BUSH AND GRASS FIRES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6450, 22 February 1908, Page 10

BUSH AND GRASS FIRES

SERIOUS LOSSES IN THE NORTH. SETTLERS IN SAD PLIGHT. (Special to tho "N.Z. Times. - ”) AUCKLAND, February 21. Tho country districts of the province of Auckland are in an exceedingly unhappy position. Already inquiries are being received by the Farmers’ Freezing Company for quotations for sheep for boiling down, it being feared by a number of settlers that they will have no feed for tho animals. One of those inquirers is the owner of some 10,000 sheep, oueep for boiling down are only worth about 2s fid per head. The freezing works, both at Glasgow, near Onchunga, and at Auckland axe working to the utmost limit to freeze the biggest number of lambs possible ere the drought stops the supply. Discouraging reports are coming from the country, farmers stating that they fear their lambs will never be got up to freezing condition. The butter in store for export for the fortnight ending to-day has dropped, as compared with tho previous fortnight, by over 3JuO boxes. In six weeks the make tor export has dropped by 167 -tons, and it is expected that in a week or two a number of factories will have to close down. Settlors are driving their stock six and seven miles now for water, and in hundreds of instances are carting water long distances for domestic purposes. xne Public Works Department is carrying water by rail in great tanks fiom Tiuihoa to Wayby, on the north of Auckland lino. In many district* streams tliat were never known to fail before have entirely disappeared. The fires are still raging in all directions, and for days there has been a heavy pall of smoke over the whole of the district, the North Shore for part of th* time being quite invisible from the city The Formers* Union provincial executive at a meeting to-day passed a motion of heartfelt sympathy with the sufferers through the' fire, and warm approval was expressed at the Prime Minister’s promises of Government assistance.

The Cambridge correspondent of tho “Star” says the courtly is becoming mere and more parched, and unices rain ocmes speedily there in no telling what the result will be. One man at Taotaoica, when burning his bush, cremated a number of his sheep and bullocks, and fui for the assistance given by a neighbour he would also have lost his horses.

Mr G. McGlashan, manager of the Tamaki Timber .Mills Company, has returned to Waihi, after having spent several da/s with his employees in fighting the bush fires back from the mill property. Although the fires still surround the mill, he considers the property tolerably safe. The fire swept right through the old bush, but, fortunately, just as the flames Were approaching the valuable bush a change of wind came, and retaided progress <so much that it is quite possible the fire will be stamped out v/ithin the <Lay or two. In the Kawhia district the settlers seen* to have suffered most severely from fires which have now pretty well burned out, for the simple reason that there is littl} left to destroy. Messrs Oates Bros., of Awaroa, practically lost everything. They only escaped with what they stood up in. Messrs McCardle Blethers suffered the Joss of sheep lie«!dos a lot of fencing. At Kauri Messrs Keenan Broth ere had a number of sheep destroyed, thirty being found dead in one corner of a paddock. Elliott, of Oparau, has suffered much -more severely than was at first anticipated. He Lost 1500 acres of-grass, which it is estimated will cost J2IOOO to replace. In one paddock out of eight hundred sheep only twelve badly burned animals survived, and in another case only throe lambs were saved out of one hundred and eighty,. A 1! oyer the district the great hope is that rain will set in shortly, and save come of the grass before the roots are destroyed.

in the Coromandel district the bush fires have been raging for several weeks. Messrs Shrimpton-Brothers have had all their feed destroyed, as well os twenty head of cattle. Mr John Lynch is reported to have lost most of his best grass. On Wednesday night a heavy easterly wind drove the fire through the Puke-, •mauku block, and it was only owing to the assistance, of a number 'of friends tbit the flames were prevented from dcrtroyiijjg the residence of Mr Garland.

In the vicinity of Waingaro a lot of damage has been done by the fires destroying the farmers' grass. The flames ©wept through the standing bush, and bun for the assistance of neighbours Mr Hewitt would have lost hie homestead. Mr John Allen had over one thousand acres of grass burned. It is feared that many settlers will be compelled to part with the whole of their stock for want of feed.

A RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY.

PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND. February 21. The loss occasioned by the bush fires in Auckland province was referred to at a meeting of the executive of the Farmers' Union to-day. Mr Duxfield, of Ngaruawahia, moved That the executive extends its heartfelt sympathy to all the &et- • tiers, especially those in the Kinohaku district (Kawhia), who have suffered by the recent devastating: fires, and warmly approves the Premier's expressed intention of rendering assistance. Mr Jowitt seconded the motion. Mr Flanagan, of, Drury, said it was significant that now the farmers from end to end of the country were suffering loss there was no talk amongst the town unions and societies of sharing with the farmers. The agitators who talked so loudly In time of prosperity wore silent now. The motion, was carried. RELIEF FOR SETTLERS, INTENTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT. PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, February 21. In referring to the bush and other fires in his speech at a "social” given to Mr Lawry, M.P., at Newmarket to-night. Sir Joseph Ward said the Government proposed to give some practical assistance to settlers who had suffered losses through fires. He was communicating with his colleagues, and he hoped that by to-morrow he would be able to indicate the full direction that the Goemment proposed to go in the way of affording relief to a deserving body of people, who worked early and late in carrying on their important part of the work of the country, DAY'S BAY BUSH SAFE. DAMAGE AT YOKK AND LOWRY BAYS. Considerable damage has been done by fire to the bush across the harbour. At York Bay the damage is especially noticeable, 'more so toward the north-east. It is stated that the York Bay Syndicate has lost the greater portion of the bu6h on its property. Practically all the bush on top of the hills behind Lowry Bay has been destroyed. A portion of Mr H. D. Bell's bush has gone, but that fronting the harbour appears safe.

At Day's Bay there has been great anxietv as to the fate of the beautiful native' bush behind the popular seaside

resort. Tor three clays pangs of men have been engaged in battle with the flames, in ratting roads through the Handing timber, and in clearing away undergrowth, which so greatly assists tire. Now, after exceedingly hard work, the property is fairly safe. Behind hills overlooking the harbour, from York Bay to Wainui-o-mata. the flames have been very busy. Several beautiful fern gullies have been destroyed. Most of the ruined bush belonged to Mr Dick.