The Globe. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1542, 28 January 1879, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1879.

There lias boon a good deal said and written, during the present season, in regard to the danger to which property — in the country districts especially—is subject by reason of carelessness in handling fire. During the past few months, greater heat has been experienced in Canterbury than has been felt for many years before, and the natural consequence has boon that numberless fii’os have broken out, either through carelessness or otherwise, and much valuable property has boon destroyed. The disaster which occurred in the Waimate district, when thousands of pounds worth ef good timber, lot alone crops, gardens, and even houses wore consumed, is still fresh in people’s minds. A new and remarkable ground for serious apprehension has also arisen, namely, the fear of conflagrations caused by the sparks of fire emitted by the locomotives on our railway lines. The amount of damage thus originated during the present summer season is very largo. All along the main trnnk line, whore what are called the “ Yankee” engines are employed, a series of fires, of greater or lessor magnitude, have occurred from time to time, not unfrcquently saddling the unfortunate owner of crops or other property destroyed in that fashion with a total loss, occasioned by no possible fault of his own. Not many days ago, for instance, some £4OOO worth of property belonging to the Hon. H. Russell, in Hawke’s Bay, was destroyed through flying sparks from a locomotive. And, coming nearer homo, a week scarcely passes without reports of smaller fires, insignificant perllaps in themselves, being occasioned by a similar agency. In the case of Judge Ward, at Timaru, when a few hundred pounds’ worth of damage was done to that gentleman’s grounds, it was stated in public prints that an action at law would be taken to recover compensation from the Government. As a matter of fact, there could scarcely bo any solid foundation for the rumour, as, under the existing state of the law, it is next to impossible to recover damages from the Crown for injuries of the nature alluded to above. But it would seem as if, not content with retrenching themselves behind the security which they thus possess, the authorities intended to travel much farther. A peculiarly constructed notification lately made its appearance in public, issued under the direction of the Minister of Public Works, who, it is evident, looks at certain things official which relate to popular privileges with a peculiarly autocratic and illegal eye. The notice to which wo are alluding is to bo seen in the stations along the railway linos, actually warning “ all persons occupying or owning lands adjoining the railways that those planting gorso_ on their boundaries adjoining the lines would bo held responsible, and compelled to make good any damage to the railway works, should fire bo communicated to the latter.” The absurdity of this notice is palpably apparent. Where and under what legislative enactments the Minister for Public Works thinks ho possesses the power of dictating how people shall fence in their lauds, wo arc at a hiss to conceive. The thing is absolutely ridiculous. So far, there seem to bo many drd-übics in the way of obviating ih ■ spark nuisance. Spark-catchers have of course boon suggested; but it is stated that,

with t]io quality of coals generally used hero, llieso catchers would greatly diminish the necessary draft required in the furnaces. Doubtless something will soon have to bo devised to remedy that which bids fair to prove a serious evil. A. s to the question of placing a chock upon the carelessness of people, who, at this hot season of the year, do not exorcise that caution which is necessary when using fire in their every day occupations, there is no doubt but that the time has arrived when the legislature should interfere. There are enactments, of course, which bear on the subject. But they only apply to the towns or cities proper’. In Christchurch, for instance, while stubble or rubbish cannot bo lawfully lighted within the belts, the restriction docs not apply as soon as those boundaries have been crossed; and a very largo population as well as an immense quantity of valuable property is located there. In some parts of Australia, whore climatic influences of a special character have long compelled the public to adopt stringent measures for restricting the use of fire, there have been enacted years ago laws bearing upon the case. In South Australia, for instance, there is in force a statute passed in 1804, by which the following are made penal offences. Burning stubble during certain specified months of the year, unless between the hours of 4 and 10 in the afternoon, and duo notice having boon given to neighbours, or without having at least four persons present to assist in preventing the spread of fire, or without ploughing or clearing at least throe foot round the ignited material. Anyone using ignitablo wadding from September to April, inclusive, is liable to a fine of £5. It is also a punishable offence to smoko in the open air within twenty yards of any stable, rick, or field of hay, corn, straw, stubble, unless in a town during certain mouths of the year’, and specific provisions are also made in reference to lighting or using fires in the open air for cooking or other similar purposes. Wo are not prepared to say that legislation of such stringent nature should bo adopted hero, but it cannot be questioned that in view of the growing interests of the colony and of the almost total absence of any preventative regulations binding upon the careless, it is high time that some enactment bo passed to fairly deal with the exigencies of the case.