EARTHQUAKE DISTRICT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20818, 10 March 1931, Page 11

EARTHQUAKE DISTRICT.

IOAN PROPOSAL MADE. AMOUNT TO COVER DAMAGE. SLIDING INTEREST RATES. COUNTY COUNCIL'S SUGGESTION. [BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NAPIER, Monday. A new scheme for the distribution of relief in the earthquake area was placed before the Hawke's Bay County Council to-day by Mr. W. Tucker. Tlio council adopted the proposal. Details of the

scheme are 7 : —(1) That the Government \ ra ise an earthquako loan of sufficient amount to /cover the damage done in the earthquake area, in the same way as it has raised loans for the" purchase of lands for soldier settlement. (2) That the security for the loan be the buildings and the land on which they are built.

(3) That'the interest payable be: First

year, nil; second year, 1 per cent.; third year, 2 pel 1 cent.; fourth year, 3 per cent.; fifth year, 4 per cent.; sixth year, 5 per cent.; all succeeding years, 6 per cent. (4) That when the interest payable nnder clause 3 has on every £IOO reached the sum of £125 the payments shall be reviewed.

(s)' That all Government assistance shall be given in the form of a loan, and not as a free gift. (6) That in place of rendering assistance to individuals who have suffered loss through earthquake damage, the Government restore at its own cost public works and services of local authorities damaged by the earthquake. (7) That assistance given to needy individuals should be met out of relief funds only.

GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL. REOPENED YESTERDAY. USE OF UNDAMAGED ROOMS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —FRESB ASSOCIATION.] / NAPIER, Monday. The Napier Girls' High School resumed to-day. In the early days after the earthquake it was thought by the authorities that it would be impossible to resume secondary education in Napier for some time. However, so many parents expressed a desire to have their children with them that it was decided, at short notice, to reopen the school and give an opportunity to get the children back to normal as soon as their homes were ready.

In spite of the old school being ruined nnd the new brick building damaged, there etill remain ten or 12 detached rooms which withstood the shock, and these are Bow being used. RETURN OF RESIDENTS. APPEAL FROM HASTINGS. SOME RESTRICTIONS CANCELLED. [BT TELEGRAPH.—PBESS ASSOCIATION.] HASTINGS. Monday. The registration officer, Mr. S. Averill, requests all residents of the town to return at the earliest opportunity. The request is urgent, and is made for two reasons—firstly, because repairs to houses and business premises, and demolition where necessary, cannot be decided upon or carried out without the authority of the owners or occupiers; and secondly, it is felt that the extreme kindness of the people who offered to assist absentees from the district should not be trespassed upon. Absentees now remaining away run a risk in regard to necessary immediate actions being performed by 'the authorities. To enable the general return of residents, the restrictions previously existing against the occupancy of homes have now been cancelled. Permits to travel,, regardless of the mode of transport, must be obtained by letter or telegram to Mr. Averill. A permit will be immediately posted.

THE MAYOR'S FUND. FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS. ■ TOTAL OF £22,969 TO DATE. Additional contributions to the Mayor of Auckland's earthquake relief fund yesterday totalled £lO7 7s 3d. The list is us follows: — £ B. d. Previously acknowledged . . . 22,862 8 5 Staff of' Railway Workshops. Otahuhu (2nd contribution) <lO 7 6 Employees Southdown works, Auckland Farmers' Freezing Co.. Ltd. ... ... • • • • 23 10 0 Point Chevalier pictures, dance and card evening .... 19 11 » Sacred' Heart Church social .. 17 17 0 Auckland branch of New Zealand Institute of Marine and Power Engineers . . ■ • 15 10 u £3 3s each: A. and G.M.. Northcote and Birkenhead Ramblers' League Football Club; Miss J. Hunter Smith. £2 12s 6d; Carry One, £1 ins; C. Taylor, Gnowongerup, Western Australia. £1; 0.5.M.D., 10s; L.G.S., ss; Homai Methodist Mission (bccond, contribution), 2s fcd. 0 Total to date .. .. *22.969 15 8

The people of the Tuhoe tribe, of the Urewera, Country, have sent 25 bags of potatoes to the earthquake area. SPENDING RELIEF MONEY. POSITION IN WELLINGTON. 1 BALANCE-SHEET REQUESTED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —FRE?3 ASSOCIATION.] napier, Monday. ' At a. meeting of the Hawke s Bay County Council, the chairman said exaggerated reports had reached Napier of the spending of the relief fund in Wellington. He. thought the Public Trustee should show how the relief money was being expended. Some people had remained like heroes, while others had left. It had been necessary to evacuate the women and children from Napier, but the position was not so in Hastings, He thought they should now return and lend a hand. The balance of the fund, after providing food for necessitous cases, should be divided over the afflicted area. A motion was carried urging that a balance-sheet be produced. A /country representative said that the time had arrived for people to return, rather than to live in other parts of the Dominion.

A well-known business man asserted to day that Wellington went so far as to give daily cash donations to ablebodied men, while most of those who remained had worked for nothing.