AUSTRALIA’S FIERY ORDEAL.

Evening Star, Issue 20995, 8 January 1932, Page 8

AUSTRALIA’S FIERY ORDEAL.

Floods in Queensland and Northern New South Wales early in December caused serious apprehensions. The rivers were running hank high. In some cases they overflowed and invaded farms and hack-block townships. Fortunately the downpours ceased and the waters receded before damage on an extensive scale was done. Now the settlers in Southern and Western New South Wales are in a sorry plight. Fire is the destroying agency, and reports are coming to hand of the farming communities fighting with grim despair against the advancing walls of flame. These bush and grass fires began in the middle of last month, and since then continuous and vain efforts have been made to keep them in check. The Commonwealth is passing through an unusually hot and dry summer, and when that happens the difficulties in the outback settlements are greatly accentuated. Crops fail, the grass for stock feed dries up, and fire dangers are ever present. In recalling past outbreaks the great fires in the late ’nineties come to mind. The heavilytimbered country of Gippsland, in the south-eastern area of Victoria, suffered from a devastating outbreak. In Melbourne the people saw the sun through a haze because of the smoke. There were also great hush fires in Tasmania at the time. The smoke was swept across the Tasman, involving risks to navigation, and it overhung parts of this dominion. This illustrates the magnitude of these outbreaks, and though at times our weeping skies may occasion impatience in Otago we may regain our composure by comparing our lot with that of the stricken people in the blazing districts of New South Wales. Tearing along a front of four hundred miles, the fires continue, with terrifying devastation. So desperate is the situation that the Federal Minister of Defence is obtaining a report in order to ascertain whether members of the defence forces can be sent to help the exhausted western fire-fighters. Even the Federal capital itself was threatened, and the whole of Canberra’s fire-fighting facilities were employed to avert the danger, which fortunately was allayed by a timely change of wind. The despairing people look to the skies in the hope of rain coming, but the heavens are as brass, and there appears to be little chance of alleviation in that way. The fires when they are burnt out will leave a trail of ruin. Much of the country affected is used for pastoral purposes, but in addition to the woolgrowers hundreds of small settlers will suffer, and even where the townships escape the direct effects of the fire the result will be disastrous to trade. It needs little imagination to picture the sufferings of the people when we are told of fire along a four hundred-mile front sweeping through tall grass, consuming fencing, sheep, and fallen timber, leaving behind a wall of rolling smoke, which, combined with the intense heat, must be making life in every home almost unbearable. The people of this dominion experienced a great disaster almost at this time last year, so that they will be all the more ready to extend their sympathy to the stricken people in the fire-swept areas of Australia. The Commonwealth is passing through a period of acute financial, economic, and industrial stress. Now, with improved wool prices, a wholesome political change, and the promise of satisfactory crops, a note of optimism is to be observed. These fires are a set-back, but disastrous as they are they will not, it is hoped, seriously affect the general position of the country.