NAPIER BOROUGH CONTROL

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1931, Page 9

NAPIER BOROUGH CONTROL

SCHEME FOR REHABILITATION

COMMISSION OF TWO APPOINTED.

MR. BARTON AND MR. CAMPBELL.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, Last Night. Tn view of the great extent of the damage to the public services, buildings, business premises and private residences at Napier, and the fact that there will be a considerable amount of Government .money involved in reconstrueti i.i and rehabilitation, Messrs. J. S. Barton, S.M., and L. B. Campbell (Public Works Department) have been appointed a committee of management, their duties commencing from Monday. The Hon. R. Masters left for Hastings and Napier to-day to discuss with business men the method to. be adopted by the Government iii assisting in reconstruction and rehabilitation. He will report to the Prime Minister, who intends to make a statement at an early date after all the proposals submitted have been thoroughly investigated arid considered.

Both members of the commission which has been appointed, to take over the administration of the borough of Napier are well known. Mr. J. S. Barton, of Wellington, has long been recognised as one of the ablest members of the Magisterial Bench, as he ’brings to his work the double qualification of expertness in accountancy and Irw. For some years he was magistrate nt Wanganui, and presided at the Hawera Court. Mr. Barton has had extensive experience in the conducting of official inquiries in many parts of the Dominion and was chairman of the Auckland Harbour Commission some years ago, the Napier Harbour Commission of 1927 and the Auckland Transport Commission of 1928. Prior to his appointment as a magistrate, Mr. Barton resided in Gisborne, where he qualified for the legal profession, as well as in accountancy. Then ho was for some time senior partner in the firm of Barton arid Mazengarb, Wellington, eventually • relinquishing practice to take up the appointment of a stipendiary magistrate.' Mr. L. B. Campbell, the other member of the commission, has been inspecting engineer of the Public Works Department, with headquarters in Wellington, for the last two years. He was born at Waipu in 1882 and received his education at the Auckland Grammar School and Canterbury College. In 1901 he entered the service of the Public Works Department, much of his early work being railway exploration. About 22 years ago he was associated • with the railway connection between Motu and Opotiki, and some years later he worked as assistant-engineer on the-branch line linking Stratford with the Main Trunk.

After four years’ active service during the Great War Mr. Campbell was appointed district engineer in Dunedin, being subsequently transferred to a similar position in Auckland, where he remained for several years. He has been chairman of the No. 2 District -Council of the Main Highways Board, and in 1927 he was president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers,

FURTHER HEAVY TREMORS.

PRESERVING RELICS OF QUAKE.

.Napier, March 5. Two heavy tremors were felt this morning.

A proposal has been made that the post office clock, which was stopped by the earthquake on February 3, should be placed in the museum, with the foundation stones of prominent buildings, or used as exhibits to be let into the sea wall on the parade.' It is expected that all the Napier unemployed, chiefly unskilled, will be employed in a few days.

APPLICATIONS TO RETURN.

WIDOWS’ PENSIONS CLAIMS.

Napier,' Last Night.

A considerable number of applications from refugees for permits to return to ' Napier are being delayed through being incorrectly addressed to th. relief committee or personally to Mr. Morse, the chairman. All applications should be addressed: “Repatriation Officer, Atheneum Buildings, Herschel] Street, Napier.” It is also notified that widows entitled to pensions as a result of the losfe of their husbands in the earthquake should make application as coon as possible to the Registrar of Pensions, Palmerston North.