THE EARTHQUAKE

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20176, 3 March 1931, Page 13

THE EARTHQUAKE

, GRANT OF £SOOO. WORK FOE UNEMPLOYED. COMMISSION TO TAKE CHARGE OF TOWN. /(PEES# ASSOCIATION TZLSOBAII.) ; NAPIER, March 2. The Minister for Labour (the Hon* S; G. Smith) to-night informed the Napier Unemployment. Committee that £SOOO would be made available immediately by the TJnemploynlent Board "to provide work for the Napier unemployed. The money will be forthcoming at the rate of ©IOOO weekly, iand work will be found by the local bodies. The Prime Minister has written to the Napier Borough Council approving the suggestion' that a commission assume control of civic affairs, snd explaining the steps necessary for the Council to delegate its powers. In addition, emergency legislation will' I be necessary to confer full powers on the commissioners. Mr Forbgs added that the ,Government had in mind Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., and Mr L. B. Campbell, Inspecting Engineer of the Public Works Department, as members of the Commission, if the Council was agreeable. The Council'to-night passed the necessary resolution to empower the Commission to act, and approved the personnel as suggested by the Prime Minister. After a day of partial rest yesterday, Napier resumed the rush of . reconstruction this morning. Many shops are being constructed in the two squares. .. With a continuance of fine weather the town is .rapidly getting down to normal business.

INSPECTORS AT NAPIER. The Mayor ■ (Mr J. K. Archer) re« ported to the City Council last night that on February 26th he received a telegram front Dr. Watt, Deputy-Direc-tor-General of Health, asking the Council to allow Chief City Inspector Hardie and Inspector Cox to remain for ten days to a fortnight longer in the stricken area. After conferring with Cr. Andrews he authorised these inspectors to remain until Saturday March 7th. Yesterday morning he received a letter from Dr. Watt stating that those men were doing particularly good work, and the Department of Health appreciated very much the generosity of the Council in permitting them to remain.

MAYOR'S FUND. LIST OF SUBSCRIPTIONS. 1 t, ■' ; \ The following additional subscrip* tions to the Mayor's fund for the relief of sufferers by the Hawke's Bay earthquake are Acknowledged:-

I ' ' ' >• 4 »" ' COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' LIST The following' additional subscriptions to, the relief fund"being raised by the Commercial Travellers' Association 1 are acknowledged

1 - LYTTELTON LIST. , The 'following 'is the, position of the list opened 'by .the' of Lyt-

; , - £535 011 NEW BRIGHTON (GRANT DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL MEETING. ' "'•The'question of making .a grant of £SO the earthquake relief fund was, discussed at a meeting of the New Brighton Borough Council laßt evening. In accordance with notice of motion given at the, previous meeting' of • th,e Council, Cr.'E. A. M. Leaver moved; ''.That,the .clause in- the' Finance &nd By-Laws Committee's, report to, the Council oa February 16th, recommend, ing a .grant of £SO to ihe earthquake 1 relief fund,-be rescinded." ', Cr. 8. J, Bargrove seconded* j Cr. Leaver |iaid that aa far as ha was concerned* was no suggestion of "any'lack ''of sympathy with the

earthquake.sufferers. "I consider that no local body '.was -intended to make these t 1 is no good us thinking that* we -have right be - liberal' with' the ratepayers'' money, because we haven't. The responsibility should be faced by the Government) And not -by the local. jNev? Brighton have £ot,to face ihetaouie at thef-'endt ofi;thel;&uincialjsL«arirl notice -that the chairman of finance has been

i very quiet. We should have had some indication of the financial position before this." Or. Bargrove said they had no money to give away. Charity began at home, and the New Brighton Borough Council could not afford to. make 9 grant of £SO in this case. Cr. A. E. Lawry supported the motion, expressing the opinion that & smaller grant should be. made. 'Speaking against the • motion, Cr. E. L. Smith said that through the local bodies everybody was called -upon to assist. , Cr. J. S., Ainsworth' spoke against the motion. s a Cr. J. McCreanor said the calamity j was ja national one, and .should be handled by the .Government. He would support the motion. The Mayor (Mr J. H,6baw), speaking against the motion, 'saidthat if, a similar earthquake were experienced in NcwJJrighton, the residents- would-look to the rest of New Zealand for assistance. The Prime Minister had written asking local bodies to contribute, as much as possible, and New Brighton should do itß share. , ' ' Cr. Leaver In replysaid that the sis-' aster should have been'handled by the Government in ,the firat place. It was The motion/waft lost?' >-, f -■>, , * 1 j,, 1 ' i * x i ✓ Ti * ■„ NEW BRIGHTON FUND. '•< ir\.t t t M i * **, VA v',< of outstanding - ■ importance ;itof ißl&nders,vbut when the aviator laqded at' Halftpoon Bay it :.wyi J>-j that 'the 'of his visit had beeh'^ ports* the ?<BoutMaS was the eipawion of the island Vpopu- t Si? Jf triplets to M*s Thomas Kyas, .who was attended solely by Sister Cisey;'thef district "nurse.. Mi Bi Hicka, chairman of the Stewart Island County Council, was sas'sis weighed i 51b Boz, J .slb: spectively, and to console the airman for this unusual competition In interest, he assured him that one of the childrenwould be named, aftor him. As a result a nice problem in nomenclature is suggested, becausethese Mwifptewsr* Islanders, sere tlroe girls. TE*H 11 t"dn*r »?' ife ought to take' rau c&jcmaince alter Mr. Bai enteredrtbe him a note askina him to retire for a

-« s d acknowledged 19,364 18 8 tGKristchorob staff t Ltd. 22 10 .0 Lincoln Schodl 8 6 6 Spreydon Amateur Swim- " ming Clu"b_8oeial .,. Cliristchundi B.SJL finclire, 510# tournament <10 C Whatenni School Commitv, tee' . ''V' 11 10 « Weedona Sflhool <■* .. i i o Christchnicli Gentre -iT»Z. ' 15 18 6 Bowling Assn. Employees . <tf " Bayfield Station - 5 15 Parnassus School ;. i i s Sutton and England, pV J. & Ward and • Cat' .. 100 01 0 A.E. 5 o, s I5.G. ■ Employees Turnbull v and. Jones, Ltd. . 16 l >< ' * * * " N ' '

are , sck&onrlcdKO' Tai Tapu Dairy Co.,' Lt Mr E&yos " ' i"s/d1184,18 5 J. .„ 1010 Ovff 0 ' > Total' . 'i" • £1185 18 5

Previously aeknowwfged v - 4 6-4, ' 410 12 4. 2 Lyttelton BOrough^ofl&l. ioa 1 o 0 "West School (ad0 10 ' ,i ditional) . o. Lyttelton District -Jligk ■ r fp School-< - ' 4 0 .0. Methodist School , , (additional) - Trinity 'Tennis Club. tour0 4 6 ,1 0 ' n&ment .. . 0 W. J. Bradley 1 0 10 0 Amateur Cycling and Box- * ing Club" (proceeds '/■'/ ; 8 ' from concert) 9 4