RESTORATION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19667, 10 July 1929, Page 11

RESTORATION.

WORK AT MURCHISON.

PRIME MINISTER APPEALED TO. (PKISS ASSOCIATION TBUSGBAH.) KELSON, July 9. A meeting of the executive of the Emergency Belief Committee was held to-day. There were present: The Mayor, Mr W. J. Moffatt, CrF. R. Watson and S. Gibbs, and Messrs O'Donneil (Public Works Department), J. Fitzgerald (Public Trustee), H. Kidson, A. Waters (Commissioner for Crown Lands), and G. A. Edmonds (Town Clerk). The Mayjr said he had been informed that a number of women who had gone back to Murchison were returning to Nelson, as their homes were not habitable. He suggested that the Government be informed that conditions in Murchison are such that the committee feel it necessary to take in hand the restoration of the houses and ask for credit to allow the work to go ahead. He proposed that representatives of the committee, accompanied by practical builders, should visit Murchison to-morrow and see for themselves the condition of the houses. Three weeks had passea, and no effort had been made by the Government to restore the houses. Cr. Gibbs said he was against any women going back to Murchison at present. The Mayor said Cr. Stringer had just returned from Murchison, and said that only a few houses aaa 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 the Central Committee too unwieldy, and the Government should be 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 Cr. Gibbs, Mr O'Donnell, of the Public Works Department, said the Department's general instructions were to restore the main roads and the 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 going to propound a policy, and, if this was so, that was where the difficulty would arise. Cr. Gibbs then moved the following resolution: "That a telegram be sent to the Prime Minister, as chairman of the Central Relief Committee, asking authority for the Public Works Department to restore Murchison township. This is a matter of urge .ay to restore confidence and allow refugees ho are ai lous and willing to return to their homos to look after their stock. Kindly advise if you will instruct the Publie Works Department to undertake the restoration forthwith, or, alternatively, if you will instruct the committee to undertake the work and authorise the necessary expenditure provisionally up to £2OOO. An immediate reply is necessary in order to place it before the meeting of the General Committee tonight." Mr Waters said he took it that the proper function of the Central Committee was to allocate the money among the different areas affected. The Mayor said the committee had been waiting for a report from the Central Committee for some time. The vital thing was to get people back to Murchison. He could get four practical men to organise a scheme to get to work tomorrow.

DAMAGED PROPERTY. ESTIMATED AT £237,000. (PBESS ASSOCIATION rBLXGBAM.) NELSON, July 9. Tho Commisisoner for Crown Lands, Mr A. F. Waters, has just returned 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 Committee to-day, Mr Waters announced that the damage to private property in the afflicted areas was £237,000. Sometimes he thought it was more and sometimes less, but the estimate, he explained, was only an approximate one, and was made to enable the Central Committee to apportion the money amongst the districts affected. It was resolved to forward the information to the Central Committee. The investigation had been made at the instigation of Sir Joseph Ward.

QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE.

(PESSS ASSOCIATION TBUEGBAS.) WELLINGTON, July 9. The P*im© Minister, replying to questions by Mr Black in the House of Representatives to-day, said that arrangements for the rehabilitation of settlers in the Murchison district were in hand, and the Central Committee would be giving the matter consideration to-morrow. The position of settlers in t.K; lower Maruia Valley was also uncLr investigation, and it was hoped that information on the subject would be before the Central Committee to-morrow. The Government had not neglected any steps it could possibly take in any part cr the country since the earthquake had first occurred. In reply to a further question by Mr Black, Sir Joseph Ward said that if necessary arrangements would be made for the steamer Nile to call to discharge a cargo at Little Wanganui, en route to Karamea. The Hon. Mr Ranson, in reply to a question bv Mr Black, said that every possible effort was being made to restore road communication with Karamea and other places affected by the earthquake. AUCKLAND WHARVES TO BE STRENGTHENED. [THE PRESS Special Service.] AUCKLAND. July 9. Proposals for strengthening the Princes, Queen's, and King's wharves against earthquakes at a cost of about £SOOO, are to be considered by the Auckland Harbour Board. The matter was brought up at the Board's meeting by the engineer, Mr D. Holderness, who pointed out in his report that the risk of damage was not negligible, and that those wharves built up to 1925 had no structural provision against earthquakes although the later ones were strengthened against lateral stresses. The report was referred to the Board in committee, several members remarking that the matter was most important, and should be dealt with without delay.