NATIVE BUSH

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1939, Page 4

NATIVE BUSH

DANGER FROM FIRE. [PER press association.] WELLINGTON, January 19. Milking a plea to the people of the Dominion to safeguard their native bush from vandals and lire, the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. W. E. Parry) stiid to-night that photographs now appearing in the daily newspapers of the destruction by lire of considerable areas of bush in Australia must sadden the hearts of New Zealanders, who had a remarkable admiration of the native trees and ferns of their country. There were, however, some citizens whose lack of care and thought in bush, or roads skirting it, caused trees of value and scenic beauty to disappear amid flame and smoke, leaving blackened stumps and baked up clods of bush earth to tell the story.

“It is sad,” remarked Mr. Parry, "to have to use the misfortune, of another country to plead again for protection against fire in New Zealand’s native bush; but what better example than the ghastly bush fires in Australia, with the toll they made of valuable human lives, could be given the eyes and understanding of Now Zealanders. I feel that the people seeing the pictures in this morning’s paper of the zAustralian bush fires, and reading the column the paper gave of particulars of the recent bush fires in New Zealand, must shudder at the great loss of life and damage which resulted. There in those pictures and in the accounts printed, is a lesson which should teach all of us to be careful of the match, the cigarette butt, and also smouldering embers which had earlier in our picnic alongside I he bush boiled Ihe billy.

“If we are watchful and careful of these things a service will be done. They are small things when we are enjoying an outing in the bush; but they become big things when the Hames cover the dry undergrowth and leap up beautiful trees. People who see today some of our bush areas scarred by fire, know and feel what priceless beauty in ferns and trees has been removed from sight. With other bushlovers. I hope all will see the pictures of the fires of Australia/’ The Minister spoke of public opinion about the protection of New Zealand’s native bush, which, he said, had in recent years gathered a strength very helpful in the measures taken by the Government for bush preservation.