DAMAGE BY EARTHQUAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1929, Page 13

DAMAGE BY EARTHQUAKE

WESTPORT ESTIMATE £82,000 RELIEF METHODS CRITICISED. TOO MUCH LIKE CHARITABLE AID. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Westport, Last Night. A rough estimate of private damage in Westport and some of the surrounding districts, excluding Lyell, Inangahua Junction, the Buller Gorge, Fairdown and Sergeant’s Hill, is £82,000, yet the only payments made in this district, including to Seddonville, is under £lOO. In the face of this the central .committee put its money into the general fund so that it might 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 one of restoration, as intended by generous donors of funds.

MINISTER’S DEFENCE. NECESSARY INQUIRY PROCEEDING. Auckland, Last Night. The Minister of Education (the Hon. Harry Atmore), who is a member of the Earthquake Relief Committee, said to-day that the statement made by Mr. M. E. Lyons, 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 districts 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 entrusted it was somewhat early for strong criticism of its methods to be made.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S VISIT. TOUR OF WESTPORT DISTRICT. Westport, Last Night. The Governor-General and Lady Alice Fergusson made a tour of Denniston. Granity and Seddonville on Saturday. In the evening Lady Alice was the guest of the Plunket Society and the Mothers’ Union at a social at which her Excellency gave an address. Their Excel-Icn-’-s left for Tororoa, where Sir Charles was to deliver an address in the Y.M.C.A. this afternoon.

There were only minor shakes here to-day.

CREDIT GIVEN TO RETAILERS. DENIAL OF ALLEGATIONS. Wellington, July 17. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce took strong exception to allegations made by Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P., that wholesalers were pushing retailers at Westport for payment of their accounts. It was stated that no evidence "could be found in support of the statements. It was decided that Mr, Holland should be asked to substantiate his allegations or withdraw them. It was generally considered that retailers on the west coast had been generously treated.