DAY'S BAY BUSH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 87, 7 January 1920, Page 8

DAY'S BAY BUSH

Sir.—The fire near Day's Bay on January 2 raises serious questions. Not ouly would the burning of the Day's Bay bush he a public loss to Wellington, hut in the event oi n had lire the hali-dozen or cii) houses connected with the bush would irn. too. Would the ratepayers, in .I'idition to losing the best bush near 'WelliiiL'tiin. have to face an action at la-v for damages? touch an action would fail in ar. ordinary case, but it sceina that here the council have taken expert advice, and had the opinion that at a moderate er.uwiditurc (the larger part of it. remunerative) the Day's Bay bush can l>e rendered as safe from lire as any housi- in the main streets of Wellington. If Wellinctoii fails to take reasonable precautious against lire will the council not he .iable? The system which has been folloved quite successfully in the(lovernment timber plantation in the South Island embraces tlic following measures:— (1) As far as possible burn off dangerous irrass or scrub on the outside; of course, taking proper precautions. (2) Where burning cannot)» done, puttine in lines of parallel fences, on the outside ind criss-cross in the inside; stock beinir run between the fences. The hand-cleaninu of such lines costs too much with labour at present prices, but if the lines are properly managed they will soon yield a profit running stock. (3) If a really dangerous time sets in, close the bush' to everyone, putting in stnus and notices on all paths and roads through '-he busk. It is i'.lea.v that we are faced with a dangerous time for the bush this summer. The rainfall during the past year has been only about half the average: the ground in many parts of the bush is bonc-drv below the surface; springs hare not been so low for many years. Constant light rains fire keeping the bush still fresh and green at the.surface, but as the summer advances these may fail, and then there may be shocking disasters to face unless precautious are taken at once.—l am.' etc., STABLE DOOR. Wollincton. January 2, 1920.