The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1931. A TIMELY AND PROPER SUGGESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11453, 2 March 1931, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1931. A TIMELY AND PROPER SUGGESTION.

The suggestion on the pait of the Napier '[’olograph that mom hers of ■ Parliament should visit the. devastated area before considering what, extent- of relief can bo proffered win n\eet with general approval. It is doubtless the case that a number of the concerns Which have suffered—the State departments, the banks, the insurance companies, the mercantile houses, and others which do business throughput the Dominion —vrJPl not be financially embarrassed injfho matter of re-building. But mo bulk of the firms affected roust me in. a very different category, seeing that, in many cases, they lost heavy stocks as well as their piemises. The local bodies affected a?o also badly off for money to finance the re-instatemenb. of damaged buildings and -works. As far as the owners of residential properties are concerned, it is certain also t-hafj the majority will require to borrow in order to make their homes habitable and safer than ever before; It is the general opinion that, in the special circumstances, the Government should provide funds at a'.cheap rate of interest to facilitate? tho work re-building and of re-instatement. We are not sure, however, that it would be advisable on the part of the Government to endeavor;to secure a loan for this particular purpose from the Homeland. No doubt, the. people at 110m 0 sympathise very deeply with the sufferers from the disaster. But it may be the case that they regard the task of providing the required moneys as on© which should ho shouldered by the people of ; this Dominion. It will, at any rate, have been noted that, ’since the disaster, discouraging reports have been iocoived by local bodies inHhis Dominion which wished to float now debenture issues, on the Home market-. The Government,- it may, b e taken for granted, is alivo to the real position of tilings in that regard.. What ls>to bo feared however, is that It may dilly-dally, with the; result, that, when it seeks thp financial aid of the public sympathy with a movement of that character may not then ho so strong as it is. to-day. On eyery hand, it will be agreed that tho public is subscribing .very generously to the fund to succour the injured and.maintain the refugees. -It. is, however, very doubtful if, after .that noble. Work has -Been completed, there will b 0 much left over -from the-funds that are at pqsent being subscribed. What- would seem to bp anticipated is that; there may bo sufficient to pay for the cost of re-instating one. damaged chimney in each of tiny houses in the devastated area.. The disaster could net, of course, have happened at- a worse timq bot h from t-he Govern meat ’s point-of view and from that of the sufferers. But that is all the- ipore ■reason why energy should be tlirown into the task of formulating a plan to "assist all who need help. , It- may have been necessary to impose as much as a 12 months* ban on tho •erec.tion ■ pi; pertnayicnt structures in Napiqr, but it does appear to amount to an over-long delay in the. matter. Within a fortnight,' parliament ;will again .be ,in. session, and'the proposal that members should yisit -the. stricken area is both timely and proper. The suggested tour of Inspection would

of .course, npt be .complete unless it also included Wairoa, which in proportion; .to ;it§esizd,.fefts, unquestionably, also suffered-grievously.