KAWHIA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 71, 28 February 1908, Page 3

KAWHIA.

The bush fires have done an immense amount of damage here, and although they were at their worst last week timber is still burning all over the place, and the -whole countryside is covered with a dense pall of smoke. \t Oparau Messrs Bell, Mcintosh, and Troughton Bros, had their houses burnt and Messrs Elliott, Perham, and Newton Bros, only saved theirs by sheer hard 'work, ' Many of the settlers did not have their clothes oti or have any rest for the best part of last week. The country presents a very desolate appearance, almost all the grass having been burned or scorched and covered with ashes. -The loss of stock has been very heavy having lost 1600, and a||Ksrs Perham and Newton 200 each, WhUe others, both in the Oparau, Pekanui and Awaroa districts,*, have also suffered severely. Those who saved all or'part of their st<3ck\ are at wits e ; nd as to how andwnereto them : It is pit|ab.le £ 'see the sheep, many of them torched with the heat of the flames thev escaped, wandering about trying to find seme of the few remaining •'1 j * crraw "ff does not SUiSalyoftbc'sheeplef.wi.l

die, as there is no market for them at present) and the settlers will neither be able to sell or find food for them. The Hon. W. W. McCardle, who is on a visit to - Kawhia, has been in communication with the Prime Minister, and has suggested that the settlers be granted loans by the " Advances to Settlers Act," without any delay. The help that could be given in that way would be welcome, for, although the settlers have value in their improvements, very few of them have any reserve on which to draw to meet the extraordinary expenditure that will be required to meet the cost of rebuilding, restocking, and resowing. We know that in every other part of the Dominion settlers have suffered from bush fires equally with ourselves, but, naturally, that which is nearest home claims our first attention.