MURCHISON RECOVERY

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1929, Page 2

MURCHISON RECOVERY

BUTTER FACTORY STARTS. I'By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) NELSON, Aug. 19. The Murchison bmter factory opened to-day, a day earlier than last year. This is regarded as a reliable sign that Murchison is recovering from the earthquake, though the fact that many of the roads are not yet reopened will be a severe handicap to many suppliers. The Public Works Department has had a ‘most difficult task in opening and maintaining communication. The settlers are now finding that six-foot tracks on bye-roads are' not sufficient, and it is felt that the widening of the roads for regular traffic should be put in hand. The future of those settlers whose farms were rendered totally unworkable by the earthquake destruction, or through the total loss of road access, is still undecided. The Government has not yet given any indication of its intention, and the Relief Committee so far has failed to elicit any information. The Relief Committee has received many applications for funds for the restoration of homes and for other damage, and officers of the Lands and Public Works Departments are busy assessing the damage as a guide to the Committee when applications are being dealt with. Considerable work is involved in this direction, and much responsibility will devolve upon the Committee when each individual case is being considered. For many days now only a few very slight tremors occurred at Murchison, too few in number and too light in character to be worth mentioning at all, were it not seemingly riecesary to allay the fears pf a few.