FIRE IN FOREST AND FIELD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 71, 16 December 1937, Page 4

FIRE IN FOREST AND FIELD

As published on another page to-day, three of our Cabinet Ministers, the Hon. R. Semple, W. E. Parry and W. Lee Martin, make an appeal to the pnblic that is entirely timely and deserving of serious attention. Summer after summer this country suffers, in one form or another, very heavy losses from bush and field fires that have their origin in nothing but carelessness and lack of thought on the part of picnic parties, hikers, campers and passing motorists. In the result we have had many acres of irreplaceable natural bush destroyed or hopelessly disfigured. Having regard to how little of this is left to us within reasonable distance of the centres of population, the carelessness that has such consequenees can be counted as nothing less than a heinous crime against the community, and one that should in reality be punishable by severe penalty. This oftience takes place mainly in or close to the all too few scenie reserves that are left to us and whose preservation should be the care of every decent citizen. Instead of this, we find year in and year out many who are either!.- so indifferent to the beauties and influences of these fine gifts of Nature or so altogether regardless of the rights of their fellow citizens that they will not take the trouble either to see that their fires are lighted only in safe positions or are thoroughly extinguished before being left. Sometlimg the same, though not to any such great degree, has to be said with respect to the forestry p] antations which, at heavy cost, have been instituted in so many parts of the country either by the State or byprivate enterprise, and which are destined to provide future generations with the timber that will no longer be avilable from our native forests that have been and are still being so ruthlessly slaughtered. Then we come to those who, in the great majoritiy of cases without the consent of the owners, presume to seek their openair enjoyment npon private property. Most owners would probably be only too pleased to grant this privilege on specified and limited areas were it not for the dangers that are involvod from the rank carelessness of the visitors with regard to their billy-boiling fires. In such ca'se it may be worth while remind- , ing the oft'enders that they are legally responsible to compensate for all damage done. This, however, is usually rather cold comfort for the sufferers, since it is in most cases difScult to establish olearly with whom the responsibiiilj lies and in not a few the guilty parties are not financially worth the pov/Hrr and shot of legal proceedings. . It should nct, however, be altogether useless to appeal, as do the Munriers, to their sense of what is due to those upon whose properties they may have trespassed, espeeially when the necessary precaiitions ean b» taken with so little real trouble. Of course, all these dangers have of recent years been greatly multiplied by the facilities of motor transport tliat have become available to so many thoughtless people, and it is not to be wondered at that property-owners make loud complaints and, so it is said, even have it in contemplation to combinc in establishing patrols designed to keep picnic parties ofE tinuiland altogether. _ This would certainly be only a just reprisal when we come to consider the scrious losses that have been sustained. As for the passing motorists, it cannot by any moana be said that they are to be absolved from guilt, for undoubtedly a very great amount of damage done by fire to farm properties, to the pastures, to the fences, and even to buildings, is attributable to those casting unextinguished matehgs, cigarette-butts, or pipedottels from travelling vehicles. Members of Automobile Associations are, we understand, fully enjoined to caution in these and other respects. But there are unfortunately hundreds of irresponsibles who never give a first thought to such matters. It is doubtless they whom the Ministers have in mind, and possibly means might be devised by which even they might be awakened to some realisation of what is due to the farmers aiong the roads over which they speed. Possibly some good might come of accompanying every vehicle licence issued with a memorandum setting out the dangers of carelessness such as has been indicated. In any event, it behoves all riglit-minded citizens to give full heed in all respects to the ministerial appeal.