THE FLOOD RELIEF FUND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1815, 23 July 1906, Page 3

THE FLOOD RELIEF FUND.

(To the Editor Gisborne- Times.) Sir,— The idea propounded by Mr Ccgar in your issue of Saturday seems to be one well worthy of the consideration of all those anxious to help the settlors who have suffered by the flood. In the great majority of oases it is help that is wanted rather than charity, for many who before were in comparatively comfortable oiroumstances will probably now be compelled to so mortgage their properties and stook that it will be years before they recover their posit ! on or ebake c£E their indebtedness. These settlers in many cases would decline a gift of money if offered, but, if a loan were available at nominal interest and repayable on easy instalments, is it not likely that they would avail themselves of it 2 I venturo to prediot that suoh loans would on maturity all be satisfactorily repaid. Tbs oommittoe nominated were mainly financial rpen direotly or indirectly interested in muoh of the property affected, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that they could evolve a praot'oal aod workable eobomo on the lines proposed by Mr Cogar. The sum mentioned by that gentleman in bis litter is probably more than would bo required to be guaranteed, bat, even if it should cot be, the risk to the guarantors if collateral security were trken by the Bank would bo small Tbe first essential would bo, that every applicant for a loan should provo the extent of his loss, and reoeivo an amount not exceeding that loss Is is to bo hoped, nevertheless, that people will not bo deterred from Bubseribi ,g according to their means to ihs present fund, for although tbe loss may have been exaggerated tho-o is lit is doubt that many oases of genuine distress exi-t, and. will oontinuo for somo months, as many dairy fanners will have lost thtir sou-offl of i come for the season by tho loss of grass as well as stock. A spontaneous outflow of sympa by should not te obeoked, for it Jr as boneficia 1 to givers as to tho recipients, and gentlemen who propose to defer i‘, arguing that ii will bo as warm a yeßr hence as to day, display raoro eoatiment than practical knowledge of human nature. —I am, ito., T