FIRES IN SYDNEY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 January 1939, Page 5

FIRES IN SYDNEY

WORST APPARENTLY OVER IN VICTORIA

RISING ESTIMATES OF DAMAGE,

RELIEF WORKERS TOILING DAY & NIGHT.

By Telegraph— Press Association—Copyright MELBOURNE, January 17.

All the bush lire areas are now safe, though large areas of forest are still sjnouldering.

Hundreds of fire-lighters are still working in many places, extinguishing smouldering logs as a precaution before the return of hot weather. The rain, though still heavy in some places, has now ceased here.

So generous has been the public response to appeals for food, clothing, and goods that relief workers are toiling day and night sorting and packing parcels for dispatch to the affected areas. Valuable aid is being given by the Rod Cross and the Salvation Army. Estimates of the damage are now rising and lhe latest assessments are: Houses, £500,000; postal department, £35,,000; mills, £lOO,OOO. Railway estimates are not yet known but some forecasts say that £1.000,000 damage was done. Insurance companies are expected to pay out £350,000. One result of the fires is likely to be a rise in the price of hardwood timber, but efforts will be made to prevent exploitation. Many mills will not reopen. The postal department has lost 1400 poles. 800 miles of telephone wire and many switchboards and telephones.] Some post offices will not be replaced unless sufficient people return. About £OO.OOO has now been subscribed to relief funds, lhe largest amount —£38,000 —being through the •‘Argus" newspaper.

NEW ZEALAND SYMPATHY. APPRECIATED BY FEDERAL PREMIER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. January 17. The following message has been received by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Galway, from the Governor-General of Australia. Lord Gowrie, in reply to one sent by his Excellency on helaf of the Government and people of Now Zealand concerning the disastrous bush fires in Victoria and New South Wales: —

“I have received the following message from my Prime Minister for transmission to your Excellency: 'I desire to express to you the gratitude of the Government and people of Australia for the kind expressions of sympathy contained in your telegram. We are greatly appreciative indeed of your kind thought for our people in their tribulation and sorrow. “ ‘We are glad to say that indication are that the climax of our trouble has been passed, and that there will be an abatement of the fire at an early date. —J. A. Lyons.’ ”