THE Kawhia Settler. FRIDAY, FERBUARY 21, 1908, THE BUSH FIRES.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 350, 21 February 1908, Page 2

THE Kawhia Settler. FRIDAY, FERBUARY 21, 1908, THE BUSH FIRES.

The week that has just passed will be long remembered by Kawbia settlors. The late spell of dry weather experienced here, in common with tbe rest of the Dominion, has had the eSect of making bush clearings and Krass extremely inflammable, and tbe Fire King has been able to literally take charge and devastate large areas. From nearly every side come tales of disaster —barn t homes and household get.us, grass, fences and stock—bat happily so far without Jews of life; al»o of women as well as men bravely bat lliug in the deuse smoke and fierce heat to save their homesteads, until almost blind and suffocated they were forced to fly before tbe overpowering wave of flime, The fall account of all the losses sustained by the settlers is not yet to hand ; that they are serious aud widespread is certain and to many will prove a very heavy blow indeed. Some well intentioned people here suggested that a public subscription should be started to relieve the immediate necessities of the sufferers, but there are no cases known that call for help of that nature, and it is generally felt that however liberally the public subscribed, it would be out of their power to effect any real good among eo many—that iu fact tbe late fires mint be regarded as a public calamity and is a matter for Government to deal with. The Hon. W. W. McC«rdl<’. M.L.C., who is now in Kawhia, has suggested one way out that wn believe is practicable and would give the req aired help, and at tbe same time tuko from such help any stigma of charity. He suggests that the Advhi.ee to Settlers Office should make tn settlers ou tbe security of their holdings, sufficient to purchase gi>.-a seed, stock or whatever is req ti-ilc «u enable them to make their tn I‘iiugs profitable as quickly as possibii.-, aud that such advances be made iu no niggardly spirit. If any real u nd is to be done, and full advantage ti i;m of ths clearance effected by the ri it is imperative that action be t.-.kon at once. Delay in re-sowing i lie burnt clearings would mean, by fi n spread of weeds and growth of ptderwoud, as great or even much greater loss tbau that now endured, b it if taken in band quickly tbe fire may in tbe ling run prove to be a blessiug in disguise.