ON THE COAST

Southland Times, Issue 20832, 22 July 1929, Page 8

ON THE COAST

MINOR TREMORS PRIVATE DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ESTIMATED AT £82,000 (Per United Press Association.) Westport, July 21. Minor shakes only were felt to-day. A rough estimate of private damage in Westport and some of the surrounding districts excluding Lyell, Inangahua Junction, Buller Gorge, I'airdown and Sergeant’s Hill is £82,000 yet the only payment made in this district including Seddonville, is under £l,OOO. In the face of this the central conir mittees put their money into the general fund so that it may be put out at interest. Application forms are being forwarded by the central committee for people to fill in. They regard these as placing the whole question of relief on a charity basis and not on restoration as intended by the generous donors of the funds. NO SHOALING TUTANEKAI VISITS DISTURBED COAST. Wellington, July 20. Having completed a close survey of the West Coast of the South Island between the Mokihinui and Karamea rivers, the Government lighthouse steamer Tutanekai returned to Wellington to-day. Captain Bollons stated that soundings had been taken over an area from the Mokihinui River entrance to the Little Wanganui River to ascertain whether any shoaling off the coast had been caused by earthquakes. The vessel worked inshore to five fathoms, a quarter of a mile off the beach and out to nine and ten fathoms, one mile off shore. There was a mud and sand bottom. There was no shoaling or any other change perceptible although there was sufficient sea and broken water to show any shoal of four fathoms and under. When abreast of Whitecliffs where the up-thrust and escarpment are plainly visible for threequarters of a mile about one hundred yards inshore from the high’ water mark, careful soundings were made but no shoaling whatever was found. The ship’s anchor was hanging to a depth of from five to seven fathoms from the Little Wanganui River to the Karamea entrance. Soundings were also obtained after passing Karamea on Julv 17. The captain kept the ship close alongshore and close'” examined the beaches, hills and cliffs and shore line generally. The weather was perfectly clear and with the aid of good glasses, all coastline features were distinctly visible. Beyond a few small slips, some of which are usual with winter rain and frost dislodgments, very little indication of earthquake faults was to be seen. No shoaling or any discoloured water to indicate shoals was to be seen from the time of leaving Westport until the Tutanekai was abreast Karamea. The sea water was of uniform light muddy colour and from Karamea to West Haven the surface of the water was peaty brown. RELIEF COMMITTEE MINISTER DEFENDS ACTION. Auckland, July 21. The Minister of Education, the Hon. 11. Atmore, who is a member of the Earthquake Relief Committee, said to-day that the statement by Mr M. E. Lyon, of Christchurch, that the system of distributing money by the committee was the quintessence of circumlocution, was ill-timed. An officer of the Treasury Department, had been sent from Wellington and was now travelling through the affected district carrying out investigations prior to relief measures on a large scale being undertaken. In view of the fact that the Relief Committee had not yet entered upon the major part of the task with which it was dealing, it was somewhat early for strong criticism of its methods to be made. TO AID THE FUND SPECIAL TOTALISATOR LICENSES GRANTED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (Special to the Times.) Wellington, July 20. The Government recently decided to grant special totalisator licenses to the Auckland Trotting Club and the combined Canterbury Trotting Clubs to enable them to hold special meetings in aid of the earthquake relief fund. It was also stated that any further applications would receive the Government’s very careful consideration. In conversation with the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle) to-day, the correspondent of the Southland Times was informed that several other applications had been made. The Minister said that these would be submitted to the Government for consideration. The principal conditions of the granting of the two permits referred to was that the nett profits should be handed over to the earthquake fund. The Minister emphasized the fact that the Government was doing all it possibly could within the law to sanction proposals which would afford relief to the sufferers by the earthquake, the idea being to increase the amount of the fund as much as possible. LOCAL CONTRIBUTIONS FARMERS’ UNION GIVES DONATION. CITIES’ SUPPORT EULOGIZED. ’ A suggestion that some country people were not meeting their obligations to contribute to the relief of residents of the West Coast affected by the earthquakes was made by the president, of the Southland executive of the Farmers’ Union, Mr R. Sim, at the meeting on Saturday during a discussion whether the executive should contribute to the fund. The meeting eventually decided to donate £25. The suggestion that the executive should make a contribution emanated from the ; Isla Bank branch. Mr Peter Arnott moved that a donation should be given and said’ there could be no question of the fitness of the executive joining in the effort to assist the distressed residents among whom were many farmers. He did not know whether it would be possible or advisable to earmark the contribution for relief to farmers. “I want to say a word of praise for the townspeople,” said Mr Sim. “The whole onus of voluntary donations has fallen on the cities.” Continuing, he said he did not think the country people had contributed as much as could be expected and he thought a tremendous number of country people were escaping. He thought the executive should circularize the branches that “England expects every man will do his duty.” Mr T. Major: A tremendous lot of townspeople are escaping also. Mr Sim: Yes, and a lot of country people will escape even after we make the appeal. Mr Major said he thought the executive should make a donation and leave the matter of individual contributions to the discretion of the country people. Mr A. McKenzie seconded the motion and said the executive should contribute to assist those destitute as a result of the earthquakes. Mr T. A. Stephens said he knew that a number of country people were contributing to town relief lists. Mr J. J. Crampton suggested that an addition a should be made to the motion to the effect, that branches should be circularized with an appeal to assist and that the

fund should be earmarked for the relief of farmers.

Mr S. Shaw said that several local bodies in the country districts were organizing relief funds and the bulk of the support received was from farmers. Mr E. K. Sim said he considered it would be quite unwise to make the contributions parochial. The relief fund was being administered by the Government. Mr W. H. Ward said the Women’s Division had voted £lO towards the fund. He supported the view that branches should be circularized. Mr Arnott said he was not agreeable to the addition of any proviso to his motion. This could be done after it had been decided to contribute. The motion was carried, and after discussion it was decided to contribute £25, no action being taken in regard to circularizing branches. THE MAYOR’S FUND. The following contributions have been received to date towards the Mayor’s fund for the relief of sufferers from the earthquake:— £ s. d.

5 0 A Well-wisher .. 2 0 0 "Somme, 1916” . 5 ■' 5 0 Nobody 1 0 0 Officers of the P. & T. Dept. 14 0 G. James Lindsay .. 2 10 0 D.S , 1 0 0 £2310 0 1