THE BUSH FIRES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 161, 27 March 1918, Page 4

THE BUSH FIRES

DMGUEViEWED

.'Hv:-^*- .-Wanjganui delegates..:• • /■i ; >'.,, v ;' >;, REPORT . .'"•■■.'!•' '■ ■■'.■. o ' '..'... . ' ■'■'..•''.''' , j;; i 'A.commission, comprising Messrs. C.' -■ '.; L. E. Bassett, 'and ; A;:G. .:,ABignell,.;which proceeded' from Wanga- ..'■' Inui to'investigate and report as to the . ( ' : of affairs in the fire-stricken .-'.■;-lMain Trunk area, has presented its re- '• '.fport' to tho .citizens; . After stressing :-' : ?,tlie fact' ; that"tho'" ravages "of the fire : S!Vere' : ,"ihten's6' 'and 'widespread,' the re- '■'. . Ipo'rt proceeds:— ; .j';'''The;losßeß sustained may be divided ; ' iljnto ijthe following; heads:—(l) Personal .' .'jbelongings, (2) hbuao accommodation, .'■ W'j3) stock, fences, ',' and 'grass, (&) the ,'«airy.factory, .sawmills, „.and timber /'.i^orks. 1 '■~;: ' i ■'•'■ : :> '-"0) Many, sottlefs and working men ' ;;havo: lost their personal belongings, :: -/l clothing, ..bedding,- etc.: ' Supplies of ?./;!theße articles!are pouring in from Wa-. fimganui; and other centres, and we be- ;'; ,Sieyo ; that the demands or the district .''in;'this respect are being sufficiently ;,;=<!prbvided for. In,.this connection the ■ 'ii; Salvation Army is doing excellent work. "■';.'''' ','(2) • Well over a' hundred dwellings ;',;ihave been destroyed. Wo cannot . i'Woeak too, highly of the generous hos- ..' vj-jtitality shown by the settlers to those '■■• • ;:tinfortunates whoso homes have disap-, vjpoared. In the meantimo temporary \>y accommodation in the shape of tents is :• ,'iibeing:provided," and in this connection .'VWlthe Y;M!.C.A. representatives afe.doing •'';#aliiaule work. ■ At tho same time it 3)18 necessary .tHat the "work of rebuildin'hand at'once, esSpecially aa the printer is approaching. V .that, if possible .the Gp.v-, : iv.-|erhmerit should provide financial assistvp.lanoe'in this direction.

';;,'."(3) By far,.the most.serious head of ,l<damage is the loss of thousands of acres jof {pas's and thousands of head of stock; .ohe urgency; of the! situation thus caniiot be over-estimated. Un-less"'-the work of re : grassirig is put in Jhand at once, tho advent; of ifrosty ■■ (weather, and : tho start given to the iferbwth'of the weeds', will complete the ■Fuin of largo traots- of fertile country.' We. are pleased,to have the assurance lof. the 'Minister of Lands vthat. the. Gov-

,'-. jernmentlis .moving, promptly in this ■'■'• : ;jmatfer, and' is/ keeping in mind the' ..';'jnecessity, dwelt_ on at our,public meet- . jag;, of '.preventing the exploitation of ; . : rche situation: by a rise in price. The . -i-Minister- has a. difficult problem before >.'/ jliiin,, and ifo ; satisfactory solution, will ■ ■ ; : :Istamp».him, as -a" most efficient adminis'•■';|trator,: "■" ThV- task of replacing the .-•:'•''jstbck 'destroyed: by fire is not" so iin;';>.;.|ihediately ''lirgent. What,': however, "'v'-SB'iurgent .is"'the removal of the'sur-' • (viyihg -stock from the devastated area. '/■'M this connection 'We would urge upon Department the prompt i''.| idisftatbh of sufficient trucks .to deal \V-ittitn this matter. ,!".;■ ;-.?•,'."(4)VAt least nine;sawmills have,been :v:3os|royed, but we believe that their ;i,:!reirjstatemen't will inoticall.for public The'dairy factory at Eae- ;-; tihi has also gone. .We are glad to be ; yable.:to. report that'the Minister real-.' rvises the importance of its immediate redirection, and that, if'necessary, Gov-.'V.'ierhmentassistance-.will be-afforded. '•- : ',y; : .".W.e' have ,ho?besitation in " saying the situation; calls for immediate -Varid 'substantial assistance. "We have vjftno' assurance of the Minister that the itsfduty itf-'the but- we- feel, certain that Gov;v, «nmeht: assistance must. be...liberally' ;'.supplemented by the public in the : .,Bhape of - relief funds.' 'V

;. ''In'thij connection a.most import-, ant'iten' is the administration and dis•bursemeiit of thefiinds subscribed. We

'. believe that satisfactory arrangements ; .;ihaye been., made, to .ensure satisfactory i.:|afternoon. -a largely-attended .public p'.me'eting.at wbioh.we wefe present, sot f|.'ftip.'an executive "committee;of -twelve, ■.iiiepreseritative' iof./.the "whole!' district, the -'Mayor ■■ of 'j-Ohijlciine. :■ This, committee' will collect : ;;'all-possible information.as to' the losses

- (land:/requirements of settlers, and su- - distribution of- relief. The vf;i f pmnuM;fee has approached Mr. Guthrie, ; l ,' i .to forward'a com- •.' i.jetent'.. official to pact- as administrator.--relief,: funds, 'anijp,r;eniam, in district' till all'matters in connec..'jtion'witirthem:are settled up.. The y,?Minister has promised to send a really ;''j:'efficient.man. to act in that capacity. ;:sfWe believe-'that this is'a'wise step, ; .ffa'nd ,that the presence of an indepen■;:'?"ent- and administrator will : ;':»hsure.:tliat'the relief funds' will. be and judiciously expended, : .ft;5H^ s . appointmen-t should givo confidence,?jjto: all subscribers that'their .money will applied to, .the best advantage.". - ■;,«A; ''Ini conclusibu,'. though the losses :'.''pav.o-been cruel,.they are not' imjpar- :.: ;,;fib]e.'-''The settlers are facing the situ;.V/ation ?in a magnificent spirit, and' we ~:''SebirSure that a comparatively short will cure the ravages of both fire ;,i!crad tempest.', 1 ': ■ ~V

v'«% ;-J " A FEARFUt SIGHT." ■MSEE MANGAITUROA VALLEY. .';;..: One of the Y.M.C.A. representatives , .'Xat.ltaeuhi..writes: 1 '.'We have had a ;.-.^;ypry'.busy day giving, out goods. There : : jfha.s-been little or no abatement in the '.'-■{j'demand for clothing. We'will soon .' ; ' - a super-abundance of strong : :;/vworking clothes for' men. Boots are and Mr. M'Eldowney :,!',will be in Wellington on Wednesday to : . : -purchase some Jootwear, , We went the Mangaituroa Valley and •..visaw there what a bush fire moans. The -'yfAwholeVvalley, about 10 miles, I think, /■;<& swept. clean -of all ..verdure. one'place we saw scores'of dead (:\sbeep lying where thov had been over,'',:;>,take!i_hy the fire. Great trees were ~:.-:-lying in all directions, uprooted by the ■/cyclone. The valley is .1 fearful sight, vi.-one cannotimagino anything like it unless one actually sees it. Whole moun. •'.tain sides for miles, nothing but black. ■..;.;': %ned logs, and •burnt grass—a scene of most awesome desolation.. It was :, -here that the people lost their lives."

jCOVERNMENT RELIEF MEASURES •STATEMENT BY THE HON. D. H. :■;!.; :.:..'■ .. GUTHRIE. , : The Hon. D. H. Gu.thrie, Minister of left yesterday by the second • ■'Main Trunk express on a further visit : to. the Raetihi district to set in motion, the machinery for affording relief ; .to the settlers -who'have suffered from the recent bush fires. The ; scheme is to supply on liberal terms grass seed, _ -fencing material, t tc. A Government '. officer, Mr. Sandford, of the Lands Department, will be stationed in the dis-' -~. tricfc 'for a time, ;nd it has been ar- :; ranged that all authorised supplies shall be made through that officer in an expeditious and businesslike manner.' Mr. Guthrie states that the Government is deeply sensitive to' and '.■highly appreciative of the splendid response from all parts of the Dominion in tho interests of the settlers affected by the fire. Mr. Guthrie expects to • ..return to Wellington- on. -Thursday ■Vriext..-' '■ > - -"•".■"

CLOTHING NEEDED. ■•■-■■;.'ViThe.Mayor stated at the City Couna . v'cil last night that, he had received from '.\-Mr.\Griffen, secretary'of the Raetihi i.^Reliet.Committee, following.; tele-/.;;^&f-^"Eft%-..?{ ov?i?i-\h. : i? J - v : '■ .-.:?': ''"Please notify !| .ydur generous 'public -.'■ ;.ibat"wo are fully supplied with 'cloth-' ■ iu'g, except women's underclothing, ■iboys' and youths' suits, knickers, and ..'. .fihirtß, also all sizes in children's, hoys',

[girls', youths', and men's useful boots. Wo are also short of tents." WELLINGTON RELIEF FUND, Further donations.to tho fund for llaotihi fire relief are as follow :—J. M'M., £25'; vMethodist Central Mission,. £11 125.; b'd. ;,St. Yincent de Paul Society, ''£10; George Piric, £5 55.; Mrs. S. G. Nathan, ib; Mrs. .Moorhouse, £5; James'.M'Kerrow, £S; E. H. and 0. A: 'Allan, £4; C. J. Duffy, G. Riddell, S". Dix, Mrs. Audry, each ..£2 25.; M.S.M., Mrs, M. Eicheibaum, each £2; JVPicot, J.F., A.E. Evans, W. •H. Atack, E. S. Piko, Mrs..- Murphy, E. Booth, each £1 Is.; W. 0. Osborne, T. W. Leslie, ii.B: j: P*BA,, 1). T. Stuart, Anonymous, S. Clifton, G. W. Longhuish, each £1; Mrs. J. C.Moore, 10s.; Worker, os.. Total to date,£2lS 7s/ . ■ \ ; , ./V.. ' Sixty-two sacks of potatoes were dug at Kowhai Park, on Satu; ■ day for tho relief of those in,.heed at Raptihi and district. Over 'seventy workers rolled.up,'including thirty lads from the college.

COMING CARNIVAL. _ Last evening the New Zealand Natives' Association was granted the use of the Basin Reserve' on Saturday, April 20, with permission to charge for. admission, for, a carnival-to raise monoy for the Raetihi Bush Eire Relief Fund. .' , •-..".' ~'

, Subscriptions in Palmerston North in aid of the sufferers by tho. bush fires on the Main Trunk line already total £800.—Press Association. ::