SUFFERERS IN FLOOD

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1935, Page 9

SUFFERERS IN FLOOD

ASSISTANCE TO BE ASKED MEETING OF THOSE AFFECTED. GOVERNMENT GRANT WANTED. DISCUSSION AT NEW PLYMOUTH. The Government will be asked to come to the aid of those business people and residents of New Plymouth who suffered loss through damage to buildings, stock and property in Friday s floods. This decision was arrived at by a meeting of over 40 sufferers at New Plymouth last night, it being stated that the losses were so severe in some cases that it would be impossible to carry on without help. • .... A committee of 10 was appointed to conduct negotiations with the Government, being given a free hand by the meeting. A request for a direct grant, rather than a loan, was favoured and arrangements were set in motion to obtain the information necessary to support the petition. Criticism of the sufficiency of the outlet for surplus waters in the Mangaotuku and Huatoki streams was also offered and the borough council is to be requested to ■ take all steps possible to prevent a recurrence. The meeting had been called as a result of a discussion among a number of business men at New Plymouth on Sunday, at which the Hon. James McLeod and’ Mr. O. George, Wellington, had been present, said Mr. P. J. H. White, who was elected to the chair. Investigation had shown that the damage had been more severe than at first thought. Since the meeting the Hon. S. G. Smith and Mr. George had offered their help in anything that might be done. It was suggested that the business of the meeting be taken in committee.A member; Why? We’ve got nothing to hide. _ , A freer discussion might take place if they were in committee, said Mr. White. He did not have any idea or burking publicity but many present were not used to being reported. FRIEND OF RETAILERS. Mi-. H. J. Barnham: The Press is the friend of the retailers and we can rely on its judgment. The trouble with all public bodies from Parliament down was that too much was done in committee. The proposal to go into committee was defeated on a show of hands. At the meeting on Sunday it was decided to ask the Government for assistance in repairing the damage done to the lower portions of Devon Street and low-lying residences in other areas, said Mr. White. The request would be confined to the town as machinery was already in operation to assist those in the country who had suffered. Many businesses, large and small, had lost stock valued at large amounts and damage had been done to furniture and fittings in residences. He had established touch with Mr. Smith, said Mr. White, and the member’s assistance had been promised. It was necessary to bring the matter before Parliament and very full information would have to be supplied. It would then be for Cabinet, Mr. White supposed, to decide what should be done.

The first thing to decide, said Mr. C. H. Wynyard, was whether the meeting was going to approach the Government and the second how those steps should be taken. It would then be necessary to make an estimate, later giving full particulars in individual statutory declarations.

On the motion of Mr. Stewart, seconded by Mr. G. V. Pearce, it was decided to ask the Government for some measure of financial assistance.

Mr. Mitchell: Are there any prospects of getting assistance? Mr. White: There are precedents. The motion was carried unanimously. METHODS OF ADVANCE.

The meeting should consider whether it should ask for a straight-out grant to be allotted pro rata, said Mr. White. The Government would no doubt desire to send its own investigators and to make the grants according to the needs of the individual claimants. Another method that might be advanced would be a loan at a low rate of interest or no interest at all. Personally he did not favour the latter proposals, as there might be difficulty in providing security or of making repayments. Such loans might interfere with one’s other financial arrangements. Mr. F. Wallis asked what the Government had done in connection with the Napier earthquake.

The manner of assistance there had given a lot of trouble, said Mr. White.

Some businesses could not stand their losses, said Mr. A. H. Bone. If hands were to lose their positions they would have to go on the unemployed register. Mr. R. Sanders: A compassionate allowance?

Mr. Bone: No,’ a straight-out grant. If businesses cannot carry on, then employees become a charge on the Government. A loan would be of no use.

Mr. Barnham: Have you any alternative schemes, Mr. Chairman? The matter is urgent. The committee could report back to the meeting and in the meantime temporary arrangements could be made, said Mr. White.

A committee was elected comprising Messrs. P. J. H. White, F. Hooker, H. J. Barnham, C. H. Wynyard, A. H. Bone, F. Wilson, G. W. Haughton, J. F. Devine, C. W. Hodge, and F. Wallis. Mr. George will be co-opted at Wellington, if necessary. The committee was empowered to obtain full approximate details of all losses .from all those concerned, within two days. There were many firms outside New Plymouth who had suffered financial loss, said Mr. Hooker. It would 'be understood, said Mr. White, that particulars of this would not be immediately available. Regarding instructions to the committee, he suggested a compassionate grant be requested. Would it not be possible to prepare a statement of the losses incurred by those firms so hard hit that they would not be able to carry on? Asked Mr. A. E. Horsfall.

That would hardly be ascertainable immediately, said Mr. White.

It was a hard task to ask the Government to assist firms which could carry on, added Mr. Horsfall. A large number of firms were in difficulty, Mr. White pointed out. The committee'was given a free hand. The flood had been the biggest they had had; what was the reason? asked Mr. Hooker. The track of the Mangaotuku stream, it appeared, had not had so much clearance as before certain recent building operations, said Mr. Sanders. There were six or seven men in the town with the necessary knowledge who were investigating the position, said Mr. Bone. When they had the necessary information they intended to place it before the borough council. The whole course of both streams had been investigated. The obvious suggestion was a diversion of the stream, said Mr. Sanders. That had been once suggested, said Mr. Hooker, but he understood that the borough council had been threatened with proceedings from interested people.

There had only to be a further accident to the Rotokare dam or the melting

of a heavy snowfall on the mountain to repeat the occurrence, said Mr. F. Wilson. The council should be asked to divert the Mangaotuku stream, suggested Mr. Sanders. He would be pleased to take a motion upon that, said Mr. White. He had been told that although there had been much discussion on that question at one time the matter had never actually come before the council. Many factors had operated in causing the flood, he continued. The- blocking of the Mangaotuku .stream had not caused the Huatoki to dam up behind the Vivian Street bridge. Tire clearing of bush, the decaying of roots and the great development of farming lands, particularly in recently opened areas, all had formed a set of circumstances that had combined to create the flood. There was also the present in the stream bed of all kinds of rubbish. Heavy rain had brought the water up to within a foot of his front door more than once recently, said Mr. Wallis. There seemed to be something wrong with the channels. It was decided to ask the borough council to take all steps possible to obviate a recurrence of the flooding and to bring before‘it the necessity of the diversion of the Mangaotuku stream. The council was, he thought, fully awake to the position, said Mr. White. Why should not a local relief fund be started, asked Mr. J. Cameron. That was a matter for the Mayor, replied Mr. White. Forms were handed round to those present, and will be available for other sufferers Unable to attend, for completion of details of estimated losses.