EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 April 1944, Page 3

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

NO RETIEF FROM INSURANCE FUND ■ » GOVERNMENT’S DECISION CRITICISED. DEPUTATION TO BE SENT TO WELLINGTON. “It is absolutely disgraceful,” observed Councillor G. W. Morice. at last night’s meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, when the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Sullivan, advised, in reply to a letter sent by the Mayor. Mr T. Jordan, that the Government could not agree to providing earthquake relief for the Wairarapa from the War Damage Insurance Fund.

In the letter from the Acting Prime Minister, it was stated that the fund would be heavily depleted if retrospective claims from the Wairarapa and other places were to be met. “They don’t want to help us’’ said Councillor A. T. Jackson. Mr Jordan said that Mr Nordmeyer had stated in the House of Representatives that the Is per cent, on all insurance policies to provide a fund to meet disaster relief was one of the greatest boons that had ever come to the country. Mr Jordan said he had been trying without success since 1934 to get the Government to act. Money ,

was frittered away, in other directions. In 1935 Napier earthquake mortages amounting to £llO,OOO were wiped off, while another Government had used Unemployment money to build a hotel at Napier. Councillor G. D. Wilson entered a strenuous objection to- the issue by the Treasury of promissory notes to pensioners and to others who had been granted relief by the committee of. which he was a member. Hours and hours of work had been put in on the task, he said. Why was their time wasted? Why were the amounts recommended by the committee not wiped off? Councillor A. D. Low said it was a rotten thing to do. Councillor Morice said Mr Nash had promised that the right thing would be done. The Government had made a promise and it had a moral responsibility.

Mr Jordan observed that the Murchinson and the Napier disasters had been met. but the Wairarapa was being left out. ■ -It was decided to arrange for a deputation of all local bodies concerned to wait on the Government.