THE CATLINS FIRES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22714, 29 October 1935, Page 3

THE CATLINS FIRES

ASSISTANCE FOR SETTLERS CASES OF ACUTE HARDSHIP GOVERNMENT DECISION STILL AWAITED Nothing has yet been decided by the Government with respect to the provision of special relief for farmers who suffered the loss of property and stock in the recent disastrous fires in the Cathns district. A Daily Times reporter made inquiries at the Department of Agriculture yesterday, and was informed that a survey of the losses has been made by departmental officers, and a report covering the investigations has been frowarded to the head office of the department. As far as is known locally, nothing further has been done, but it is understood that the Government is considering means whereby some assistance might be afforded necessitous cases. , , According to the departmental inspectors, heavy losses have been suffered in many parts, among those who have been most seriously affected being small holders

who cannot afford to make the necessary replacements. The inspectors found that there were a great many farmers who were not only able, but perfectly willing to make their own arrangements for regrassing and restocking, so that no concern need be felt for them by the Government. One suggestion for the assistance of the more serious cases of hardship involves an advance of money for regrassing bv the Government under conditions requiring repayment in three years, with h.terest at 4 per cent., the loan to be secured where mortgages are held by the mortgagee. This, however, is only a tentative suggestion, and contrary to a fairly wide body of opinion, does not represent any actual offer made by the Minister of Agriculture. Mr A. C. Cameron, of the Farmers' Union Mutual Fire Insurance, told the writer that shortly after the recent disastrous fires he had visited the Catlins district, and from his own first-hand observations could confirm the fact that many settlers were heavy losers by the fires. Many settlers, who had lost buildings in the fire, were uninsured —others were insured for very small sums. Mr Cameron quoted the case of two houses burnt—one of four rooms insured for £IOO —another of three rooms insured for £IOO. In both the above cases the furniture was uninsured. Other losses, such as fencing, grass, hay, stock, and out-buildings, had been heavy, and the unfortunate thing about it was the fact that most of the men affected were struggling settlers, who were right up against it before the fire, and whose plight is now desperate. Anyone with any knowledge of farming know that a farmer, dependent upon the returns from 25 or 30 cows and a few sheep in the partially cleared Catlins district, could not continue to make ends meet and have a very high standard of living. Many of this type of settler had lor years been going without what townsfolk and farmers in other districts considered to be bare necessities. He could show the returns of one man, whose gross income for the past few years had not exceeded £IOO annually, out of which he, his wife and daughter, had to live, pay rent, up-keep of buildings, fences, etc., and taxation. What hope had this class of settler of paying 4 per cent, on moneys advanced by the Government for the purchase of grass seed? What hope had this class of settler got of getting his mortgagee to back his promissory note, or of repaying same in three years? Considering what the Government had done in the past for settlers who had been flooded out, etc., he thought it might well be a little more liberal in this particular instance. Relief was urgently needed for those severely hit. No one expected the Government to help those who did not need assistance. With the information now in the possession of the Department of Agriculture, and with the assistance of say, two local men, an independent body such as the Mortgagors' Relief Committee could decide within a week which settlers were deserving of immediate relief, and the nature of the assistance required. Unless something were done immediately, many holdings would be abandoned, and surely this was not a desirable thing to happen. Some of the biggest hearted men in Otago had struggled for years to carve homes out of the bush districts in the Catlins. They had fought their own battles without asking for assistance, but this last calamity wag beyond the limit of their resources. The need for assistance was urgent. Inquiries made by the writer among one or two representatives of firms holding farm mortgages in the Catlins district disclosed' a reluctance to co-operate in such an offer as is suggested in the tentative arrangement which already appears to be regarded ag an accomplished fact in certain quarters in South Otago. It is considered that the more necessitous cases in the Catlins are worthy of straight-out assistance.