WAIROA EARTHQUAKE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 285, 2 December 1933, Page 9

WAIROA EARTHQUAKE

REVIEW OF RELIEF FUNDS WORK OF PUBLIC TRUSTEE In the annual report of the Public Trust Office, covering the year ended Alarch 31, 1933, reference is made to the work done by tho Public Trustee as executive officer in connection with tho Hawke’s Bay and Wairoa Earthquake Relief Funds. “The Public Trustee had acted as executive officer of the Central Committee of the Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Relief Fund in connection with the Hawke’s Bay earthquake of February 3, 1931, and he was entrusted with similar duties in connection with the Wai-roa-Gisborno earthquake (on September 16, 1932),” states the report. “An appeal for contributions for assistance for sufferers was made by the Right Hon. the Primo Alinister, and officers of the Public Trust Office were sent to the area affected to ascertain, at first hand, what was needed and to arrange for the necessary local committees to carry out the work in the districts concerned. The representatives of the Public Trust Office in the earthquake area were appointed to the local committees to represent the Public Trustee, as executive officer of the Central Committee.

“Statutory provision was made to apply the provisions of the Hawke'S Bay Earthquake Relief Funds Act, 1931, to the Wairoa-Gisborne Earthquake Relief Fund, and to extend the purposes of the Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Relief Fund to corresponding purposes in connection with the Wai-roa-Gisborne earthquake. In this way moans were provided for the due administration of tho fund by the Central Committee, which was constituted under tho Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Relief Funds Act, 1931. “The contributions to the WairoaGisborne Earthquake Relief Fund were not sufficient to meet all that was needed, and it is pleasing to say that it was found possible to afford from the Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Relief Fund the additional assistance required* There wore sufficient funds to enable this to be done, as some of the com mitments in connection with the Hawke’s Bay earthquake which were provided for proved ultimately to be not as large as was at first estimated. Assistance was given in necessitous cases only, and following arc summarised details of what was done: — £ (a) Essential repairs to make houses habitable where the damage was not extensive — approximately 550 houses attended to at a cost of .. .. 3,712 An Unemployment Board subsidy on wages paid for repairs to dwellings amounting to £668 was received, making the not expenditure from tho Relief Fund £3,044. (b) Assistance for restoration of houses where tho damage was too extensive to be attended to under (a) 2,063 (c) Assistance for purchase of posts and wire netting for settlers who could not meet the cost themselves 571 “Tho total expenditure was £6.346, and, after deducting the subsidy mentioned. the net. cost to the relief fund was £5,678. As the details above illustrate, the money available was utilised most judiciously and in a way Io afford the greatest assistance for tho districts concerned. “The work proceeded very smoothly, and for this a great deal of credit is due to the local committees, which attended to the necessary investigation of claims. Tho organisation of the office and its branches in the earth quake area was at the. disposal of the relief committees, and the work was performed fmc of charge by the office.”