MUNICIPAL PLANTATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 21240, 22 October 1932, Page 24

MUNICIPAL PLANTATIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I read int tbo columns of your paper some days ago of a great fire in Waipori which destroyed 1,000 acres of afforestation, the property of the ratepayers, and I then asked myself what is * wrong with the Afforestation Department of onr corporation? It does appear that no precaution or preparation had been made for combating or allaying the danger of fire. We have been informbd, and wo know that a lot of babbling took place at the last council meeting in reference to certain cars that the" council was itself responsible for purchasing, hut we have not been informed what precautions, if any, were taken to protect the Waipori plantations from life. All we have heard is that our City Council offers its most sincere thank.-, and gratitude to Air Cotton for his efforts to combat the fire. No doubt the ratepayers are also thankful to Air Cotton, and 1 fear the ratepayers cannot thank the City Council seeing that G.OOO five-year-old trees were destroyed. 1 contend that the result of this - fire cannot be put down to an act of God, neither can it be termed bad luck; but it can be attribted to sheer bad management and lack of foresight on the part of our afforestation department. Onr council is now responsible to the ratepayers, who should know the truth and the reason why certain advice as tendered to Mr Henderson by a working man with a knowledge of afforestation and an eye to the future was turned down. The advice tendered was that the ground, which was covered with rank snowgrass. should be ploughed. Had this been done it would have allayed the danger of fire, and the ratepayers' plantation would be intact, and would possibly be revenue bearing in twenty years or so. ] am sure the afforestation department is in the position of being able to furnish a full reportthrough your paper to the citizens.— I am, etc.. BitVAN O’Doxnell. October 20.

[Our correspondent is not correct in stating that 1,000 acres were destroyed, the position being that 200 acres were partially destroyed. It was thought that the cause of the fire was duo to the negligence of some anglers. Precautions were taken against the danger of fire, and fire-hreaks provided. Cr Marlow stated at the last meeting of the City Council that application was to be made at once to the Government to have the place made a fire district, and. in addition, it would bo necessary to make further provision for fire-breaks. The K.P. and L. Department would also have to go into the conditions under which fishermen were allowed on the ground.— Ed., E.S.]