EARTHQUAKE LOANS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 75, 21 December 1937, Page 5

EARTHQUAKE LOANS

Mayor of Hastings Replies To Hon. W. E. Barnard VISIT OF HON. W. NASH The fact that, beforo suggesting that the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, should confer with local bodies regarding earthquake loan indebtedness, Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P., hdd "been consulted, was mentioned by the Mayor of Hastings, Mr G. A. Maddison, in a reply to the statement made by the Hon. W. E. Barnard, M.P., of Napier, that the change from January, as proposed by the Minister, to February, was "rather tactless." "I regret that any misunderstanding has arisen in donnection with the visit "Of the Miqister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, to confer with local bodies concerning earthquake r'ehabilitation purposos," wrote Mr. Maddison in his letter to Mr. Barnard. "On Monday last, in the presence of Mr. Noel C. Harding, town clerk, I diicussed the Minister 's visit with Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P., and Mr. Cullen appeared f avourably disposed to the suggestion I made that the Minister 'i visit might be arranged, if convenient to the Ministey, during February. Mr. Cullen informed me that it had been the intention of Mr. Nash to meet local bodies between Christmas and New Year, but I pointed out that it would be doubtful, owing to holidays, if local body representatives would' b# able to meet the Minister at this time. 4 ' At the meeting of representatives oi local bodies from the .Wairoa, Napier, and Hastings districis, held in the Council Chambers, Hastings, On 'the afternoon of Wednes.day, December 15, it was unanimously agreed to ask you to invite the Minister to Hawke's Bay during February, for the reason that the Christmas and January; holidays •would be a deterrent to the early preparation of the various cases that ihe respective local bodies desired to place before the Minister. "I think you will recognise that this effort will probably be the last oppofi tunity the local bodies will have of placing their cases before the Minister for final considerqtion, and, naturally, we are desirous of placing the full circumstances in a considered statement before Mr. Nash. I am sure you will concede that the preparation of thes# statements will take' a considerabli time,* as they involve much work, including the perusal of flies and other relative matter, since the time of th®„ earthquake, and it was for that reason alone that we suggested that the Minister 's visit might occuj during the month of February. "I can assure you that we are fully cognisant of the calls that are made on the time of the Minister, and we do not desije to involve him in any undue inconvenience, bnt the meeting that we propose should be held in February must, of course, receive his approval. "May I again express the hope that you will be able to arrange for tfie Minister to visit Hawke's Bay in February for the reason that I have outlined. ' '