THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1931. THE FUTURE OF NAPIER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20792, 7 February 1931, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1931. THE FUTURE OF NAPIER.

With order emerging from chaos at Napier, and signs of a determination on the part of some to re-establish themselves there as soon as possible, it is timely to consider matters connected with any feasible scheme of reconstruction. The havoc wrought elsewhere cannot, of course, be forgotten. Much that is thought about Napier applies to the other places for whose restoration there is obvious planning in some minds. That planning, so far, is no more than a patchwork of individual hopes. In spite of all the horrors experienced, it will be easier for most to start again on the old spot. A cleaving to places is characteristic of modern civilisation, and in much history there is proof of an invincible longing to build again the old •wastes. So, given encouragement in circumstances and especially some assurance of safety, most of the refugees will return to the scenes of former life and take up again their wonted occupations. Napier's long record as a residential town, its service as a port and its consequent importance as a place of business, make its case particularly important in all attempts to envisage a prosperous future for the stricken region. The outstanding extent of the destruction suffered by it may seem to challenge effort to build again, but this, providing there be any reasonable prospect of success, will not deter that effort: in the sweeping nature of the ruin will be courageously seen all the better opportunity of advance upon the former state of things. Many a city has risen phoenix-like from its ashes —an improved and more vigorous city. It was so with San Francisco, to name but one of many instances. Nearer home, it is remembered that the Murchison district recovered in a period far shorter than was anticipated. It may be so with the cathedral city of Hawke's Bay. At all events, the wish is father to the thought. One thing is very sure. In the extent of the damage there is presented a favourable opportunity for something useful in the way of town planning. What is obviously hoped by the individual citizens who are already showing a disposition to begin life anew on the old spot may be, and should be, taken up by the authorities in a comprehensive way. There is given to them a chance of large-scale control and direction of all such individual enterpi'ise. Napier, to speak of it particularly, has long had need of this. The commissioners reporting in 1927 on "harbour board matters in Napier" expressed themselves in a very emphatic way about it. They had before them authoritative figures showing Napier to have "the unenviable reputation of being the most densely populated town" in the Dominion ; their walks through the residential parts of the town confirmed what they were told of the small average size of building allotments, in some parts less than an eighth of an acre, and in others no more than a sixteenth : and their judgment was that "the effect of this on housing conditions in the poorer parts is shocking." Finally, on this point, they said, "With all the strength of purpose and vigour of utterance of which we are capable, we urge that the reckoning is not complete until the effect of these awful housing conditions on the physical, mental and moral equipment of the people is taken into account," and they pleaded that the Government should "take adequate steps to see that this evil is remedied as far as possible and that its recurrence is made impossible." Now the possibility of applying a remedy and of preventing a recurrence of the evil is presented in an extremely favourable way. Earthquake and fire have accomplished a demolition of a most extensive order in at least part of the congested area, and mutely suggested that further demolition, deliberately undertaken, would beneficially enlarge the scope of reconstruction and make good town planning realisable. To take this occasion by the hand is a clear duty. Related to this is the question of earthquake-proof construction. This is a matter to which attention ought to be given without delay. After the lesson of Murchison there was a pronouncement by the Government that an expert committee would frame building regulations to meet this necessity, but nothing is known of anything having been done to give effect to this declared decision.

Without such regulations, properly framed and legally enforceable, even the wisest architect is helpless. In part, this is a matter of building materials, but there is much more than that; it applies to constructional details, as in providing adequate resistance to the lateral stresses imposed by earth tremors and in banning the dangerous employment of parapets and pediments. A body of regulations governing all such things is required. The history of earthquakes proves that in countries where they are rare they are often the more severe, and 110 amount of argument about New Zealand's comparative freedom from serious earthquakes can dispose of the necessity of taking the risk of them into account. As the details of the Hawke's Bay disaster become more fully known, it is pitifully evident that the terrible loss of life would not have occurred had the principles of earthquake-proof construction been observed in buildings of comparatively recent erection. With eyes upon the future of Napier and adjacent towns in the region so sadly overtaken by disaster, it must be said that the promised body of building regulations is absolutely essential, not for application there only, but throughout the Dominion. Liability to earthquake varies locally, no doubt, when the whole Dominion is considered, but the simplest and surest way to safety should be taken by making the regulations compulsory everywhere If action of the sort be not taken now, the outstanding lesson of this calamity will be lost.