ANOTHER VIOLENT SHAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1931, Page 9

ANOTHER VIOLENT SHAKE

NAPIER-HASTINGS SHAKEN

NO FURTHER DAMAGE CAUSED.

PROGRESS OF THE RELIEF WORK.

SPECIAL POLICE DISBANDED.

By Telegraph-—Press As'soeiation. Hastings, Last Night. A violent earthquake lasting half a minute shook Napier and Hastings this morning just before 3 o'clock. The motion wfto distinctly different from that of the two explosive quakes which wrecked the town and did not contain any elements of fearfulness comparable with last week’s shakes. The motion was more gradual and undulating. The special force of about 200 special police and pickets which has been patrolling and guarding Hastings for the last week,’including a squad of motorcycle police, was disbanded this morning. Each received a card entitling him to a week’s food on the volunteer workers’ basis.

A thunderstorm at Napier to-day brought exceptionally heavy rain which lasted 20 minutes, giving way to a lighter fall.■ The wind from the south has died out and the indications arc that that rain will not be serious. The sea is more calm. Rita Hawkins, 206 Ellison Road, Hastings, aged two weeks, died from injuries to-day. ■ Mrs. Otter, aged 66, who was a patient in the Napier hospital at the time of the earthquake, has died at the Wellington hospital. It is announced that all fit Napier men should return, but women will not be invited until the water and sewerage connections are completed. Excellent work has already been done, and many areas are now supplied with both these services. Gas will be available in six weeks.

The relief committee will re-build one chimney in each house. The streets will be cleared sufficiently for all necessary purposes. Water and sewerage connections are being made free, but fires in houses are not permitted.

Food tickets are now, necessary, as supplies are being strictly limited. Only those with ah order from their employers are supplied. The police control has reached such perfection that every house in the town is visited several times, each night by special constables in pairs. Advice has been received that the shipping companies, in order to assist in clearing the wool stores of wool, which will be sent to London as speedily g s possible, will accept single bales as dumped lots.

ORGANISATION. O]F RELIEF. APPEAL BY, PRIME MINISTER.

Wellington, Last Night'. The ' Prime' Mjnjster stated to-day that’the central earthquake relief committee . held its ' first meeting to-day and appointed Ideal relief, committees for‘Napier, Hastings', the Hawke's Bay county, Wairba and Central Hawke’s Bay for the' purpose' of dealing expedi; tiously on the spot with local . relief and the disbursement of the funds, making recom.niCndatioiis and advising the central committee on all matters arising but of the administration of the relief funds’. ’Careful steps had been taken to ensure that the relief work Was properly" co-ordinated and that there would be as little delay as possible in applying t)ie money for the purpose for which' it wag subscribed. He felt sure that the people would give a ■prompt and generous response to the appeal for funds, and he hoped that 'local bodies and other public and private organisations and individuals wOuld. co-operate in every way possible to af; ford much needed relief and alleviate ■ the widespread distress. The Prime Minister- emphasised that no matter how large a sum was subscribed it could not possibly meet, tlie requirements of the sufferers or be sufficient to aid thp people qf the earthquake zone in their prodigious task of restoring normal conditions and the commerce of the community.-

WANGANUI GIVES RELIEF.

OVER 400 REFUGEES HOUSED.

Wanganui,. Last Night. A donation of £5O: made tonight by the Wanganui. Acelimatiisation Society for the relief of .earthquake suffereiw. •It • w.U.'S pointed out by the president. Mr. H. J.. Duigan, that under •tha rules of the society it is not allowable to use it;? funds in this manner. but as the object, was such a deserving one he hud asked the Government’s sanction.. A telegram, was read stating that the Government would validate donations to the. earthquake fund.

The 'Wanganui relief/ fu'ndis. national and local,.are now nearing . £4OOO. 'J’he W'angaiiui-Raiigitikei Power Board has voted £5OO and. eg-r-marked a further £5OO for payment after March 31. Fifty-eight hospital patients from the stricken area are in the public hospital here. There has been o.ne death since their arrival- —Ronald Parkinson, aged 31. He wile a hospital patient at Napier before th<> earthquake, as were, the majority of the caspe brought here. They came either from the Napier hospital or the Park Island Old People’s Home. Well .over 400 refugees., are bill.etted in the city and'local residents are subseribimr to the local fund, which nas reached £5OO, to provide for the iminedialte needs of the .sufferers, A small weekly sustenance payment is made each day on the authority of the responsible citizens’ coijiniitte. Two men were arrested at Napier- today for looting and were given three months’ imprisonment. A Wellington man who claimed that he had been sent here to organise was arrested for drunkenness and remanded for a week.