NO VARIATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 36, 29 December 1944, Page 5

NO VARIATION

FLOOD RELIEF GRANTS

GOVERNMENT'S FIN AI,

DECISION

The following letter relative to his continued efforts on behalf of settlers for a 50 pjr cent free grant to offset flood fosses earlier in the year has been received by Mr W. M.P. ; from the Minister of Agriculture Mr B. Roberts': —

With reference to the deputation from the Bay of Plenty Flood Relief Committee which you introduced to me during my visit to Whan katane. I have to advise that • as f > promised I submitted to Cabinet the question of making free grants of 50 per cent of the cost of grass seed and fertiliser for the second re-sowing of land damaged by the second flood and caterpillars half the cost of winter hay which farmers would have to buy and the cost of grazing rental.

I am sorry that I have not been in a position to let. you have, a definite reply earlier, but I am now able to tell you that the matter lias been given very careful consideration, and I regret that the. request cannot. l:>e acceded to. It has been decided that the present basis of assistance must be adhered to, and that the settlers in the Whakatane district should be advised to make application in the ordinary way for assistance by way of loans of amounts sufficient to put their properties back into production, where they arc unable to obtain the money from any other source.

The .present bas-is of assistance in the case of flood losses isi as foi*<

lows: —

(a) Cost of living grants calcu lated on the basis of Social Security sustenance, benefits for such period as earnings are unobtainable.

(b) Grants- to assist in replacing personal effects or household furnishings lost in the flood, where the cost, of replacement cannot he met without hardship.

(c) Loans to assist in placing the property back in production.

ll would point out that in many cases in the Gisborne district second

re-sowings were neccssary owing to subsequent- floods, but each case in that district is being treated 011 its merits and assistance given by way of loan, and that basis, has been accepted as satisfactory in that dis,trict. Sympathetic consideration is given to each individual application, and the term for which repayment is to be made is fixed according to the circumstances of the applicant and where expedient, a term free of interest and principal repayments is- approved. No application is declined provided it is jjroved that the case is genuine and de-< serving of assistance j and that financial lielp cannot be obtained from an outside source. Further, sympathetic consideration is given during the years the loan is current and if the mortgagor is doing his best to carry on, no "undue pressure is used to keep payments up to date. In fact, if a portion of the loan will be remitted, to enable a genuine trier to retain his property . In regard to the Gisborne district, 36 ap (or financial assistance have beer received the ma-

jority of which have been and I am v\.ry disappointed that the Whakatane settlers did not follow the advii'c- 1 g-ive them at my meeting to lvdge their applications for assistance without further delay.

In vieAV of the Government decision on this matter, I would again urge, that any settlers requiring Government assistance in regard to flood damage should immediately contact the Department of Agricul-i ture at Whakatane with a view to obtaining the necessary application forms and when these completed forms are received from the applicants they will be given early and sympathetic consideration.