BELIEF FOR SUFFERERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20890, 4 June 1931, Page 10

BELIEF FOR SUFFERERS.

' WORK OF COMMITTEE. SELF-HELP DISCOURAGED. LOCATION OF SITTINGS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HASTINGS, Wednesday. The following telegram has been sent by Mr. H. M. Campbell, M.P., to the P'imo Minister:— "On returning to the district I find the pnoplo dismayed at the proposal of the rehabilitation committee regarding holding it) sittings in Wellington, thus making it v< ry hard on the people whose resources aie already very strained and being in direct opposition to every suggestion made while the bill was going through the House. Further, you personally said educational establishments would be included and also that stocks would be taken into consideration and that equity would be adopted between mortgagee and mortgagor. Would you kindly give these matters your prompt attention V A declaration which has to be signed by an applicant for financial assistance to meet losses occasioned by the earthquake apparently places out of court all who hi.ve battled through their difficulties and re-established their businesses by exercising their own resourcefulness and mortgcging their remaining assets. The declaration reads as follows:—"I do solemnly ard sincerely declare that I am unahle to meet loss or repair the damago suffered by mo without the assistance applied for above and that my financial position is as set out herein." The committee also makes it plain that assistance is to be withheld from those w/io have endeavoured on their own initiative to restore the wheels of trade ard industry by issuing a statement of the rules of procedure, in which the comnittie states:—"The committee will not in general consider it desirable to recommend the Minister of Finance to make grants or loans where it considers the applicants should be able to rehabilitate themselves from their own resources or by obtaining finance from other resources on reasonable terms."

ft will certainly come as a shock to many sufferers thus to learn that their post-earthquake activities in the direction of restoration are calculated to debar th 3m from financial assistance through the committee while those who have stood by and wait/sd are more likely to get it.