BUSH FIRES IN THE NORTH

(BX MLECSAMt— SPECIAL TO TUB POST.) AUCKLAND, This Day. ' "It seems to me," remarked Mr. Maurice Casey to a star representative, "as if pretty well the wholo of the North is on fire. I am sure there was a fire spreading from eight to ten miles when I was up at Puhipuhi. The Government jlantation, which cost £20,000, has been wiped out this time. The fire reached from Puhipuhi to Kinmanakea, crossed to Kaimanuku, and was heading,up to Paramata. That was the biggest fire I saw, but there were plenty of others wherever I went. A man who can be proved to start a bush fire this time of the year ought to go to gaol without an option. Near Helena Bay I saw some poor fellows who had been continuously fighting a fire from before noon the previous day. In a dry season like the present one it behoves visitors, picnickers, and especially smokers, to be particularly careful, for everything is ready to burn. ' Of course, the poor gumdigger gets the blame very often, but he does not start fires in weather like this. He knows the danger, of doing so. The carelessly-thrown lighted match < from a smoker has, I am afraid, a lot to answer for in a season like .tin's." In this connection it should be not be forgotten that in the North large areas of felled bush could not bo burned off last season, as it was' too moist. No doubt settlers have taken the advantage offered by- the long dry. spell .this < year to" burn off all the areas 1 that are ready; felled. The big demand that has set' in for grass and clover] seeds • shows thac large areas are to be surface sown once the rains set in.