LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 263, 31 July 1920, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

FIRE PROTECTION OF THE KHANDALLAH MSH Sir,—At the deputation headed by General Richardson and introduced by Councillor J.- M. Dale, the chairman of the Reserves Coin/niltee, gave the deputalion a sympathetic reception and promised an early reply re steps to be taken to protect the native bush at Khnudallah from lire. Up to the present we have not heard of any answer being received or of any commencement of lire protection work. If the bushes in charge of the council are burnt next summer, we Shall have excuses and be told that there was a hoU wind of extraordinary violence. Councillor Frost has been chairman of the Reserves Committee for several years. What has he done all theso years to protect flic bush from fire? Nothing! Then when it was brought home to him that other countries were protecting their forests f'rum fire as an everyday matter, and expert opinion was obtained about protecting the Wellington bushes, what did he do? Next to nothing. It is understood he courts the suffrages of the electors for t!«e next Mayorship. 1 trust a hot wind will lie blowing then! Meantime flic bush business is going from bad to worse. A man had a contract at about «£1 per week for grazing sheep above the bus\, mid not wishing to lose his grazing was fairly cartful in keeping them out of the bush. Also his sheen kept the ground clean and reduced the fire risk. Some eight months ago grazing contract-was cancelled, but nothing-has been done since to restore, the fences, so that his sheep and also somebody's cows are sow in the busli getting free grazing, destroying the bush, and apparently it is neuody's 'business to keep them out. .The first fire measure wanted is to get rid of tho quantity of old, dead, burnt limber left from former fires. A little of this was being taken by the public. Latterly the public have been excluded, but nothing done to get out the old, dead timber.—l am, etc., VIGILANS.