FLOOD RELIEF FUND

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1816, 24 July 1906, Page 3

FLOOD RELIEF FUND

REPOUT OF SUli COMMITTEES. LOSSES CIHEATEIi THAN ANTIC! I’ATEI).

A mooting ol the sub eouunittees up pointed to enquire into tlie losses of set tiers in the veeent tlood was held at th Oouneil Chambers Yesterday, there bcini present, llis Worship the Mayor (Mr J Townley), Messrs A. F. Konnedv, J. W Bright, A Tuohv, J, C Field,', J. B Kells, L. T. Symes, Kev ,1. (.5, Paterson Capt. Tucker, and Mr lv liobinson, Town Clerk. The Mayor asked the subcommittees to hand in their reports. He understood in many eases the losses were greater than they at iirst thought. Mr Kennedy stated that in company with Mr Lysnar and .Mr Tuohv he had visited the Patutahi district and made a thorough inspection of the portions which suffered from the tlood. Mr Kells raised the point whether the reports should be published, lie did not think they should be. Mr Field : The people are very sensitive about it and do not care to make claims. Mr Kennedy thought that the details should be published. Mr Bright considered that the reports as to the actuai losses sustained was fair matter tor the press but when it came to the relief athorded that was a different matter.

t Continuing tin' report of the l’litutah I Committee Mr Kennedy said they found the state of the country to be even more terrible than they were led to believe in town. The greatest damage was done at Lavenhiun, whilst .Messrs knight, Tuohy, Kobb, Ovenden, Hare, and others hud been great sufferers. Mr Knight had lost -il head of cattle, mostly heifers, besides 21 sheep, which meant a tremendous loss to him Some of the paddocks around I’atutahi were in a shocking state and the 'and could not be used for several months, Mr Ovenden had lost the whole of his bee boxes, and a'most totally destroyed an industry which had taken him five years to bniid up. He could not say what the loss amounted to. Mr Ovenden had made no application for relief, but his cise should eerlainly be considered. The only case tb£t they bad to bring before the meeting tvas that of Mrs Crodey. In conclusion Mr Kennedy urged the sproial claims of Mr Ovenden and Mrs Crodey, remarking bat the others could bo dealt with vhen the spp'ioations came btforo the reeling Mr Kells then submitted the following eport on behalf of tbe committee, of vhioh he was a member:— ‘•Wo beg to report that wo examined be diitrfot from Makareka to Waerengab’ka with a view to ascertaining the. xtent of damage caused by the flood. We cousider the Wowing ca-es require uigent assistance: —Nichols n: 5 aoies leasehold ; fenoes badly damaged ; ground covered with sih ; noatly all the clothing destroy! d and fumhuro dam'ged. Beveil: 8 acres freehold; £4O mortgage; fences praotioally all destroyed ; 1-nd silted ; 50 posts required. Cook: 45 acres leasehold ; lost 5 oows ; Woes badly damaged ; land silted and unfit for stock for at least two moDths; clothing and furniture all badly damaged ; has five ohildren to support. Swainson ; 90 ac.es leasehold ; lost 40 pigs value 10s eaoh, and 8 oows ; not much damage lo fenoing, bat gronnd will be unfit to oarry stock for at least two months; has wife and 9 obi’dron. T W. Habgood : 22.} acres Government leasehold ; lost 50 lambs value 8i 6d each, £7 10s wotth of chaff, 20 fowls; requires 50 posts to repair fencing. W. Barber: 10 acres; fenoes damaged, paddccks silted and unfit for me for two months; lost orop of onions, silted over. A. Lester: 10 acres leasehold ; wife and four children ; land covered with silt, fences destroyed, lost 5 sheep ; olothing nearly all destroyed. J. Harris : 7 acres leasehold ; this man is a cripple and has the old age pension, wbiob be supplemented by kcepiog fowls, of j which he lost 50 ; the land is very badly silted. G L96trr: 8 acres leasehold; water was five feet deep in this bouse, and bis furniture and clothing are practically useless ; in addition to this he lost praotioally 8 acres maize which wat in crib ; the orib oollapsed, and the ms ! zi is practically useless. WattoD : 5 aores leasehold ; wife and six ohildreD ; fenoes ruined, clothing and furnitnro badly damaged ; land unfit for use for at leat-b two months. W. Scott: Lost two valuab’e sheep dogs; furniture and clothing badly damaged. Kimfcer: 9 aores leasehold ; wife and two mall children ; lost three yearling cattle and a la ga number of fowls ; clothing aud fornituro badly damaged. File : 46 acres leasehold, all badly eilted ; fences badly damaged ; lost 3 oows, 10 calves, 2 pigs, 50 fowls; has a wife and five ohildren. Ellmers :No stock lost; clothing and furniture badly damaged. Pearson :28 aores leasehold, which is practically covered in silt, and will be useless for quite three months. This min is one of the worst sufferers, haviDg lost 9 valuable cows, 7 pig 3, about 200 fowls, Mrs Sinclair : Lost 6 pigs valued 30s racb, washing copper and kitohen utensils; practically all her olothieg was wa*hed away, besides a number of fowls. Mrs W. Gibbs : 4 acn s next Makaraka school; land badly silted; lost a lot of fowls, and olothiog damaged. Chris. Reedy : Three and a half aores fences badly dam -god ; clothing and furniture also badly damaged. H. Bousefield : Ten aoros leasehold ; lost 12 sheep valued 14s each ; land badly silted, and furniture and clothing badly damaged, T. King : Fourteen acres ; lost four calves ; feooing badly damaged ; land unfit for use for two to three months. Pardoo Brothers : Lost seven oows; fencing badly damaged ; paddocks useless for three months. W, H. Pardoe : Twenty Chains of fenoing destroyed ; lost two heifers. The above a-e a ll urgent cases. We consider the amounts static! aro tbe very least required, and do not by any m:ans represent the fu 1 amount of loss entailed by the persona whose nam s are mentioned. On-side of this there is of a very large amount of damage done, but in all other 08-es wo ormidor tbe suff-rers are in a po-ition lo s'acd the loss w tbout any asßi ter ce.” Adding to the r port Mr K-lls said that the Committee had received no applications frem anyone. There wis not a sing's person whom they met that made any song about tbrir loss. The general feeling vai that there woro plen'y werdO off than they were themselves. The membo's if the Couimiitoo found that a lot of distress existed, but'tbe people did not care to a-cept relief. Tbfy required it badly all tbe sam-. Ho did not think it advisable to say anything in tbe paper 3 . The amounts recommend.d by tin Committee by way of assistance BhonlJ not bo pu ulished, and for this reason he would not read them out.

Mr Field said the people wore very sensitive about their !oss?p. He thought it was only right that 'he HmouDts giveD should not be published'. Tub womm ap paared oven mire eansitive than the m>r. Me Sytms painted out ihat in most cases it wou'd bo two or three unnths before the settlers oould g.-t on their land. They required to got a general idea of the 10 Captain Tucker said the mattor could be viewed in several ways. Whilst the amounts given need not bo published, it was only right that tho people who contributed the money should bo given some general idea as to how it was to bo spent. Tho flood was a publio c.lamity, and one need bavo no sbame in accepting assistance. Ho could not understand why they should bo sontitive. Ni doubt women, who wore guided more by instinct than by reason, liked to keep these thiogs quiet. Whilst all detai's 1 03 d not bo made kaown tho caseß where the committee intended to extend relief might bo published and he did not tbirk eottlers should have aDy shame in taking it. Mr Bright thought it was the duty of the committee to repoit on tho moßt doserving casos. They wepo simply trustees for tho subscribers. Mr Tuoby said tfcoio were different ways of giving relief, and they should consider which was the fairest. Ho thought that ho was voicing the nominn ot the settlers when ho urge-i t.bu ernmont should bo atked to send on- n r valuers enl have tbeir props, n-s revalued. Ho never krow the valuers to come unloss the weather was hue and he birds wore singing, wbon they viowed tbo land ui drr tbo most advantageous oiroumI stances. Tbo land should bo viewed as it wsus at tbo present time, He was urgmp

for what they wore eDtltlod to, aod tha* was a revaluation of their proprrties. His fiiend Mr Brig ,t had at tho provlous meeting irlkod too lightly of what they had lost. Tho lossos oould not altogether bo gauged at tbo prosont time. He had himsolf boen receiving To awoek for milk, and this ho would bavo to do without for a time Mr Kells: It has gono in almost ovory oaso.

Mr Tuohy said that whilst soino soitlers might not take money, they would tnko a loan at a low rate of interest. Ouo gentleman bad informed him tho previous day that ho was prepared to hand those who suffered in tho fl >od monoy at a low rate of interest, and that was tho es-istanoe that would bo welcomed. There woro a good many people who thought that the funds collected would not bo rightly distribute!, and chat some would gtin by their losses. The Mayor: I do not think that they will.

Mr Ivolla : You havo a strong committoo to sco to that. Mr Tuohy ; I prevented ono lady yesterday from giving indiscriminately. Sbo wanted to rush t > give away her money, and would havo done so had I not stopped her.

Montion was mado by Mr Kennedy of bo hoavy loaa sustained by Mr MoOabo, of Patutahi, ho having lost between 300 and 400 owi a. Mr Tuohy spoke in terms of the highest praise of the kiudaes9 of Mr Holdon who had first suggested that those with graaa to spare should inks the settlers’ stoolr. The Mayor objected to the word “reliof ” being so often used. It was not relief but assistanoo tbat they sought to give. Thoso who suffered from the flood should not bo afraid to reoeivo it. The money was given with the very best intention It was simply assistance to lift them ovor the present stile. There was not a word uttered at the meeting that thoy need be afraid of appearing in the press. They should got all they could, and from where they could. Mr Symes said tbat one of the worst features of the flood was that in many oases settlers oould not get into tboir homes. It was absolutely dangerous for them to attempt to do so at present. C .ptaia Tucker emphasised his previous ..at6ment that there should b 9 no liesitancy or reluota’ os on the part of settlors in acoepiiDg assistance. He could not agree with the Mayer in regard to the term " relief,” as be could see no difference belwrou relief and assistance. Some of them had tried very hard in other oases to get oompt nsation, and why not in this instanoa. Tbpy should Dot be too seoret in a matter where they wrre dispensing public f inds. They should assist a'l in their power, and there should be no sharnefacodoess and no feeling of mealy mouthedness on the part of persons in mak'ng known their b stes. Referring to people makiDg a gaiu out of the flood, Mr Tuohy gavo an instance where a geotlcm-in at Pitutahi had thrown optn his piddoeks and given free greziDg, and the first to avail themselves of his kindness wire tboso who had not suffered at all The gentleman in question, when informed of the faot, rightly ordered the stock to be removed. Mr Field : In cas. s like tbat tbo committee should step in. Mr Tuohy : The worst sufferers, when all is be those who will not take anything at all

Mr Byrnes endorsed Mr K»nnedj’j remarks regarding tbo Icssei at Patu’ahi. Mr Bright, replying to Mr Taohy’s rema-ks that ho regarded the flood lightly, stated he was well awsre of the seriousness of the calamity, but hedepreorted publishing reports whioh would briDg the district into disrepute, Mr Tuohy said that Mr Bright’s attitude would prevent many who did not attend the public meeting, but who could well affotd it, from oontribuling to the fund.

Captain Tucker made the suggestion that the Government might be asked to give pound for pound subsidy. There was no doubt that the flood was a worse thing than they at first believed it to be. It was a graver calamity than they thought it, as many of the dairy farmers would not be able to resume operations for upwards of three months. The Government often assisted when roads were washed away, and in regard to bo pi sal matters and the present oase was rvr-n more deserving. He moved, “That the Government bo asked to contribute pound for pound on any sum subscribed for the purpose." The Mayor said th t Captain Tucker’s proposition put a m 10 serious aspect on the question. He hal hoped that they would be able to manage amongst themselves without going ou'side. The present state of affairs showed the necessity for a more energetic effort. Before they went to the Government they would have to get details of the losses,

Mr Lysnar considered it would be a great pity to go to the Government. “ Hear, hear," from Messrs Bright and Kennedy and others. Mr Symeß: This district is sufficiently wealthy to raise a sufficient amount. I undertake to say that we can ea3ily collect £IOOO if wo go the right way about it. I am not in favor of rmhiog to the Government for everything we want. Personally, I shall be stroeglv opposed to Capt. Tacker’s resolution, We should not a3k the Government for one pmoy. Mr Field: We shall have to apply to the Government for assistance in getting our roads in order The Waitnata road has been damaged to the extent of ,£l2O or more It is completely blocked and the Boad Board and County Council will not be able to assist us.

Captain Tucker: That is a different thing. Mr Bright: It is quite a different thing. Mr Tuohy : 1 dread asking tho Government for anything. Our backs arc broken to-day, but if we go to the Government when the good time comes this will cripple us The Itov. J. G. Paterson referred to the necessity of the true state of affairs being made public so that there shall be a more generous response in the way of subscriptions. He was surprised to know that only £2OO had been received.

After further discussion it was decided to go into Committee for the purpose of discussing the recommendation of the sub-committcc. This was done, the Committee voting tho sum of £175 in the way of affording temporary assistance in the most deserving eases.

The necessity of actively canvassing for urthc-r sums to relieve sufferers was

mentioned, and it was decided that the Mayor and County Chairman should insert an advertisement inviting subscriptions, It was stated that upwards of ±IOOO would be required. A telegram from Napier asking if outside assistance were required was read, but the meeting decided that pending further information as to the losses, the canvass for funds should be carried on

locally. I t is to be 'hoped that there will be a general response to the call for subscriptions, as from the information furnished yesterday there arc a number of cases in the utmost need for help.