NOISE AND ANNOYANCE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 107, 7 May 1924, Page 6

NOISE AND ANNOYANCE

Is it not time that, the whole matter of the nuisance of avoidable or unnecessary noise received attention- of local authorities ? The Wellington Automobile Club: has had before, it a complaint from a city congregation of the " unnecessary and prolonged tooting of horns " during divine worship. The complaint appears to have, been received in the same reasonable and temperate spirit in which it was made. This opens up the whole question of the annoyance of noises that can be minimised if not prevented. It calls for urgent and earnest attention. . The1, city is growing to become one of the capitals of the world, and, besides, the nervous condition of people is probably inferior to that of the pioneers, to whom a: little noise was rather a, welcome change. Things have happened since August, 1914, that-will take people a very long time to recover from • public nerves are not as they were before the why. Possibly the noisy departure of asyeUois to. th.c acconypamraent.

of klaxhorns at 3 in the morning might have passed unnoticed in Wellington's early days, but now it may; easily mean torture to some wakeful invalids', at least the unjustifiable disturbance of the peace of a streetful of citizens. / A noise can ■be as grave a menace to health as any offensive odours.from "what is legally called a noxious industry. There are, no doubt, many legal obstacles in the way of ensuring the public right to peace and quiet, but what legislation has-'made in can unmake. There are innumerable distressing and unnecessa/ry noises, apart' from motor-horns, that surely can be reduced if not suppressed. .;