RELIEF COMMITTEE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 31 July 1929, Page 5

RELIEF COMMITTEE

RESTORATION AT MURCHISON PROGRESS OF WORK Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the Nelson Earthquake Relief Committee was held. There were present the Mayor (Mr W. J. Moffatt) in the chair, Councillors U. 1\ Russell, G.. Rage, F. W. Huggins and H. E. Woshbourn; Messrs A. F. Waters, May, J. Fitzgerald, G. A. Edmonds and tf. Kidson. Mr Mitchell, secretary of the Central Committee, and Mr limes, of the Government Audit Department were also present. . A letter from the Central Committee advised that it had arranged for Government Department valuers to assess earthquake damage. Another letter from the Central Committee asked for local committees to submit their funds to the Central Fund. Mi- Mitchell explained that the Central Committee wished all committees , to transfer funds to the central account. and that arrangements had been made to open a banking account for the local committee.. The Central Committee was endeavouring to enforce a uniform policy. The Town. Clerk stated that the local committee had two accounts, one being the general account (to! be included in \ ' the Central Fund) aud 1 the other one j which included donations given on condition that they would not be transferred to the /Central Fund, but administered by the Mayor or local committee. ,It was moved by Mr Kidson and seconded by Councillor Htfggins that No. 1 account be transferred to the Central Fund. This was carried. It was decided on the motion of Coun- ■ ■;'• cillor Page and Mr Edmonds that £SOO be obtained from the Central Committee for the. Nelson Committee's current account. _ ' 'A report was received from the Committee's supervisor in Murchison stating that up to Thursday last 16 houses Had been made habitable at a cost of approximately £IBO. The Murchison Committee also reported on the progress being made under Mr Stringer's supervision. The same communication stated that a Committee to watch the work of relief, in the interests of those receiving help had been set up at a public meeting. "The Town Clerk reported that £4896 had been paid in to the local fund, £2283 had been expended, leaving a. - balance of £2613. | A number of accounts received from • Murchison were referred back to the '- Murchison Committee for investigation. Several members thought it should be made clear that the fund would not "be enough to ensure complete restoration.

. REPORTS FROM MURCHISON ' . The Murchison-Belief Committee reported, as follows on the progress of Murchison temporary relief work: — || j "Splendid progress, is being made with the immediate repair work under ; the supervision _of Mr Stringer. ' . "The immediate repair work is to make the homes habitable and to enable settlers .to return, giving them one fireplace, repairing the water supply and temporary repairs to serious leaks. A limit of £SO is made on' any one home from this fund, but the repairs in most • cases have far from reached that amount. > VAt .a public meeting of Murchison residents held last week, a committee wa» appointed comprising two representatives for each section of the district. r.This committee has held three meetings and is watching the progress of work on behalf of Murchison settlers. '.'The township portion is being, dealt with .first owing to the poor access to the valleys- untu the roads are cleared. •'There are« 69 (homes in the township area,/of which approximately 16 have been repaired and made habitable. Eight are at present receiving attention. Four are considered past temporary repair, while "the balance are considered satisfactory for the time being. Most of j these homes Tequire further assistance ' later from the General Relief Fund. The : present work is purely making homes :.'-''- habitable. 'j. , "The Public Works Department is making good progress with the work on H the roads. The stock track to the MfdMaruia is practically completed." Mr Stringer reported as follows: "Up to Thursday night (25th July) we have made sixteen houses habitable at .;'•. . the approximate cost of £IBO. Kindly ■ understand the word habitable does not - mean reconstructed as' before the earthquake, as in several cases double and single chimneys have to be rebuilt and more tank stands have to be put up, ;. with tanks. The wages for men up to j 25th July amount to £42 19s. I may j mention that we are not touching any houses that are shifted off their foundations, and suggest leaving them for the Public Works .