ISOLATED KARAMEA

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 149, 28 June 1929, Page 10

ISOLATED KARAMEA

REPLY TO A QUERY

A correspondent writes to the editor asking if there is any explanation of the curious fact that, eleven days after the earthquake, no attempt has been made to deal with Karamea? "Such information as wo have," ho says, "indicates that that district suffered very severely, yet it is still left in a state of isolation, with no means of telegraphic communication. The Post and Telegraph Department has" been endeavouring for several days to send a wireless transmitter there by air, but has been prevented by the weatherand now we learn that some parties of men are actually setting out to walk from Westport; being unable to get there in any other way. "But Kavamea is a seaport, and there are any number of. ships on the coast some of them in the neighbourhood of Karamea, including steamers running special services instituted on account of the effects of the earthquake Why have not these ships been used to communicate with Karamea, and to transportthe^ireless set? For all we know the inhabitants have-been in a re-illv serious plight, which could easily have been relieved."

_ Inquiries were made to-day concerning the suggestion made by the correspondent that a steamer should be obtained to take the radio equipment from Westport to Karamea, and it was ™-rn/i tl?at Since laat Saturday the thief Postmaster at Westport had been trying to get a boat to carry mails to Karamea, but he had not been successful in his quest. Were such a vessel available, it would be used to carry the radio equipment, in view of the accident that had happened last night to Captain Burrell's aeroplane at Westport. A relief aeroplane was going from Christchurch to Westport to morrow, however, and it was hoped that if the weather conditions were favourable the radio equipment and the .operator would be transported by this machine. Ine Arahura, it was stated,, would not f^t *£ get *»*» Karamea. It was stated to be a remarkable thing that if as the correspondent asserts, "there fot? nZ Umbe- r Oi L ships °n the c°ast, some of them in. the neighbourhood of I Karamea," that the Chief Postmaster jat Westport had been unable to get one to carry mails. Inquiries were being I made in Wellington as to. whether I steamer could be. got to take mail matter to-Karamea, but there' was no certainty that it would be possible to se-