On Board Relief Ship “Meigle”,
November 23, 1929.
Mr. C.C. Pittman, J.P.,
Chairman Relief Committee,
For Earthquake Sufferers.
Dear Sir:
Having been given full powers by His Majesty’s Government to deal with such relief measures as are required in connection with the recent disaster to various settlements through earthquake shock and tidal wave destruction, we hereby delegate to you the authority to deal with conditions in your district as circumstances may show to be necessary.
You are to act as chairman of the committee which will arrange and supervise the necessary relief measures in the section from Lord’s Cove to High Beach, inclusive. Your committee consists of: C.C. Pittman, J.P., Chairman, John Foote, J.P., Rev. Fr. Sullivan, Rev. Mr. Spurrell, Messrs Lewis Crews, John W. Hillier, Edward Cake and John Haley.
Relief supplies for your section are at your disposal to be distributed as you and your committee see fit. You are, further, to take care of clothing supplies, of housing conditions, of fuel and other conditions and to handle these matters as you see fit under all the circumstances, being hereby invested with whatever powers are necessary to enforce your decisions in connection with the various undertakings concerned.
It is not possible to give your duties or to state your powers in detail, but you are generally to undertake and do such things as may from time to time appear to be necessary from the standpoint of relief or to facilitate such relief measures, until you are further advised by the Government of Newfoundland.
The Government are particularly concerned to ascertain the full extent of the damage in your section. You will, therefore, arrange to have a thorough survey made as expeditiously as possible, employing whatever means or agencies are necessary for this purpose and using forms supplied you by us.