FOREST FIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 234, 3 October 1931, Page 1 (Supplement)

FOREST FIGHT.

EHE BUSHMEN'S PERILSi

jpTOTHBANCJa ATTD SACRIFICE.

CBy M.8.5.)

" [£Q through the first days of the Ruar £ehu search my old friend had been jrestless. . "This old age!" he grumbled. fTTou want to help and would only get 5n the way." Remembering his life gpent on his hill station, on forest-clad tranges and amongst the clouds, I realised that inactivity was chafing. He .Svas' immensely relieved when he read of ike bushmen's coming. "They understand the job; it's., plain sailing to them. If anyone can win through, they'll do Jfc." He looked long at the pictures of bushmen's camps, and presently forgot Ids irksome restlessness in a tide of jeminiscences. "These will be men from the mills, mostly," he told me, "not the bush-contracting gangs I used to know. It's only 10 years since I left the ..run and already their type is disappearing. It doesn't pay to fell bush nowadays and fence it and grass it when your lambs bring you five shillings and your wool fourpenae. But it was different in my day. We felled about 20,000 acres, all told, and turned it into pasture, rough but healthy. In doing it I learned all about ibushinen, learnt to understand them and to trust them." His eyes turned back to the picture. "Their work's a bit different, but they're the pame breed," he said to himself.

"The tricks they'd play you!" he continued. "I know all about it, for, in the 30 years I had the station, I ranged all jny own bush. First I tried a hired ranger, but it didn't pay. "But ranging bush wouldn't be a whole-time job," I objected. . "Doesn't he just have to pass jf&e work when, it's done ?"

The Rules of the Game. My' friend laughed. "You townsmen! [411 our jobs are soft, according to'you. I can tell you, Avhen I had four or five gangs on bush.-felling, it took all my time, rain or fine, to keep an eye on them. ~ Of course they're not supposed to. work in the wet, because of the danger of an axe slipping, but they'll do it every time to finish a job or get ahead pf a rival gang. You know the rules of the game? They must under-scrub first and keep the scrub'cut at least three chains ahead of the tree-felling. Why? Because, if an overseer can't see that it's done, how's he to tell once the trees are down? And, when they arc felled, it's no use complaining that 'the scrub isn't cut-—and it's the scrub that carries the fire. So you must keep them well ahead, and this means' that the ranger is on the job in all weather from April till October. Of course weather doesn't make much .difference to anyone working in the bush, for they're wet all the time. It's safe to Bay . that' on the' ranges a bushman's clothes are never dry for five months— that-is, except, when he puts, them oh 3n.the morning. They're mighty particular, about, that and there's usually an everlasting feud between the men and the cook "as to the real uses of the galley fire. ,;* It's cruelly hard work and only the best man can stand it, year in gnd year out."

' Hard Work and Good Wages. '1 suppose they make high wages?" "Yes, and need to. It's not unusual for a good man: to come but from a contract -with 80 or 100,' pounds.. Some of them make it fly, too. But that was 20 years ago; let's hope they're less prodigal to-day. It wasn't the rule even then; many 'of- them sent everything home and had little enough for ■tzhemselvcs.' : Yes, it was big pay, but few men earn it harder, and It's small folame to them if they tried to beat $ieir. boss now. and then." "And did they often succeed?" "It fell depended'on the boss. If he was "wise, 1 allowing for plenty of give and take, they would give him a square deal. The.kind they-.wouldn't stand was the Inagger. No bushman will stand for Jetty tyranny."

"I 'suppose bush-felling is dangerous?" "About as dangerous work as you'll find. Even experienced men meet disaster and one freshman can work bavoc in tbe bush. Tbe worst danger comes from the tawa;trees, but a 'drive' is always full tof possibilities. You know the idea? Tie men scrub up a ridge and then come.back over it and fell—not all the .trees; of course; the usual contract says fcp to; two feet diameter. They don't cut rata trees at all as a rule, for ,a. *ata will; burn whatever its size, and often does for three or four months. The rest'of the trees must come down, however, and they don't cut all these through— only a make a scarf, back arid through — only make a scarf, for about., an ..acre or so. Then they fell one and : drop it on the next—• and then the drive begins. There's a Hoise like thunder and in a few moments a hillside of mighty trees has fallen, to lie, a scene of hideous decay, till the ■March fire sweeps over them. And then gomes'the grass, and a farm rises from ]the forest.

The Bush's Revenge. . "It costs many a life, though, at times. The drive doesn't always go well. It ana y get hung up half-way and then ■the bushmen must take their lives in .their hands and venture in among those Scarfed and groaning trees. That is the forest's moment for revenge. I've known &. tree screw unaccountably upon tbe stump and catch an experienced man iwho was waiting in what seemed perfect safety. A tawa tree will split up the centre almost at a touch, and heaven help the man that it catches! It's almost impossible for a bushman to get away quickly in all that fallen undergrowth. There are lawyers to catch his ankles, supplejacks to throw him, Jines to hold him in a death trap. . ."

'The people who write of the death tf the forest do not think of the lives that it has carried with it. Few who have not seen an accident in a bush ramp realise the tragedy of the forest. But neither can they know the magnificent spirit of endurance and sacrifice these rough bushmen display. They're a quarrelsome crew in the ordinary way; Ive had gangs that carried on such a feud that even their dogs were trained to fight on sight. But let the SO.S. rmg out in the bush and every man will down tools and rush to the camp in trouble. You know.that 5.0.5.? It's simple enough—a bottle thrown' in the fire and the end broken off. This is used: like a trumpet and it makes a hollow and desolate wail that carries for miles. ..The men may be going 6yes out, with threats of murder if one man slacks; but there's never a'grumble °r a moment of hesitation.' In five minutes every job is deserted and the s e n of the bush have rallied against their common enemy. You will never change the spirit of the bushmen—riior pap their loyalty to each other in that Sge-long duel—Mart against Nature.'*