The Stratfortd Fire.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1609, 15 January 1886, Page 4

The Stratfortd Fire.

1 -■ ■■-> ■ i -•■■ ♦■■'.; , „ A ' (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) New Plymouth, Thursday. From inquiries which are being made the extent of the damage . done by bush'tiijes roTiind is,not aa,lairge ' as &% first I . "The |rangershaa i goiieotlt to ascertain the~*area , which the fire has raged. All those who were burnt out have been liberally supplied with clothes. The Council Chainber'is still "full^f clothes/ It 'looks like a clothing shop. The fund raised is not intended to reinstate settlers, but merely >to, relieve cases of, destitution fhat ujay have occurred. Many of those buirnt"but say they will be benefitted eventually by the fire clearing their land, and decline to take relief, fteing of a self-reliant nature. The greatest extent ot damage^ d'onc i» tp persons who <lo not require relief . . , , , , .Later. , The StratforH Bush Fire jfclief Fun<3 is still coming m, and tne New Ply mouth .list is nearly £800. This sum includes i£loo:adYised by the Mayor of ' Auckland and [ £1 7 collected at the New Zealand Tiiiies office, Wellington. • i Hawera, Friday, j The proprietors of^ the Hawera. Star "Have commissioned Mr &. A. Marchant, J. P. who now represents the district on the Harbor Board, and has filled various „ other public positions, to make.an enquiry into the damage done by tlie late fire. He telegrapiw froui Stratford to-day :-j-» ,i" ln apq^ordance 'with., y;our instructions I have .commenced': 'an*: ehqiiiiy intoUhe actual amount of damage caused by fire,and thus as nearly as I can state the amount is very large, large ' enough io take any sum of money that can-be raised to adequately relieve 1 the sufferers. It. jiaj)nlyjsinq9j|hmgß ■.quietened dp>vn. .^hat • people are ; i"ea(ising the'f ult extent brthe loss and wondering which way they are going to turn for the next eight months. Feed haying been 'destroyed, "neai'ly- dll the cows are going dry and the calves, and pigs which <*re dependent upon milk, are nearly 'starving. Bain which promised -has, not come to any extent andj if ithisscloudy^athers agaiii; without heavy "rain, much grass'ih'aitatr bfsuspehded animation will die.. Many settlers are almost despairing '"how the exciljementisjpast. ; ;,...■ ; •...■'•■•■..,■•,:,.•,• j