The Earthquake Bill.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20199, 30 March 1931, Page 10

The Earthquake Bill.

'ihe Labour JPariy talked. nonsense when lie said that the-Earthquake Bill could be put ihronghin one night* there is no reason ikabould be prolonged. The situation js entirely withprecedent b6 far as New Zealand |s ccaidbied, and. although there are fhe experiences of Japan and of California to fallback on, the Government fa& hsA to fnflke many decisions &$ We shall therefore not know 1 , Until the' plan is in actual operation/ precisely what) effect will he of tone of the fundamental clauses, and to spend nighta discussing them .would in nine, casps oat of ten be a waste of time;- It can also he said generally that the Bill has already been approved bythe public. Its leading -principles were explained by the Prime' Minister over & fortnight ago, and there has been £o f , hostile entupun since or evidence &£ national uneasiness. A good will depend on, the selection, of the members of the Adjustment Court, piixce most of the ablest "men in Hawked Bay will be interested parties, and saen, who do not .belong to the fcarthquake area'will have difficulty in appelating the effects of the calamity, There is tbfc further diffi"cnjiisr that if the'rate of the proposed taxlis. tbo high jnore money will be possible' to spend wWy> while, a low,rate ( |pns-difitaijce levy will eeem id the gpffarifs .themselves to.be ungenerous. Bft%»6 aie not, separately or combined* in exenae for an foternjinable' debate. Whatever fpy aeinbef Bays he gae^^/ it be and again th#t he will be that iftlM '? * ' - 1 !' ( "x.

possessed by the framers of the BilL One useful addition to the miscellaneous provisions already made could well be authority for raising a fund—it would not require to be large—for research into the causes, not so much of earthquakes as of earthquake disasters, and possible methods of guarding against them.