FLOOD DAMAGE RELIEF

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1935, Page 9

FLOOD DAMAGE RELIEF

REQUEST TO GOVERNMENT

LARGE FIRMS MEETING LOSSES.

HARDSHIP ON SMALLER ONES.

DISCUSSION AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

■ Ways and means of alleviating cases of definite hardship arising out of flood losses at New Plymouth were considered yesterday at a meeting of the committee recently appointed. Mr. P. J. H. White presided over an attendance of eight. It was decided to forward the claims received to the Government for consideration. The Mayor (Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour) will be asked .to initiate a scheme of assistance by either direct appeal or an art union. Claims received by the committee totalled 26, 14 having reference to private residences and 12 to business premises. The amount of damage estimated in private claims was £846 6s and by business firms £BO4 16s Bd, a total of £1651 2s Bd. These figures do not include the losses suffered by larger firms such as Whites Ltd.,, McGruer’s and George and Doughty’s. The meeting discussed in committee the question of asking the Government for a grant, but it was finally decided that all the claims received should be forwarded and the Government asked to investigate them. Members stated that many of the larger firms would be able to meet their losses without assistance, and that it was unlikely that they would be putting in claims. It was agreed that there were several properties belonging to small firms and to private residents who were not very well off that had suffered severe damage. The committee decided it was its duty to help these cases as far as lay in its power, In some cases businesses would have to close down if no assistance was received, and damage to private gardens would hit some people so hard that charitable relief would be necessary. These were the only instances in which relief was desired by the committee, which felt that investigation of the claims should be left to the Government.

Mr. H. J. Bamham considered the matter was largely a domestic one, stating that floods had done much more damage in other places only for the Government to refuse assistance. He suggested an art union controlled from New Plymouth. After discussion it was agreed that while it was felt Government assistance should be asked for, the matter was one for local effort. The Mayor will therefore be asked to initiate some scheme to assist necessitous cases.

Criticism was offered of alleged causes of the flood and resultant damage. A letter will be sent to the borough council and the committee will form a deputation to the council to ask that steps be taken at once to prevent a recurrence of the floods, either by dredging or by other means.