RELIEF COMMITTEE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1931, Page 5

RELIEF COMMITTEE

REFUGEES URGED TO RETURN. RESTORATION WORK TO BE EXPEDITED. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association) WELLINGTON. March 25. The Relief Fund Central Committee met vesterdav.

It was brought under notice that practicallv all dwellings can now he occupied; that some refugees are making no effort to return and citizens in other towns are unable to maintain them any longer; that work can ho found in Napier for all male refugees and therefore it is felt some immediate steps should he taken to ensure the early return of refugees to their homes. It is oli\ions that, business cannot lie conducted and the community restored to a normal condition while a large mini her of the population are absent.

The committee decided repatriation is to lie arranged at the rate of a thousand a week. Refugees will he given a specified time, say seven days, in which they are required to return to Their homes, and that in all cases where notice is not complied with, all relief and free transport to he immediately withdrawn. Provision is to he made for extension time in cases of sickness,

tit view of the npproachihg winter, the committee is anxious to have the restoration work completed as early ns possible and to this end has issued instructions to local committees to take all necessary steps to have work expedited. House owners are urged to make early application in order that the necessary authority mav he obtained for work to proceed on their homes.

In trie future the question of investigating individual applications for relief in the nature of food and clothing etc., will lie dealt with by hospital and charitable aid hoards, the cost to he refunded to the hoards.