SAVING THE BUSH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 21 January 1939, Page 16

SAVING THE BUSH

LESSON OF AUSTRALIA’S EXPERIENCE ’RAISE FOR DOMINION PRESS PUBLICITY lUuited Press Association! WELLINGTON, This Day. Making a plea to the people of the I Dominion to safeguard native bush from vandals and fire, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, in an interview last night, said the photographs now appearing in the daily newspapers of the destruction by fire 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 the bush, or on 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 to have to use the misfortune of another country to plead again for the protection against fire of New Zealand’s native bush,” Mr Parry said. “But what better example than the ghastly bush fires in Australia, with the toll they took of valuable human lives, could be given the eyes and understanding of New Zealanders. I feel that the people seeing the pictures in ‘The Dominion’ yesterday morning of the Australian bush fires and reading the column the paper gave of particulars of recent bush fires in New Zealand, must shudder at he 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 the smouldering embers which had earlier in our picnic alongside the bush boiled the billy,” the Minister said. “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 flames cover the dry undergrowth and leap up the beautiful trees. People who see to-day some of our bush areas scarred I by fire, know and feel what priceless beauty in the ferns and trees has been removed from sight. With other bushlovers I hop'- all will see the pictures of the fires of Australia.” The Minister spoke of public opinion on the protection of New Zealand’s native bush, which he said had in recent vears gathered a strength very helpful in the measures taken by the Government for bush preservation.