EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 August 1942, Page 2

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

RE-ERECTION OF CHIMNEYS. —— — PROVISION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. Assistance is to be given by the Government in cases of hardship in which residents of the Masterton area have been faced with the cost of rebuilding chimneys a second time, as a result of the second severe earthquake on August 2. Advice to this effect has been received by the Mayor, Mir T. Jordan, from Mr B. C. Ashwin, Secretary of the Treasury. The Masterton area comprises Masterton Borough and the Masterton, Mauriceville and Castlepoint counties. The Government has decided that where hardship would be caused by ’claiming on the person concerned for the double cost of restoration, it will meet portion of the amount involved and the necessary financial provision has been made on the Supplementary Estimates. Local authorities who have been carrying out the restoration work are to judge the merits of the respective cases and to exercise the necessary discretion . as to where grants should be recommended. In cases where it is considered that hardship can be proved, only one cost of restoration is to be debited to the individual. This does not necessarily mean that the second cost of restoration is to be a free grant but mat the difference between the cost of one complete restoration and the gross expenditure on the job will be met by the Government.