Extent of the Destruction. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 138, 23 January 1886, Page 4

Extent of the Destruction. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Rain has at last fallen. Although not in sufficient quantities to satisfy the requirements of the district necessitated by the long drought, the downfall has been gentle, but continuous, for 9 or 10 hours, and if it haa not thoroughly wet the subsoil, has proved the salvation of those in danger from bush fires. From the first alarm at Stratford until Tuesday night last, the whole district has been kept on the qxd vive by more or less truthful reports, the frequent passage of special trains along the line, and the return of excited visitors from the more immediate locality of the flames. Since the time mentioned no specific damage is reported, the fires having been confined to a general destruction of fences, a partial demolition of crops, of standing cocksfoot grass intended for seed, and the burning of some cattle. This curtailment of the, destructive agency has not been effected without energetic and unceasing efforta on the part of the inhabitants of the district generally, and the strenuous exertions of the people of Hawera at one end and those of New Plymouth at the other.

The Losses and Subscriptions. The total loss has been variously estimated at between ±7,000 and £12,000, but nothing definite can be known I at present. It was sufficient for the people at New Plymouth and Hawera to know that large losses had occurred, and that those who had to bear the brunt of them could ill afford it. In every way the good people of these towns immediately set to work to repair as much of the damage as was possible by all the means at their command, and whilst the ladies of the communities made clothing for the partially naked, the gentlemen lent their energies in the direction of gathering subscriptions and personally aesistingatthefires. Whanga nui, Wellington, and Auckland followed in their wake by proffers of assistance, immediately succeeded by monetary assist ance itself^ The people of Few Plymouth shone out [in a peculiarly bright and conspicuous manner by the amount of their respective individual subscriptions, as well as the extent of the total sum collected. It is to be Tegretted that having thus set so fair an example, an unwise policy should have prompted some of them who had been formed into a committee, self-called 'central," to annou-ice that the amount subscribed was enough, and deprecating further calls on the public. This was done by telegram throughout the colony without consulting the Hawera Committee, which probably has as good a right to style itself " central " as the New Plymouth one. The matter has been commented on by the Hawera "Star," which proceeds as follows: — " What evidence have the Committee in New Plymouth as to the sufficiency of present subscriptions ? So far as we are aware, there is nothing definite known as to damage done or assistance required. That is shown by the resolution itself, for it states that Mr Skinner ha 9 been engaged to 'ascertain the extent of the" damage done and the amount of claims.' The total amount of subscriptions in hand and promised amounts to about £1,000. The 'Taranaki Herald,' which Is owned by the Treasurer of New Plymouth Committee, estimated the damage up to Thursday last *as fully £10,000,' and has since then recorded further damage. In an article on the subject on Monday, it further said, •It will bo necessary to exercise great discredit in paying away the money which has been so creditably subscribed in the town. Discretion is necessary, in the first place, because the sum is so small in comparison with the damage.' Then we want to know on what evidence the Committee have taken it upon themselves to stop the Relief Fund and to flout the Hawera Committee in this rude manner ?" It is melancholy to think that any bickering should have arisen, and it is not my intention to become a partisan of either side, but I would like to remark that it appears to me a very unwise proceeding to stifle the springs of charity which had been so liberally flowing in a proper direction before it wag definitely known the extent of the aid required. We know that the sufferers are many (we have a list of between 30 and 40), and we are also aware that many of these lose not of their abundance, but are deprived of their entire personality. About the date of the disaster the files of the " Canterbury Times" came to hand, and your correspondent observed in its columns, under the heading of "Rakaia Plains," a simple account of a tussock fire in that district which had burnt buildings and actually destroyed many hun dred miles of fencing. There was no large heading to the account, and no fuss made about the matter, but it is probabl that the aggregate loss is greater than Ifa\t at Stratford ; but it is also certain that those who have to bear the brunt of it are wealthy when compared to our local sufferers. It is not a matter of amount, but of degree— the principle of the widow's mite and the difference between Dives and Lazarus. The loser of a quarter acre and cottage is entitled to more assistance than the sufferer to the extent of a wool-shed and a hundred miles of fencing, because it was all that he had. The inquiry into assistance necessary should have preceded a refusal of supplies. The thing cannot be done by any comparison of estimated amount of loss and money already subscribed on the basis of so much percent., for if a man has lost a pair of trousers, it is useless to offer to repair damages by the proffer of one leg of a new garment Unless we are again to be appealed to for assistance, we must place the poorer sufferers in a position to earn a living without relegating them to the mass of the "unemployed." The matter cannot be wisely met in some instances by an immediate money payment, but supervision of expenditure will probably be necessary for some time.

The Gainers toy the Fire. There are those among the settlers who will be great ultimate gainers by the fire, and those who do not deny the fact, but candidly ?ay that the devouring element has swallowed up otherwise immovable obstructions. Logs anl stumps which, if left to, the slow proceßß of a natural decay, would have cumbered the ground for a dual of decades, have been swept away in a few hours by this dreadfully bad master on his tour of devastation. The owners of such are not Blow to acknowledge the collateral good accompanying a general evil, and some assert that once their fences are again placed in repair they will be gainers by hundreds in amount

Tbe Heroes of the Fight. There are many .hairbreadth escapes related, and much interesting matter has been written. There are those who have recounted their adventures, and there , are others who Have done and Bpoke not. l There are' those who pose*, as victims,, and are known at their true worth; .and' there are others who suffer and 'speak not who will not

fail to be rewarded. There was one man who, having -inquired if your correspondent was connected with the press, presented himself and said : "I do not wish it mentioned, my name is — I saved the mill alone." Fe had his wilh ; it was not mentioned. He will not be handed down to posterity as an imitator of those who leapt into the gulf or kept the bridge ; neither will his name be known as a descendant of the bipeds who saved Rome by -their midnight screaming. Such a one is the exception among the many earnest workers who look to their reward in the consciousness of having done their best for their fellowmen,

New Plymouth, Jan 16. Messrs Robinson and R. Bayley, who went over the district ravaged by fire, have returned to town. From a report published by the latter, the damage is not half what it was originally estimated at. The utmost extent is not over £4,000, and thiB includes houses •which were insured, cattle which are daily returning, log fences which were only put up to burn, and paddocks of grass in which the grass is already springing up. The whole matter is being thoroughly investigated here by competent persons, and when finished a report will be published of how the money i? distributed. The Mayor of Wanganui and Mrs McGuire are now in New Plymouth, and no doubt the whole matter will be amicably arranged. The amount of subscriptions received here up to date is £820, including Sargood, Bwen and Co., Auckland, £5 ss. The above account does not include the Wellington «• Post's " £100, or that received at Wanganui and Marton.