MIDDLETON PIT TO BE CLEARED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19294, 3 February 1931, Page 8

MIDDLETON PIT TO BE CLEARED.

SERIOUS FIRE WAS CAUSED DELIBERATELY.

“ What is to b« done with the Middleton rubbish pit?" After the serious fire in the pit last evening, the question is a pressing one for the Waimairi County Council.

Watched through the night by two of the council men, who have done a lot to prevent the fire from breaking away from the pit and causing serious damage, the outbreak was well in hand by this morning, only isolated patches on the western side continuing to send forth evil-smelling smoke. Members of the council are well satisfied that the cause of the serious situation last night was the action of two men and a woman, who on Sunday night set a light to gorse in the bottom of the pit. They* were overheard saying, “Yes, it’s caught, all right,” but efforts to identify .them were fruitless. The two men on the job have done all they can to guard against a further outbreak, pushing logs that were on the edge right into the pit, and covering them witW soil, as well as using water continually. This morning a sub-committee from the Waimairi Council, consisting of the chairman, Mr C. E. Cross, Messrs T. O. Newnham, G. Gardner and F. Scott (members of the council) and Mr F. Voice, the council foreman, visited the pit and discussed measures of dealing with the situation. As a result, water carts were sent for straight away to make certain of subduing the remaining smouldering portions of the pit. Members of the sub-committee were definite on the point that something must be done about the clearing up of the pit. Local residents who went out to meet the committee were not behindhand in voicing their complaints about the unsightliness of the place, and still less backward in expressing their opinion of the smell wafted to their homes by the smoke of the fires which have smouldered intermittently in the pit for several days. Mr Cross, the chairman, expressed his. inention of taking immediate action, and this morning, after the meeting, communicated with the Unemployment Board in Wellington asking what subsidy could be arranged for the engagement of unemployed men for the work of filling, or, at least, tidying up the pit. The sub-committee is meeting again to-morrow afternoon, when the plan of action to be taken will be fully discussed, and a recommendation drawn up, to be submitted to the council.