EARTHQUAKE SUFFERERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20906, 21 December 1929, Page 19

EARTHQUAKE SUFFERERS.

GREETINGS FROM MURCHISON.

HELP DEBPLX APPRECIATED,

(Per United Press Association.] Wellington, December 20.

The Murchison people, xhrough their local Earthquake Relief Committee, send to the people in New Zealand a message of Christmas greeting and thanks for the splendid manner _in which they “spontaneously and liberally subscribed to the relief funds,” which not-.‘only . cheered them up,.-.but. enabled, them materially to restore their■ homes. ' Inter alia, -the mes'sags says' :—, 1 ” - ‘

." In fact, ,;the .first; day or two after June . 17, when ‘ nerves, .were. shaken, homes wrecked, and much of the countryside devastated, a dark cloud seemed to hang over us, but soon a silver lining began to show, for. we heard by wireless and read in tbc papers that relief-funds were being raised in several centres. Day by day the movement spread until we' realised that the whole of the people of the Dominion were-eager to bear some of our burden, and we were able at once to face our difficulties with renewed vigour.

“The psychological effect of- your prompt action was of the utmost importance, -Almost before we could fully realise the extent of our loss your generous.assistance was in sight, and'we at once took.hearts... We. realised -that-with so many of yp’ii standing by us we could approach the difficult’ task of reconstruction with courage and confidence. - Had it not been. for .that liberal measure ,of sympathy and financier help, some would doubtless have been ruined,, and others would have completely, lost heart; and now, because of all that you have done for us, we are for the most part rapidly recovering in mind, body, and estate. “ Some of ns are still unable to return to our. bom.; for various reasons, but our lot is not so bad after all- Thants to ypur generosity, we shall all be able to enjoy our Christmas. Thanks again- to your great generosity.”