MURCHISON DISTRICT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20800, 20 August 1929, Page 13

MURCHISON DISTRICT.

RESTORING COMMUNICATION. RELIEF WORK PROCEEDS SLOWLY. (Per United ..Press Asp-ciation.)- . NELSON, August 19.' The Murchison Butter Factory was opened to-day, a day earlier than was the case last year. This Is regarded as a reliable sign that Murchison is recovering from the earthquake. The fact that many of the roads have not yet been reopened will, however, be a severe handicap to many suppliers. The Public Works Department has had a most difficult task in opening and maintaining communication. Settlers are now finding that a sixfoot track on the by-roads is not sufficient and it is felt that the widening of the roads for regular traffic should be put in hand at once. The future of those settlers whose farms were rendered totally unworkable by earthquake- destruction or through a total loss of road access, is still undecided. The Government has not yet given any indication of its intention and the Relief Committee so far has failed to elicit any information. The Relief Committee has received many applications for funds for the restoration of homes and for other damage, and officers of the Lands and Public Works Departments are busy assessing the damage as a guide to the committee when the applications are being dealt with. _ Considerable work is involved in this task and much responsibility will devolve. upon the committee when each individual case is being considered. For many days now only a few very, slight tremors have occurred at Murchison—too few in number and too light in character to be worth mentioning -at all were it not seemingly necessary to allay the fears of a few.