QUAKE RELIEF FUND

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 104, 29 October 1931, Page 15

QUAKE RELIEF FUND

£158,500 REMAINING

COMMITTEE TO MEET SHORTLY

The ilawkes Bay Earthquake Kulief Funds Bill, giving .statutory authority to tho Central Earthquake Cominittco to administer and control the publiclyraised funds for the relief of sufferers in ' tho affected area, was passed by tho House of Representatives yesterday. Tho Leader of tho Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) suggested that' provision should bo. made for regular meetings of tho' Earthquake Fund Committee, which had scarcely met in recent months.

> Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour, Napier) said he thought it desirable that meetings of the- full committee should be held so far as possible, especially while members were in Wellington for the Parliamentary session. The Bill was somewhat belated, as most of the funds had already been paid out. However, tho principlo contained in tho measure was right. Mr. Barnard urged that help should bo given out of the funds to poor people for the purpose of legal costs in appeal cases in connection with insurance and compensation claims.

Mr. A. E. Jull (Government, Waipawa) made an appeal for consideration of late applications for assistance whero applications had not been made by the proper date. In reply, tho Prime Minister (tho Right Hon. G. W. Forbes) said he intended to call a meeting of the committee in a day or two, when information regarding the state of tho fund would be furnished, to the members. Tho total sum which was available for general relief was £391,000, of which £158,500 now remained. . He thought the committee should consider tho question of grants to enable legal costs to be met. One could conceive that there would be cases whero difficulty would be experienced in meeting tho cost of legal expenses, and ho thought it might be made the subject of a recommendation to the Central Committee. Every latitude would bo given to persons who could show that their claims had not been lodged by the due dato through inadvertence. Mr. Barnard: ''There have been three extensions of timo already."

Mr. Forbes said that if there was any desire for further extension he thought tho committee would agree.