AUSTRALIAN FUND

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 60, 6 February 1931, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN FUND

GENEROUS OFFER MADE suescriptionTist opened THE MAYOR’S~ANNOUNCEMENT SYDNEY, Fcl). 5. The Lord Mayor of Sydney announced that he is receiving donations to a fund to assist New Zealand earthquake victims; and that a meeting is being held on Thursday next to inaugurate a citizens’ fund. ~. The Lord Mayor, Alderman Jackson, says that Sydney has serious problems of its own but that the people’s hearts are big enough to respond to any appeal made by the knowledge that others have suddenly found themselves so much worse off. In the meantime the New Zealand Association, on behalf of 130,000 Now Zealanders resident in New South Wales the largest such community outside the Dominion, are moving energetically to assist, with a campaign to swell the Mayoral fund. The popular mind is shocked as never before since the war by the daily reports from New Zealand of the growing seriousness of true cataclysm, and sympathy for the stricken people is expressed in the many offers of aid, Mr Hugh Ward, well-known to New Zealanders in former years in connection with theatrical enterprises and efforts for raising funds for New Zeaand hospitals, leaves for Wellington to-morow. to offer his voluntary services in organising relief fund efforts. Ho says he has such an affectionate regard for the people of the Dominion that he feels he cannot do less than employ his leisure thus in their serviceThe New Zealand Government tourist office reports states that there have been no cancellations of proposed visits to the Dominion by Australians as official assurances received, state that only one of the tourist resorts has been affected by the earthquakes.

LONDON INTEREST RUSH TO PHONE NEW ZEALAND LONDON, Feb. 4. Requests for the use of the relief telephone to New Zealand poured into the Post Office, but the circuit was not considered good enough for communication. Officials who aie, carrying out test experiments daily conversed for 20 minutes with Wellington to-day, and were told that the estimated death-roll was 300.

SUCCOURING THE INJURED RELIEF MEASURES ARRANGED POSSIBILITY OF DISEASE WELLINGTON, Feb. 5. Fire started at half a dozen places in Napier this morning, and has totally destroyed what little remained of the buildings and consumed all slocks. Fortunately there are plenty of sheep, cattle, potatoes and fruit available within a few miles. Water is in heavy demand, but artesian wells are supplying the needs. The chief concern is sanitation and medical supplies, including disinfectants', stimulants, cigarettes and tobacco. The fire, which raged all through the afternoon, was mastered late last night, several fire engines using salt water. The fire started again at the rear of Emerson Street, but a nearby well gave further water. There is no further fire risk at present. The area destroyed extends from Milton Road, the Parade along Tennyson Street to the old Post Office in Hastings Street, to Herschell Street, thence along to the Masonic Hotel down the parade for half a mile, stopping at the erar of the Albion Hotel, thence back through Hastings Street and down the northern side of Dickens Street to Dalton Street; thence to Emerson Street down to Clive Square. The only building standing in that area is the new E. and D. Buildings and Dalgety’s. This morning’s outbreak threatened the area from Dalton Street via Dickens Street to Clive' Square and back up Emerson Street to Dalton Street. Apart from half a dozen private residences on the hill, the fire failed to reach the residential area, where all chimneys are down and the houses shifted off their blocks or out of alignment. Both newspaper offices, the Post Office and the theatres (Including the Municipal) have gone, also the Masonic, Criterion and Provincial Hotels. At the Port several large stores are down and fire destroyed many others, including the Post Office clearing stations and camps in McLean and Nelson Parks, and the Napier Park racecourse. People also camp all night on the hill roads, fearing a tidal wave. The town is quiet, but people are stunned by the immensity of the damage. It is difficult to check fatalities. Medical men are now chiefly concerned with the possibility of disease commencing. Fissures in some roads are two feet wide. No power is likely to be available for some days. The Government has supplied 1,200 tents and ground sheets, and 12,000 blankets arrived, but with people herded soydosely together trouble must be anticipated, unless sanitary measures are rigorously enforced. It is expected all supplies will be requisitioned and bread is being brought in from the South. All the roads north are blocked, but the South Road is open. The burial of the dead is at present held up owing to the lack of organisation, owing to the stupendous task facing the police, doctors, nurses and voluntary workers. It is impossible to reach accurate conclusions, but to sum the position up it can be said the business area of the town is in absolute ruins. The shock was most distressing. Pianos were thrown about like matchboxes; all food in houses and shops was thrown into a filthy mass on floors, and china is practically nonexistent. The first shock came without warning, the whole (place, apparently, being lifted up. [This was repeated for more than a minute, and during that shake most damage was done. Shakes during the night were too frequent to count, ranging from minor to tremendous and severe occurrences. Fortunately the weather holds good, with a good westerly breeze blowing.