RELIEF FUNDS CONTROLLED

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1931, Page 7

RELIEF FUNDS CONTROLLED

THOSE WITH MEANS HAVE TO PAY.

HELP ONLY FOR URGENT CASES.

By Telegraph Pres* Association.

Wellington, Last Night. The Prime Minister issued to-day the following statement regarding the administration of the earthquake relief funds and the steps taken by the Government to ensure economy and efficiency in the administration of the fund.:—-

In considering what form relief should take the central executive decided that the first consideration was for urgent necessitous cases and personal requirements ofthose in distress. These principles have been adopted in connection with all relief grants out of the funds. It was recently stated at a meeting of the local relief committee at Wellington that the Government had until a few days ago spent £133,000 on relief work in connection with the earthquake disaster. Even if the figure quoted were correct, which it is not possible to say until detailed accounts are forthcoming, the statement is otherwise entirely incorrect. The. Government has in no way been responsible for the expenditure of moneys On the work referred to, which includes feeding, clothing, sustenance and essential services in respect of sufferers in Hawke’s Bay and in camps at Palmerston North. These liabilities have been incurred by emergency committees, and later by local committees, whose operations are supervised by the Central Earthquake Relief Committee, in which is vested the administration of the earthquake relief fund.

In the early stages of the disaster it was necessary for'’those in charge to grant all relief on a free basis. Now, however, those able to pay. will be, required to do so, and effort is also being made to obtain payment from those who have been granted free relief and who are. considered to be able to make some payment. The central committee is fully alive to the necessity for. exercising extreme care and economy in the administration of the funds. Instructions have already been issued to local committees impressing upon them the necessity for strict economy in the purchase of all stores and in relief expenditure generally. Committees are required to see that payments are made for stores arid goods purchased only on the authority of those officers authorised by the committee to give orders. Relief is confined to urgent necessitous cases, and payments in cash are made only in cases in which after careful inquiry the payment is shown to.be justified. In the few days succeeding the earthquake, when a state of emergency and confusion existed, it had been tire practice to issue orders for petrol for persons desirous of returning by motor-car to their homes in Hawke’s bay, but only a small sum was expended in this way. This has now ceased, and no orders have been given for a considerable time. Similarly it was necessary to give authorities for payment of passages by ferry steamers for earthquake sufferers desirous of proceeding to the South'lsland. The committee has now taken control of this matter, and return passages from the South Island will only be authorised where Evidence is given that the applicant intends returning direct to his home in the devastated area.

In order that the work of the local committees might be adequately supervised, the Government has already sent three responsible and experienced officers to the Hawke’s Bay district for the purpose of keeping a check on all expenditure and assisting the local committees. In order that the committees may be further assisted; the Government is now sending further staff to enable th© whol« work of the committees to be put on & proper basis, and adequate accounting records to be set up in order that the. activities of the committees may be fully recorded. The Prime Minister arranged for a visit by Major-General Young to Palmerston North to investigate the' position of the camps there. As a result one of the camps at Palmerston North has been closed, and the people _ resident there have been billeted out in homes in various districts. The Prime Minister is advised that the whole of the matters regarding administration of the relief fund are under close control by the central committee, and all steps are being taken to ensure that no waste occurs, and that the funds are expended, for th© purposes for which they are subscribed. a