The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1931. RECONSTRUCTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1931. RECONSTRUCTION.

Within a week of the occurrence of the greatest disaster in the experience of New Zealand, involving the viitua.l destruction of two important towns and the extensive damage of a whole countryside, the restoration of the devastated area was being planned. The people of Hawke’s Bay, showing a fortitude in adversity that extorts admiration, are rising superior to the forces h.v which they were overwhelmed.' Their courage and high spirjlt awe expressed in a message which wo published recently from the Mavor of Napier. They have suffered enormous losses, which their fellowcitizens throughout the Dominion will, in some measure at least, share with them, and in the vast operations in which they are now about- to he engaged thev will merit all the help and encouragement that can be afforded to them. The restoration of the devastated towns will involve a task of extraordinary proportions. The im-

provements that had been made in Napier and Hastings represented a value of several millions. 'Die new towns will, if bistory repeats itself as it has a way of doing, he improved editions of the old. Capital, mainly fresh capital, will have to be provided in generous volume to admit of the restoration of the towns on the scale that will be. desired. It will be necessary that the support of the State shall accorded to the steps that are taken. But there are existing oblig-

ations incurred on behalf of the stricken towns of which the State must exercise a sympathetic view. The Napier Borough Council lms a loan indebtedness of over £075.000, of which amount £'137,000 will mature in the next five years. The revenue ordinarily derived from rates imposed on the unimproved value exceeds £‘oo,ooo. During the ensuing year the rates arc likely to be a negligible sum, as a consequence of the impoverishment of the general community. The service of the loans will have to be maintained, however, and it. would seem as though the Government must in the meantime provide that the interest charge shall he duly met. So also in the ease of the Hastings Borough Council, with a loan indebtedness of about £275,000 o ! ' which none matures before 1937. and in the ease of the Napier Harbour Board, with a net indebtedness of nearly £550. 00!) secured on a rating area. The interest upon the indebtedness of tlie Napier Harbour Board exceeds £‘36.000 per annum, and it may be regarded as impossible that the Hoard can discharge this liability this .vear in the circumstances created by the earthquake. There are other local bodies, also, in Hawke’s Day wldeli will he temporarily so embarrassed as to possess a reasonable clraim to sympathetic consideration on the part of tlio State. And the popular sentiment throughout the Dominion at the moment, says an exchange, may he said to he that no claim that is not clearly unreasonable should he disregarded, flic process of rcliahilital ion in Hawke’s Bay will be attended by all sorts of problems, sonic of them of very serious complication. The adjustment and determination of private interests will constitute a stupendous task - . Earthquake and fire between them have destroyed the depositaries of the most valuable records. Legal instruments of all descriptions, securities. and the registers of banking trams, actions have wholly disappeared. The reconstruction of them will present the most formidable difficulties, which will be overcome only through the exhibition of perfect good faith and the exercise of a very great deal of patience. People, however, whom the nerve-wracking experience of last weeklias left calm and confident mav be trusted to meet fairly and squarely the issues incidental to restoration and reeonst ruction.