THE LATE FLOODS.

Hastings Standard, Issue 304, 23 April 1897, Page 3

THE LATE FLOODS.

+ MISCELLANEOUS. The Mayor of Hastings has received the following telegram : —■ i Accept assurance of heartfelt sympathy in the appalling disaster, with my mite to help distress. Bishop Gkdies, Christchurcb." Mr A. L. D. Fraser paid a visit to the Pakowhai Native sufferers this morning and orders were given for necessary supplies. The Engineer of the H.B. County CoonejLestimates that it will cost that> body" £'2-3,000 in maknSg*~good thedamage to roads, bridcres v &er°~Several heads of families 'from Clive are arranging for taking dwellings in Hastings. The committee organised for the purpose of enquiring into the distn -ss throughout Hawke's Bny should above all things avoid being governed by their emotions. A man approached some | members of our local committee the j other day telling a long tale of desti- j tution and woe. He had lost every-* thing and was utterly dependent on public charity. Enquiries being instituted it was discovered that the pauper had £'looo to his credit, fixed deposit at the bank, besides having his land and house paid for. V> rt>. y-aji. The ferry over the washout has been discontinued, a road having been made round the head of it.

A six train service each way between Hastings anil Napier starts to-morrow. The General Manager of Railways. Mr Thos. Ronayne, arrived by special conveyance from Te Ante this afternoon, and went on to Napier at 4 o'clock.

A parcel and goods railway service up to -sGibs commenced to-day. Two large boats, worked by ropes on either side at the Waitangi crossDg, are in use to-day. THE MINISTERIAL TOUR. A number of deputations waited on the Minister for Public Works yesterday. Mr G. H. Swan, Mayor of Napier, thanked the Government for their prompt assistance to the sufferer*. Attention was called to the inefficiency of the Waitangi ferry service, and the Minister gave instructions for a wtale-boat to be sent from the Spit.

The Minister stated that every facility would be given to the carriage of goods between Napier and Hastings. Government was asked to restore railway connection with Hastings by a temporary line, and a promise was given that the matter would be looked into at once.

If the member for Napier introduced a Bill compelling all the River Boards to amalgamate, every assistance would be given by the Hon Mr Hall-Jones.

Mr Swan asked that a permanent Traffic Manager be appointed for Napier, and he eulogised the services rendered by Mr I. Farris, the ActingManager. The Minister said he had received several flattering testimonies to the ability of Mr Faris, and the matter spoken of would receive his attention.

In answer to a request that Government would give monetary assistance towards burying the carcases of stockthroughout the district, the Minister said he thought that wa§ a suggestion for the County Council. The Minister { romised to lay before his colleagues a request for a subsidy on all subscriptions to the relief fund. Local men were promised preference on railway work, especially sufferers by the flood. In answer to a question for a reduction in the duty on cement used on the breakwater, the Minister said it was a matter for Parliament to deal with.

The Minister for Public AVorks and party on visit intr Roy's Hill yesterday afternoon found that the embankment had been greatly damaged by carts crossing it with loads of liax. This damage was undoubtedly the cause of the Ngarororu breaking through here.

The Hon. AA*. Hall-Jones, accompanied by Mr R. D. P. M'Lean, M.H.R., left Hastings for Papakura this morning. There the party will be met by Mr G. P. Donnelly, and they will proceed to the Omahu district to inspect damage and relieve sufferers.

THE RELIEF FUND. Speight >v Co, IHinedirs, have forwarded £."«0 to the Relief Fund. Other subscriptions are as follows :—Robjohns and Hintlmarsh, -I. 11. Coleman, Gertrtide Watt, Florence Watt, Hector J. Smith, each f •'>(>; Orchestral Society, Dunedin, t'-0 ; llingSand and Thomas. W. R. Blythe, Maurice Ma-on, J. W. Carlile, F. Logan ; and Co, Christchurch ; W. Stephen, Loan ami Mercantile >taiY. each A" 10. The I'nion S.S. Company donated £IOO ami offered free freight on food contribution? tip to 100 ton-. (Jisborne has sent i"125 to the Napier Committee. Three hundred and fifty pounds were subscribed at a public meeting in Napier yesterday afternoon. At a public meeting at \\ uipawa la«t night a strong comiuitU'-e was furnied to collect subscriptions in aid of the sufferers bv the tioods. A resolution

expressing sympathy with the families -nftC those who lost their lives and with sulferera by the tlmnls was recorded.

PUBLIC M FETING. A public i:iu: : iVr *.l:- iw.-:dt ration of wa\- at: t i..« a::- I r the rui-'.rg of funds for :hv r-i-l e£ tin di-:n--in liawke"? B;; y «;i- ht lil l.u-t niuht in the C>'ur.c:l »'han.U rs. The May»-r. !■ In.' in.\ ".p:*.d :ht iba.:\ explainul tli.it :•>: the pn\io-»< ni. . tstu cotntuittie- inr- 1 ajj.-:ii:--d :-»in-p:m-into :Li ie». al l.is< - i : i;r_r> ::t d by : iL~.>-1. I £:< -t *'• • ■ mitth> : «•!.r r-t'd hf -.•> glad to say that th-.rv w«.rc wa'-y tU'hi

cases of urgent distress in H > and those bad already received substantial assistance. He was sure Hastings would be to the fore in subscribing to the general fund, and he would leave it to the meeting to suggest way- and means for raising funds. In reply to a question by Captain Rus.-ell with reference to the Clive sufi< iers, the Mayor said a committee met in Napier that afternoon for the purpose of enquiring into the wants of the Meanee, Papakura and Clive districts.

On the motion of Captain Russell, it was decided to appoint a committee, consisting of the Mayor, the Revs. J. Hobbs, A. S. Morrison, Martin, Canon St. Hill, Father Smyth, Messrs E. H. "Williams, Hughes, Mc-Leod, and the mover, with power to add to their number, to work in connection with the central committee. Captain Russell and Mr Fit/.Hoy to act as delegates to the central committee. A suggestion by Father Smyth to include Clive in the Hastings district was not included in the motion. On the Rev. Mr Hobbs' motion it was decided to ask the ladies of Hastings to form themselves into a committee for making clothes for women and children.

Mr E. 11. Williams said some people in Clive had not changed their clothes since the Hood, and he hoped the ladies would take in that town in thenoperations. Mr Hunt suggested that a place be named where clothing might be left, to which the Mayor replied that clothes should be left at the Borough Council chambers and they would be duly distributed.

Mrs W. R. Russell was of opinion that the difficulty the ladies would have to grapple with would be the distribution of the clothing after being made. People felt a delicacy in applying, she thought a ladies' committee should search for deserving cases.

The Mayor >.aid the committee would see that the clothes were properly distributed.

Mr -J. Williams called attention to the condition of the Natives, who wore in a starving condition in some of the outlying pahs, and he asked the committee to extend help to them. Mr A. L. J). Eraser spoke warmly in support of this suggestion. Several Natives had waited on him representing the greit distress in Paki Paki, I'akowalii, and other pahs. He communicated with the Government at once, and was authorised to deal with the pressing necessities. A committee with local knowledge should be appointed to make enquiries and relieve the Native wants.

Mr Galway thought there were too many committees already, the existing committee could consult with MiEraser on the question of Native relief. The Mayor followed in a similar strain. There was no fear of the Natives being forgotten.

Mr Fraser said this was a case for immediate action. The Natives were starving, and he would not take the responsibility by himself. He proposed a committee of Messrs T. AY. Lewis, J. Taiaroa J. Blake and Eraser to report Native necessities to the central committee and relieve pressing distress. The Government would subscribe £25 for this purpose. Mr Beilby seconded the motion, which was carried.

Air Hunt suggested that dry firewood be distributed. There was plenty of wood lying about, but it was wet, and therefore useless. He thought a ball might be held to raise funds.

The Rev. Mr Ilobbs said a ball could not be got up in a few days. AYhat they wanted was money at once, Avhich he thought could be raised by a

house-to-house canvass like that instituted for the Indian Famine Fund. A ball could be held later on. This was agreed to. The local clergy were asked to announce collections at the various churches.

Captain Russell suggested that the Mayor and himself attend the meeting of the central committee to be held in Napier the next day in order to find out their plans and lay them before the local committee at their next meeting. Agreed to.

Air J. Collinge was appointed .secretary and treasurer to the fund, and a subscription was opened in the hall with the following result: — W. R. Russell f2O ; E. 11. AVilliams. £lO 10-i ; Mrs H. J. Russell. £lO ; J. 11. AVilliams. C. A. Fitzßoy. AV. 11. L. Galway. E. Newbigin, and T. \Y. Lewis, each £•"<; Chas. Hughes, t:i :'.s ; .1. R. Lanauze, J. Culk-n. S. Charlton, -I. M. Phil son, W. C. Mad di son, AV.

P»ei!by, I>. M'Leoil, Bennett and Hone, Hibernian Society, each A*2 2s: -Judge (rt!ilur> on. .1. Collinge, A. L. I', l'raser. each A'2 ; Mr- Tosswill, J. Bain, ll ; Miss S. Took'. Miss Shoehan, 10s. IN AND AROUND NATIER. Our correspondent writes as follows : —" Yesterday afternoon I took a walk round the lower pon< of the town to see what damage had been done by the ilood. It ha- not been so high as reported, at the lower end of Munro street the water was of, it in the centre of the road in some of the houses it reached to the top of tab'u 2feo: 0 inches high. A Large quantity of drift wood is lying about. The best pieces were soon peine. d upon for firewood by the small boy. At the Napier gasworks the furnaces were put out for a few hours, there being about 2ft Gin of water in the vard.

| T h e Rai I way \Y. >rk-hors h i\e no: suffered niudb, and 'h-- v.iUr mark lstill to K* seen about two Ket Uvu. the | grcifd. \\ road is covert 1 with drift v.'>< !. St-vi r.tl i:.tn wiih cartart t'« * ir,_r i'*!"- -'.rut. I hi- rx-idinci-> Ihtv i- T-ixi t" -'irt. rud n.ure than in in!., r par:-. ih<- wst« r aboi:'. 2lf'. i:t -<=!:.< ■ i '.he h'" l '-*-. S-'i..e on hii-!: i i'.i- i-caitd a'to-jethcr from thflood. 1 Files upon i-iics of drill wood, are

thrown over the fences, in front of iljc-hoir-tf.?, to be used in the near future to '• make the Lilly boil." In many nouses the water was only a few inches deep, but it has made things very unpleasant, if only for a few days. As the- water rose so fast, the people hardly knew what to expect, so furniture and perishable? goods were plac. don tallies ivc. The tenants left for a time to seek the hospitality of friends more fortunate than themselves. Returning, they found an inch or more of mud on the floor, which needs some patience raid elbow grease to remove. In the Government cottages the

poor folks had an experience, the water being about 3ft. deep in the houses. One little fellow told me tliev were all wet the water covering the beds. The houses all along Carlyle-street and the small cross streets had not much water in. Some lying below

the road level had from 18in. to 2ft.

but most of them had several inches, which has left enough mud to try the patience of even Job. Very little damage was done in the business part of the town. The rain water caused some trouble to shopkeepers; but with the exception of a few places nothing of importance took ph. C.'. I expect we shall soon see posters out announcing that a great clearing sale is to take place owing to the damage done by water. Any excuse •is better than none. The boat sheds have stood the storm very well, with the exception of the platform in front of the Napier Club's rowing shed, which has disappeared. No damage is reported.

In the Recreation Ground the water was about three feet, taking the average depth. In Clive Square in the deepest parts it could not have more than 15 to 18 inches. The water marks can be seen on the shrubs and flower plants some Bto 10 inches. The caretaker is hard at work cleaning up. A large number of men with horses and carts are employed through the town cleaning the streets and drains. I hear that at the Spit things are not bad, and the Western Spit has not suffered to any extent.

At Awatoto three houses had 4 feet of water inside, which left several inches of mud ; jail the furniture, &c., in the houses being in a terrible state. From the railway crossing to ffhe Waitangi, on the swamp side of the line, there is enough firewood to last all the winter for a very large number of families. POLITICS IN DISTRESS. [To The Editor.] Sir, —It is very much to be regretted that in the hour of darkness for Hawke's Bay certain gentlemen have shown palpable littleness by dragging politics into a theme in which all differences of opinion should be sunk in the awfulness of the calamity that has overtaken us.' At the first meeting dalled to consider the question of relief one of the speakers actually blamed the Seddon Government for the flood, stating—l am writing from memory of your report that the Government had been approached for assistance to river enbankments, but " as usual " they delayed until a disaster occurred. The utter absurdity of this remark is in keeping with matters that have subsequently transpired. On the arrival of the Minister for Public AVorks he was informed by certain prominent gentlemen that everything had been done for the immediate requirements of the sufferers. Mr Hall-Jones, on behalf of the Government, expressed pleasure at the promptness displayed ; but he decided to personally pay a visit to the principal scenes of the disaster. AYhat he saw at Clive beggars description. Mind, Sir, he had been told that " everything" had been done to alleviate the burdens of the sufferers. The Minister immediately gave orders for blankets and provisions. Knowing these facts, I was hardly prepared for a paragraph in yesterday morning's Herald to the effect that " after an interview with Captain Russell and Mr Fitzßoy," the Minister had sent blankets to the people in distress. Neither of the gentlemen whom the Herald wishes to credit were at Clive at the time the order was given. This is but one case in an apparently organised attemj>t to belittle the action of the Government representative. Mr Hall-Jones's tour has been a thorough one, and it is certain ho knows more about the distress of the sufterers than any man in Hawke's Bay. His actions are entitled to at least honest recognition, and those who have done the work should certainly get credit for it. " Honor where honor is due" is apparently entirely overlooked in this case.—l am, ac.. Fair Play.