was agreed on the motion of Messrs H. J. Greenwood and F. B. Gilbert, that the Ellesmere County Council should be asked to discuss with the North Rakaia River Board the question of making fire-breaks, and call a public meeting to place proposals before tho property owners. Mr J. Burt, who said he had a fire on his property above Killinchy almost every year, declared that the fires were "caused mainly by shooting parties from Christchureh lighting fires and neglecting to extinguish them properly. He advocated putting up notices warning shooters off all properties when the grass was in an inflammable condition. On the motion of Messrs W. J. McEvedy and J. Burt, it was decided to communicate- with the Railway Department urging that only Newcastle coal should be used to fire engine used on the run through the Canterbury Plains in the summer time when there was risk of grass fires taking placeIt was also decided that all threshiug mill owners should be recommended to carry bucket spray pumps with their plants to deal with, incipient outbreaks of fire-