DEVASTATED HAWKE'S BAY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 78, 11 March 1931, Page 6

DEVASTATED HAWKE'S BAY

PLANS FOR~RECONSTRUCTION GOVERNMENT TO RAISE MILLION AND A HALF PERMANENT SURTAX ON INSURABLE PROPERTY WELLINGTON, March 10. In an interview, the Prime Minister outlined the proposals for financing the rehabilitation of the earthquake area. Legislative authority for the proposals will be sought during the special session for the sum of £1,500,000 to be made available for private and local body needs. Of this £1,250,000 will be devoted to giving assistance by way of grants or loans to persons or firms for the reconstruction of buildings destroyed or damaged. The remaining £250,000 will be available by way of loans to local authorities for the restoration of essential services. The reserve fund held in London by New Zealand will be utilised temporarily. The fund is largely invested in securities of the British Government, and it is proposed to realise these to the extent of £1,500,000. In order to reinstate the fund the Government proposes to levy a surtax of 18d per cent, on the value of all insurable property in the Dominion. The levy will be made on all insurance companies doing business in the Dominion on the basis of insurances effected. In respect of those who carry their own risks, provision will be made for the collection of the tax on the insurable value of their property. Local authorities will be exempt from principal and interest payments for the first five years, after which the loan will be repayable over a period of 30 years at 4 per cent. It is proposed that the proceeds of the surtax he used first , in recouping the revenue lost through the sale of the £1,500,000 worth of investments, and secondly reinstating the reserve fund. The Prime Minister recognised that the amount it was possible to provide now was insufficient for full restoration but the Government would have to make provision for additional finance in connection -with the earthquake in next year's ordinary loan programme now being prepared. A committee is to be set up to investigate applications for assistance and the final decision will rest with the Minister of Finance. The aim will be to assist those unable to help themselves. To aid, everybody up to 100 per cent, of their loss would be beyond the resources of the Government. Advances will be a first charge on all property. It is intended to make the surtax a permanent charge in order to build up a fund for use in any future national disaster. The Government proposes, said Mr Forbes, to appoint adjustment commissioners authorised to prevent any person taking steps to foreclose on a debtor pending a full inquiry by the commissioners; • •

THE COUNCIL'S GOOD WORK. TACKLING THE WORST AREAS. Every effort is being made by the Napier Borough Council to rectify the sewerage and water services which were damaged by the earthquake and daily more houses are being connectedThe progress has been fairly rapid up to the present, the works which do not entail a very great amount of attention having been finalised, but now that attention has been directed to the badly damaged areas the rate of progress will not be so great. As a result of the assistance which has been forthcoming from the Unemployment Board, the Borough Council has now about 70 men engaged digging up the old sewers in Jull, Owen, Level- and McDonald streets, their work entailing the opening up of the drains, removing pipes, salvaging the few that are still serviceable and later on relaying the new pipes which are now to hand. r Where Drainage is Restored. The following is a complete list of streets in which sanitary "drainage is now available for use:—Battery Road, from Shakespeare Road to Breakwater Road; Bower Street, complete; Brewster Street, complete: Byron Street, complete; Burns Street, complete; Cameron Road, complete; Cariyle Street, from Clive Square to Chaucer Road; Chaucer Road, from Cariyle Street to Napier Terrace; Childers Road, complete; Clyde Road, complete; CbbdenJ Road, complete; Cobden Terrace, complete; Coienso Avenue, complete; Convent Road, complete; Corry Avenue, complete; Cooto Road; complete; Craven Street, complete; Dalton Street, complete; Dickens Street, complete; Edwards Street, complete; Elizabeth Street, complete; Enfield Road, complete; Faraday Street, complete; France Road, complete; Gladstone Road, complete; Hadfield Terrace, complete; Hardinge Road, from Battery Road to Outran) Street; Hastings Street, complete; Hill Road, complete; Hooker Avenue, complete; Hornsby Road, complete; Hukarere Road, complete; Jull Street, from Cariyle Street to Thackeray Street; Karaka Street, complete; Lighthouse Road, complete; Lucy Road, complete; Madeira Road, complete; Main Street, complete; Marine Parade, north from Warren Street; May Avenue, complete; Millar Street, from Cariyle Street to Thackeray Street; Milton Road, from Tennyson Street to Cameron Road; Munro Street, complete; Napier Terrace, from Chaucer Road to Orraond Avenue; Onslow-Road, complete; Oriuond Avenue, complete; Outram Street, from Hardinge Road to Waghornc Street; Owen Street, from Cariyle Street to Thackeray Street; Priestly Road, complete; Raffles Street, complete; Sale Street, complete; Seapoint Road, complete; Shakespeare Road, complete; Spencer Road, from Chaucer Road to Havelock Road; Station Street, complete; Swan Street, complete; Tennyson Street, except from Dalton Street to Milton Road; Thackeray Street, from Clive Square to Jull Street; Thompson Road, complete; Vautier Street, complete; Waghorno Street, from Outram Street to Battery Road; Warren Street, complete; Battery Road, from Shakespeare Road 1.0 Breakwater Road; Chaucer Road, from Cariyle Street to Napier Terrace; Craven Street, complete; Milton Road, complete j Napier Terrace, from Chaucer itoad to Orinond Avenue and Burling:on Road to Milton Road; Outram Street, from Hardinge Road to WaglOrne Street; Bay View Road, compete; Burlington Road, complete; Fitssoy Road, complete; Harvey Road, comdcte; Linciln Road, complete; Roslyn Joad, complete; Sealy Road, complete; Shakespeare Terrace, complete. Water Services. The streets in which the water is in se are as follow: —Battery Road, none; tower Street, complete; Brewster ttreet, complete; Byron Street, compete; Burne Street, none; Cameron

Road, complete; Carlyle Street, from Clive Square lo Owen Street; Chaucer Bond, from Napier Technical School to Battery Road; Childers Road, complete; Clyde Road, complete; Cobden Road, complete; Cobden Terrace, complete; Colenso Avenue, complete; Convent Road, Corry Avenue, complete; Coote Komi, complete; Craven Street, none; Dal ton Street, from Emerson Street to Unifies Street; Dickens Street, complete; Edward Street, complete; Elizabeth Street, complete; Enfield Road, complete; Faraday Street, none; France Road, complete; Gladstone Road, complete; Lincoln Road, complete; Roslyn dingo Road, none; Hustings Street, from Emerson Street to Ellison Street; Hill Road, complete; Hooker Avenue, complete; Homsby Road, complete; Hukarare Road, complete; Jul] Street, Karaka Street, complete; Lighthouse Road, complete; Lucy Road, complete; Madiera lioad, complete; Main Street, complete; 'Marino Parade, complete; May Avenue, complete; Millar Street, from Carlyle Street to Thackeray Street; Milton Road, complete; Munroe Street, complete; Napier Terrace, complete; Onslow Road, complete; Ormond Avenue, complete; Outram Street, none; Owen Street, complete; Priestly Road, complete; Raffles Street, complete; Sale Street, complete; Seapoint Road, from Lighthouse Road to half way to Battery lioad; Shakespeare Road, complete; Spencer Road, part; Station Street, complete; Swan Street, none; Tennyson Street, from Theatre to Millar Street; Thackeray Street, complete; Thompson Road, complete; Vautier Street, complete; Waghorn Street, south side only from Battery Road to Stafford Street; Warren Street, complete; Battery Road, from North Pond to Breakwater Road; Chaucer Road, complete; Craven Street, complete; Milton Road, complete; Napier Terrace, complete; Outram Street, from Battery Road to railway; Bay View Road, complete; Burlington Road, complete; Fitzroy Road, complete; Harvey Road, complete; Lincoln Road, complete; Roslyn Road, complete; Scaly Road, complete; Shakespeare Terrace, complete.