THE EARTHQUAKE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1929, Page 6

THE EARTHQUAKE

NELSON MOVE. TO SPEED UP CENTRAL COM- • MITTEE. (By Telegraph—Press Association). NELSON, July 9. A meeting of the Executive of the Emergency Relief Committee was held to-day. There were present: The Mayor (Mr W. J. Moffatt), Councillor R. Watson, Councillor S. Gibbs and Messrs O’Donnell (Publfe Trustee), If. Kidson, A. Waters (Commissioner of. Crown Lands), and G. A. Edmonds (Town Clerk). The Mayor said he had been informed that-. 1 a number of women who had gone back t > Murchison were returning to Nelson as their homes were not ‘Habitable! He suggested that the Government be informed that the conditions in Murchison are such that the Committee feel it necessary to take .in hand the restoration of the houses, and to ask for credit to allow the work to go ahead.

The Ma'yor proposed that representatives of the Committee, accompanied by practical builders, visit Murchison to-morrow and see for themselves the condition of the houses.

Three weeks, be said,- had passed, and no effort had ..been'made bv the Government to restore* 1 the houses. Councillor Gibbs said; that he was against any women going back to Murchison at present., The Mayor’, said that Councillor Stringer had just returned from Murchison, and said that only a few of the houses had been shifted from their piles. He was of the opinion that a gang of men could soon straighten things out. The Mayor went on to say that he considered that the Central Committee was too unwieldv, and that the Government should he notified that the Nelson Committee proposed to take.the work of restoration in hand. All. that was wanted was a gang of handy men.

In\answer to • Councillor Gibbs, Mr 1 O’Donnell, of the Public Works Department .said that the Department’s general ’ instructions 1 were to restore the main roads and access roads. The Mayor said he did not want to make any reflection on the Government., It had done splendidly, but. it looked as if the Central Committee was' too unwieldy. It appeared as if the Central Committee was to propound a policy, and if this was so v that was where a ; difficulty Would arise. .

Councillor Gibbs then: moved the following resolution: “That a telegram 'be sent to the Prime Minister, as Chairman of the Central tee, asking authority for the Publicj « j Works. Department to restore, Murclustin -township.;. .' This is, a matter of urgency,' to restore confidence," and to allow the refugees, who are anxious -and willing to- their -homes to look after their stock. Kindly advise !if you'will instruct the Public Works!; Department, to'vundertake restoration forthwith, or alternatively, if you will instruct the Committee to undertake the work, and will authorise the necessary expenditure, provisionally, up to £2OOO. An immediate reply is necessary, in order to plac-b it before a meeting of ,the General Committee to-night.”

jYIr Waters said that lie took . it that the proper function of the Central Committee was to allocate the money among the different areas affected.

The-Mayor said that, the Committee had been waiting for a report from the Central Committee for some time. 'Flic vital thing was to get the people back to Murchison. He could get four practical men to organise schemes to get to work to-morrow. '

’QUAKE DAMAGE. TO PRIVATE PROPERTY. NELSON, July ft The Commissioner of Crown Lands; Mr A. F. Waters; has just\"Tetutmed; from a visit to the earthquake areas/ for the purpose of making an estimate: of the damage done. At a meeting of the Executive, of the Relief Commit tee to-day, Mr Waters announced 1 that the damage to private property in the afflicted areas was £237,000. Mr Waters said that sometimes lie thought it was more, and so netimos less. The estimate, he explained, nas only an approximate one,, and it uas made to enable the Central Committee to proportion the money amongst the districts affected. It was resolved to forward the information to the Central Committee. The .investigation had been , made at the instance of Sir Joseph.-. Ward.