’QUAKE DAMAGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20827, 4 July 1942, Page 2

’QUAKE DAMAGE

WELLINGTON HOUSES MANY WEEKS’ REPAIRS E.P.S. WORKERS DEFENDED (P.A.) ' WELLINGTON, this day. It will be a month to six weeks, Wellington City Council officials estimate, before all the 3500 Wellington houses damaged in the earthquake have at least one usable chimney and roof whith does not leak. Investigations have disclosed a much larger number of affected houses than at first suspected, "Iftost have two chimneys requiring 'repairs and others have three, four, five 4 and even sik. Urgent repairs are'being carried out under .the ’ general supervision of the City Council by lribour made available by the Government. Yesterday there were 100 men on the work. Arrangements have been made to obtain a further 80 from other districts next week. If this number is subsequently increased, it is estimated .that the time for completing the work will be reduced. Problem of Accommodation The finding of accommodation for 80 brick workers due'-to arrive’next week has ’presented a problem, said the Mayor, Mr. TYC. A. Hislop.' : It appeared that all the ordinary accommodation was booked -up partly because of people coming to Wellington for the races. He had arranged for the use of the pavilionat'Wakefield Park which had cooking facilities. Before Monday, phe-fabricated hutments would' be erected to- house the‘first draft of 2.0 to 30.' Further huts in the same area would be erected for subsequent arrivals! “A contemptible attack on the work done by the Wellington "E.P.S. during and after' the earthquake,” was the' description ’ applied -by - Mr. Hislop, to suggestions that'the' E.P.S. did not go into' action 'till Saturday after- -the shock of Wednesday' and that nothing was done' to look after the people who suffered through damage to their homes. The statements were absolutely untrue and would not merit' ’ any notice from him’"were ‘they -’not -an attack on the large-numbers of- men and women in the E.RS. who did a mganificent job immediately '-after the earthquake’ and ■ continued for several davs, he said. In "actual fact the E.P.S. units turned oivEHmmediately -’after the shock. Within a very’ short time units were at work ascertaining the damage,- giving temporary ' help to the people and roping off dangerous areas. “' The accommodation unit throughout Thursday" and up to yesterday had been doing-its job of evacuation and finding accommodation ■ In four days'-400’ dangerous nremises were demolished by the E.P.S. ' ' :l: "' ""