THE EARTHQUAKE

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19665, 8 July 1929, Page 9

THE EARTHQUAKE

SHOCKS AT WESTPORT. REPAIR WORK HAMPERED BY RAIN. (raxss isscciA-nos TxuaaaAM.> WESTPORT. July 7. T>uring the night and at J 1.45 this morning two big sustained quakes were experienced. The day had been very wet. hampering restoration of chimneys and other repairs, winch work has been going on for seven days a week, many people doing the work themselves, whilst carpenters, bricklayers, and others have also leen fully engaged. The prompt action of the Prime Minister in wiring £3OO as a preliminary grant towards relief of distress at Seddonville is much appreciated. Mr Laurenson, harbour engineer, has gangs of men at work cleaning out houses, which are in a fearful btate, with mud a foot deep on the floors, and everything inside the houses in a most bedraggled state. Many of the residents are billeted out in other mining townships, and at Westport. Mr W. R. Simpson, Knramea, telegraphs stating that the beach affords a splendid landing ground for aeroplanes, and that it was just misfortune that Captain Burrell s iieroplane struck shingle, the only object on the beach that could have damaged it.

A CONTRAST. MODERN PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE.

THE BISHOP'S VIEWS. "It is strange to contrast our attitude to earthquakes nowadays with that of even quite recent times. I suppose that not long ag& the disaster would have produced heart-searchings as to personal or social sins, which had caused God to punish us by an earthquake." states Bishop West-Watson in the "Church News. "To-day the thought comes first to the mind that if men will settle in volcanic areas they must expect earthquakes. They take the risk with open eyes. And I think that most settlers in* New Zealand would agree that the risk was well worth taking. "Now, some may fear that the modern scientific way of facing such problems is depriving them of the comfort of feeling the direct and personal action of God in every detail of life, and of giving every physical cataclysm a moral meaning. "I do not think that these things are without a moral message, but I do think that men have interpreted them too narrowly in the past .... To me these physical disasters come as a reminder that if our Utopias are to be built up simply for this world, they are never going to be very satisfactory. This world is a risky place, and seems likely to remain so till it becomes finally uninhabitable. If we build the permanent habitations of our spirits here, and find here oar spiritual homes, we are building on very transient foundations. In a very real sense we are pilgrims and strangers here. "This is no reason for not making it the best world we can or for pretending that there is no real progress possible. But it does suggest to us to distinguish between progress in the mastery of our environment and progress in mutual understanding and sympathy between man and man. class and class, race and race. The former does not imply the latter; sometimes it even hinders it. When this sphere of ours can no longer support human life, all material achievements will be as if thev had not been. It is a fashion to-day to profess that spiritual achievements in the realms of love and truth and beautv will share the same fate. The man of faith and supremely the real Christian, holds them to be imperishable. He believes that amid the earthquake shocks of Nature and of society he is building 'a city which cannot be shaken.' This is likely to be the critical controversy of the coming years if the 'signs of the times' mean anything. How can the Christian hope to prove bis caseP Not by silly and discreditable attacks on the wonderful revelations of science. nor by clinging to beliefs about the world which are plainly disproved, bnt by making his life, whatever his calling, a living sacrifice for love of God and his neighbours. It was the sacrifice of Christ which first led men to stake all on the belief that 'God was like that.' Thev lit rally 'bet their life it was true,' as someone has said. And I do not think that any other argument is likely to help the modern materialist. It is Christians who are living this life who are the best credentials of the Church —and of the Churches."