RELIEF OPERATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21100, 6 February 1932, Page 11

RELIEF OPERATIONS.

ADMINISTRATION OF FUND. SATISFACTION EXPRESSED. DIVISION OF EXPENDITURE. The administration of the Hawke's Bay Relief Fund has given general satisfaction in Napier and Hastings, the various local committees having been greatly aided in conforming to a fixed policy by officials provided by the Government. An officer of the Public Trust Department, Mr. A. Rw Coad, sat on all local committees, and otnce routine was in official hands. The expenditure has been analysed under the following headings:— on ' 3 less recoveries - ~ *' ' . • , . . _ X2G 323 C*ctnrag- (£a555), less recoveries (i'SfiD) . . _ _ _ __ 4,395 Transport of refupees and eorxis U'.olOi less recoveries <£995» . 6.515 amps, lood Jutchens and accommodation , , , r 7Q3 Health cervices, including- funeral expenses and cost of searching for bodies . . . . . . . 2.102 Maintenance at hospitals of injured" per.ao.ua, and cost of medicines, etc. . . " 1T.C35 Personal relief to persona injured, dependants cf persona tilled and people unemployed . .. .. 3.702 Compensation for £oods commandeered. other than food . . . . 2CG Grants for losses sustained Ihron^b fire consequent on earthquake . 7.730 Accident and fire insurance Miscellaneous expenses . . . . 3,535 Native relief, including cost of repairs to dwellings 30.587 Repairs to dwellings 221.101 Total . . £315.573 In addition, approximately i'IA.OOCI -sras expended out of the stricken area for food, clothms. etc.. details of are not iield in Napier. - - - ■■ i GCTDIN'G KECOVXBY. MR. BARTON'S OPTIMISM. BUOYANT TONE IN BUSINESS. [BY TELEGEAFff. —OWN COEEE?PO!?I>ENT. ] * NAPIER. Friday. An optimistic tone concerning the future of Napier was struck by Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., chairman of the Napier Commission, in an interview. He explained that anything he had to say regarding the progress of the town at tbe present time had to be looked upon as relative to the present abnormal times, because Napier shared in the resnlts of the depression 'with the rest of the Dominion. ''My view of the future of the town is quite a hopeful one," said Mr. Barton. "The present state of mind of the people as I see it is that they are determined to face their difficulties, realising that it is neither possible nor desirous merely to seek to duplicate all tbe businesses and facilities that were here before. There is a hopeful and buoyant tone in business in the town, and this is no doubt partly to be accounted for by the fact that there is a certain amount of mild inflation, due to the extent that public money is being spent here. Rebuilding has started in earnest, and daily new buildings are being projected and started." The borough's finance called for care and required to be -conserved, but with the exercise of these qualities it seemed reasonable to Believe that the town would j weather the storm. As far as the business area of the town was concerned, Mr. Barton said that the Rehabilitation Committee, in considering the business it had before it. had been particularly careful to see "that Napier would not be over-built: that was to say, there would not be too many shops and other business premises offering for the volume of business. There would be some instances of vacant sections in the town for a time, that always being the position with earthquake-stricken towns, and that would balance up the position of the new shops in Dickens Street. MORE THA2T E2TOUGH WORKERS. NAPIER'S PRESENT POSITION. i BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION-] ICAPIEE. Friday. The chaii-man of the Napier Unemployment Committee, Mr. W. E. Barnard, M.P., has issued an official warning against unemployed coming to Napier, where, he states, there are more workless men than can be placed in employment, especially in the building trades, as a result of the arrival of so many outsiders. I REBUILDING DT BARTER. MANY WORKS PROVIDED FOR. [BT TELEGEAPK. —FEESS ASSOCIATION- ] 2TAPIEB, Friday. An indication of the rehabilitation progress made in Napier is contained in a return issued fc-day which stated that out of 95 properties requinng rebuilding 73 have been arranged for. Of the remaining 22 many belonged to absentees and the others were still being considered by the rehabilitation committee. Only three decisions not to rebuild immediately had been made.