BUSH FIRES BEGIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25051, 15 November 1944, Page 6

BUSH FIRES BEGIN

DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA DUST ENVELOPS COUNTRY (Special Australian Correspondent) SYDNEY, Nov. 14 Numbers of small bush fires are reported today from widely-separated points in New South Wales. Thousands of honorary rangers are watching to prevent fresh outbreaks. A vast pall of dust carried from tho drought-stricken inland by hot winds is enveloping the whole of Eastern Australia. It is the most extensive dust storm for 50 years. Hot, depressing conditions have brought home to Sydney dwellers the seriousness of the drought, which is causing such widespread lossos in western New South Wales, Victoria -and South Australia. Millions of tons of top soil are estimated to have been swept away from the countrv areas by winds. Internal air line pilots report the worst flying conditions for vears. Towns have been blotted out under the dust blanket, and pilots have been unable to locate landing grounds. People in western New South Wales have been forced to stay in their homes because the dust has made it almost impossible to breathe outside. Some country towns report "dust piling up like snow in the streets." Even fences have been buried in a few places. Inland the dust has blotted out the sun and lights have to be kept burning all day. Additional mortality is being caused among stock. Sheep losses in New South Wales are alreadv estimated at between 3,000,000 and 5,000,000. A Commonwealth laiyi expert said today that if the drought continued for another three months, graziers' stock losses might total £15,000,000. He added that tho tragedy was that because water and fodder resources had been neglected, the States were almost as unprepared to meet a drought now as they were 50 years ago. In February this year, bush fires caused enormous damage in Victoria. They caused the deaths of 12 people and killed 100,000 sheep, 50,000 cattle. 1000 horses, 1000 pigs, 200.000 head of poultry. About 500 homes were destroyed and thousands-of miles of fences burned. The total damage was estimated at £2,000,000.

MORE WEAPONS NEEDED AMERICAN BATTLE FRONTS (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 14 Americans on the European and Pacific fronts were using up materials so much faster than was expected that a superhuman effort was necessary to increase the production of heavy artillery, mortar ammunition, tanks, heavy trucks and cotton duck, said the Assistant Secretary of War, Mr R. P. Patterson, at a press conference. Mr Patterson added that Genera! Eisenhower's forces at present were using 35 days' supply of ammunition in ten days, and General MaeArthur's men were shooting a greater quantity of artillery in November than they had done during the whole of the previous 16 months.

"We are losing 500 tanks and 900 trucks a month in Europe," he stated, "and, if our operations are to receive adequate support, 4000 to 5000 rounds of ammunition must be fired every minute 24 hours every day, or 3600 tons a day.

ELECTIONS IN EGYPT PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED LONDON, Nov. 13 A Cairo messago states that King Farouk has signed a decreo dissolving Parliament. Elections will be held, and tho now Parliament will meet on January 18. This step is clearly the result of tlje King's recent dismissal of tho Cabinet of Nabas Pasha, the Wafdist leader. Tho present Prime Minister, Ahmed Maher Pasha, is the leader of the Saadist Party, and in the Parliament just dissolved tho Wafdists had a majority.

THE TABLES TURNED (Seed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 13 A ceremonial parade to mark the stand-down of the Home Guard will bo .held in London on December 12, says tho War This and the news of the immediate issue of a certificate of service for members of the Home Guard who wore serving when, the force was ordered to stand-down contrasts strikingly with the news from Germany, where the newly-formed Volkssturm has just taken the oath to Hitler to fight "to the last cartridge."

V2 BOMBS IN BELGIUM LONDON, Nov. 13 It is revealed that German V2 bombs have been falling in Belgium, says the British United Press correspondent with tho northern armies. One fell behind goalposts whilo a football game was being played last month and killed a number of people. The Canadian Army paper Maple Leaf savs the use of VI and V2 against England will further spur Canadian and British soldiers to clear up the launching areas.