BUSH FIRES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 159, 25 March 1918, Page 6

BUSH FIRES

MORE ABOUT THE LOSSES THE RELIEF MEASURES ACTION BY THE COVERMMENT. Some account of the losses that have j befallen the areas stricken by the reI cent bush fires was given to a Dominion reporter by tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie yesterday. Mr. Guthrie has been representing tho Government nt tho sccno of the fire, and he has just returned to Wellington. "Some parts;of tho district have nifj fered extremely neavily," said _ Mr. Guthrie, "especially the Maugaituroa Valley, which has been absolutely swept from "end to end. Tho wonder is that any living thing r ver came out of it. Only one settler's house remains in the whole valley. All stock has perished. In this nart conditions are as bad as could well be imagined. All the fences are gone in this area, and long lengths of fencing bavo been destroyed in other parts. "Ractihi township has suffered very severely indeed. Fifty-eight residences were burned, rendering many people j homeless. A hill at. the back of the I town seems to have diverted the eourso {.of the fire to somo extent, and this I saved the centre of the town. Nino i sawmills in the vicinity were destroyed, I with all their surrounding buildings. One owner's house is all that remains of these mills. "Tho standing bush lias not been so wholly lost as many might imagine. Most of the damage to the bush has been done by the (yclono rather than by tho fire. The bush is all dead as the result of the fire, but if the bush is milled within a couple of years it will still be useful for timber purposes. "No estimate can be made of the number of settlers' bouses in the more remote parts that iiavo been destroyed, but when the facts can be obtained it will be found that this loss has been severe. Fortunately tho loss of life lias been small in comparison with what it might have been. So far as we know only three persons have lost their lives. But for the prompt action of the Railway Department in running relief trains, there is no doubt that the loss of life would have been very high. "The sufferings of the settlers have been alleviated to a very largo extent by the prompt action of the Government in voting the sum of £500, which has beon placed at the disposal of an executive committee for distribution to meet most pressing needs in tiio matter of food, clothing, and shelter for tho unhappy homeless people. Support has been given or offered by mau,\; towns and country districts in i\ T ew Zealand, some of the towns sending representatives to the scone of the disaster to ascertain for themselves what the actual needs of the case were. The Salvation Army of both Auckland and Wellington, and the Y.M.C.A. of Wellington sent officers and bands of workers to assist in providing for the homeless people. These organisations liave done magnificent work, and have greatly assisted the load organisation ill providing for the wants of the moment. "The Government has decided to assist wherever it is necessary in regrassing and refencing and rebuilding lor those, settlers who have been tlie worst losers. One very important matter is the rebuilding of the dairy factory, upon which the progress of the district depends. The Government is prepared u> assist tho scttlcre by the advancing of money at a cheap rate of interest for tho rebuilding or this iaetory, and it is hoped that the factory will be ready to open sit tho beginning of next season. This will help the settlers to make up some of the losses they have sustained. "No application has been made tor assistance in respect of the sawmills that have been destroyed. It is recognised that those of the owners who may wish to set up mills again will find it very difficult or impossible to replace some of the machinery they have lost. . "The Government took into consideration also the best means of supplying grass seed for tho burned areas, The Government has agreed to suppiy seed to the settlers and to accept from them promissory notes for a reasonable period m lieu oi immediate payment. An alternative proposal is that the settlers may obtain the seed from their ordinary merchants, that the Government pay for the seed, and accept promissory notes as repayment from the settlers. "It was reported that a serious advance in the prices of grass seed was threatened by the seed merchants owing to the extraordinary demand thai was considered likely to occur, lo meet this situation the Government decided to issue an Order-in-Council lim•itinn, tho prices of grass seed to those obtaining prior to the fire. This OrderI iii-Council has already been issued.

The story of the death of Mr. and Mrs Akersten and their child was told at the inquest by the chief witness, Sydney ifcott, who hao been liviu" in a irhare at the back of Akersteu'l house. Mr. Akersten was manager for Messrs. Scott and Connor at JUngaituroa. He had been there six mouths. At 4 a.m. on March IS; the fire carao right through the bush over the hills and on to the house. Akersten said they had better leave the house and go into the green bush, as he considered it would be safe there. Mrs Akersten, the baby, ami bcott went with him. A quarter of an hour afterwards the little party found they had been cut off by the fare, bcott psked Akersten to go further into the bush, where there was not so much fire but the latter said no, he would stay whore ho was. Scott sa'd lie would i'o alone, and went off, and a, little later be climbed a tree, and was compelled to remain there for eleven hours till tlin fire' abated. Ho then managed to work his way on to M'\rtlmr's plnoe and told Ins story, just about flu's time a search party arrived. Scott took them to the plnce where he had last seen the Akerstens. and ihero the charred remain.-? were found. TV mother was clasping the little baby in her arms.

A FARMER'S SEVERE LCSS. By Tcleiraiiii-l'r«i-r Atssd'Mon Taihape, March 23. At Ohntu on Thursday, Mr. Robert Campbell, who returned after mustering his sheep to ascertain if any were destroyed, was dismayed to hnd his residence, consisting of a live.-roomed house, and a four-roomed houae in ashes. Everything seemed perfectly safe when he left, but the freshening wind carried the fire to the buildings, leaving only two heaps of ashes. One house "was insured in the New Zealand Office for £200 and the furniture was insured for £1.00. The other house was not insured, and Mr. Campbell is a considerable loser.

LIST OF PLACES DESTROYED

Tho following is a list of the properties destroyed in and round Raetihi as far as can be ascertained:— Within Town Boundary.—Waimarino County Chambers and stables, E. Brown (horse, stables, and sheds), P. M. Smith (an nntenanted house), T. G. Faggs's store and residence, H. Stanley" (three new houses), Nurse Lyons's nursing home, police station and building, J. Harris (house and stables), Dairy's sash and door factory and residence in vicinity, Roman Catholic church, Anglican churoh and vicarage,

G. Anderson (butcher's shop and dwelling), H. H. Davis (carpenter's shop), Mrs. D. D. Cameron, Commercial Hotel, stables, and outbuildings, occupied by AV. AVilcox, an old resident, Fire Brigado station, Town Board offices, dairy factory, R. Bennett, A, Hughes, S. Gould, 11. Jenkins, J. M'Orca, A. J. Parkes, W. H. Tustin, F. Toft, W. Purser, A. Smith, C. G. Morris, H. Hooper, L. H. Fryer, J. Coker, W. Farrant, A. Sykes, G. Parkes, T. O'Sullivan,- A. J. Parkes, J. Shaw, J. L. Thompson, C. Martin, T. Brady. D. Anderson, T. Quayle, AV. BoddiiK'ton, Morris Greenaway, A. Smith.

Oji Ameka Ridge Road.—Ashmore Pratt, AVallace Manson. On the Parapara Road.—Wflkio (manager's house), R. M'Lcan, and several other small places, J. Allen, Parkes, Smith. At AVnipuna.—Hirst, M'Cobrie. At Mangaituroa.—Handiey's woolslied, Mitchiiison, Turnbuil, Lovenvoss, Bradley, Scott, Connor. At Mangoihe.—M'Heane, Borlace. On the Pipiriki Road.—A'oss, Thompson, Mays, Mills, Taylor, Bates, Hoddle, Aird, Dodds. On the Olmra Road.—AA'allace, Berry, Mery, Hansen, Botton, Prattley, Meehan, Scarrow, Pederson. On Hukeroa Road. —AA f . and R. Siinsen.

MAYOR'S RELIEF FUND. PUBLIC MEETING TO-DAY. The Mayor's Relief Fund in connection with the distress caused by the bush fires is mounting tip. The Mayor has cnlled a public meeting, which will be held at the Concert Chamber this afternoon at 4.30, when futuro measures for raieing money will be discussed. The Mayor's fund now stands as under:— £ s. d. Previously acknowledged ... 11 11 0 Mrs. Jacob Joseph 25 0 I) Miss Joseph 25 0 0 Mrs. M. A. Williams If) 10 0 M. E. Ewen 10 0 0 Mr. and Mrs. J. Hott 10 0 0 AValter Nathan, £5 55.; "Tassy," £5; Percy Holt, £4; Mrs. Abbott, S. George Nathan, each £2 25.; Charles Bethel, £1 Is.; Mrs. Hogg, G.M., M.J.8., £1; total, £114 11s.

Wanganui, March 23.

The Relief Committee from Wanganui returned from its visit to Raetihi and Ohalrano, and reports that a representative of the committee was elected to carrv on relief work. The Hon. Mr. Guthrie has telegraphed for a. Government officer to join the committee d> Raetihi, and estimates of the damage and probable assistance required will be drawn up. Siibscripy tions are solicited throughout the Dominion for the sufferers.