The Waka Maori. WELLINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1874. BUSH FIRES.

Waka Maori, Volume 10, Issue 14, 14 July 1874, Page 170

The Waka Maori. WELLINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1874. BUSH FIRES.

It has been brought under our notice that certain Natives in the Hauraki, and in other districts, when engaged collecting kauri gum, or out on pig-hunting expeditions, in defiance of repeated warnings and cautions, are in the habit of recklessly lighting fires among the fern flats and bushes, without the slightest regard to the consequences which may ensue, whereby large forests, containing valuable timber, have been destroyed, and much damage to other property occasioned. Now, we do sincerely hope that the Natives of New Zealand generally, and those of Whangapoua, "Waingoro, and Waitekuri especially, will give earnest heed to our words on this subject, and that none will turn carelessly away from them as having reference to a matter in which they are not personally interested, because, perchance, they may not be owners of forest land. _ ¥e assure them that it is a subject which materially concerns every man, woman, and child, in New Zealand; and it is the duty of every one, whether he be possessed of forest lands or not, to use every means in his power to suppress this careless, this criminal practice of lighting fires about the country. We especially call the attention of the chiefs of tribes, and men of influence, to the destruction of both public and private property resulting from this practice ; and we trust it will only be necessary to bring the subject before them to induce them to take energetic action for the prevention of such ruinous proceedings in future. We desire to warn the perpetrators of such offences that the law will hold them strictly responsible for any damage to private property which may result from their actions. "We may here mention that, some two years ago, certain Maoris at Tauranga, when out pig-hunting, thoughtlessly set fire to some bush. The fire spread and consumed certain buildings, and other property, belonging to a Mr. Johnson, a resident in that district. He sued them for damages, and the Court ordered them to pay him the sum of £99, together with the costs of action. English law, in such a case, is similar to that laid down by Moses in the 22nd chapter of Exodus—"lf fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith: he that kindleth the fire shall surely make restitution." And it is not only the Pakehas who are injured by this senseless practice. The Maoris also themselves sometimes suffer severely from the same cause ; as in the case of the fire at Te Kuiti, in the Waikato district, last year, when extensive crops and large quantities of provision were consumed, reducing the Maoris there to a state bordering upon starvation. Forests of timber are valuable State property, and in all countries stringent laws have been passed for their preservation, and the Grovernment of New Zealand, at the present time, regard the subject as one of the utmost importance. The value of the timber annually destroyedinNew Zealand by the acts of careless people, both Pakeha and Maori, is very great, and if such persons will not listen to reason, it will

become absolutely necessary to provide some stringent measures to restrain tnem, and to punish them if need be. If this grievous waste be suffered to go on, a time will speedily arrive when timber will be comparatively scarce in the country; the price will be high in proportion, and every man will suffer , we shall suffer as a people, and we shall suffer individually. All wealth-producing pursuits and avocations will be retarded and restricted, and we shall discover, when too late, that we have allowed a bountiful gift of Providence to be prodigally wasted in this wholesale destruction of our splendid forests. The loyal tribes of New Zealand pique themselves on upholding the law. They continually assure us of their desire that the law should be respected throughout the land, and that justice should be equally meted out to every man. And do doubt this is so. But we look for something more than mere words; we expect energetic action. Every man is legally and morally bound to abstain from any act which may result in injury to his neighbour's property ; and such tribes, by restraining their people from committing the acts complained of, will be largely advancing the prosperity of the country, and, at the same time, fulfilling the law—both human and divine—they will be " doing unto their neighbour as they would he should do unto them."

"We trust our Maori friends may realize the great importance of this matter, and that we shall not have spoken in vain.