MEMBERS AT NAPIER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20823, 16 March 1931, Page 11

MEMBERS AT NAPIER.

* INSPECTION OF RUINS.

GREAT IMPRESSION CAUSED.

A NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

LIBERAL HELP PROMISED

[BY TELEGRAPH.—-'PRESS ASSOCIATION. J HASTINGS, Sunday.

The Parliamentary parly organised by Mr. W. E. Barnard, M.P. visited the earthquako area at tho week-end. Tho 35 members of tho Legislature, who included the Postmaster-General, tho Hon. J. B. Donald, and Mr. H. E. Holland, arrived at Napier by i special train on Saturday evening. This morning was devoted to inspecting tho devastated city and tho surrounding district. The members of tho party were agreed that tho mrst graphic description ot tho scenes of desolation could not convey an adequate conception of tho extent and nature of the damage. They arc full of admiration for the manner in which the citizens of Napier had handled the situation, and of the wonderful progress made in clearing the debris from tho streets and sites of buildings. Tho visitors inspected the harbour and hospital, and on a, motor tour saw the damaged roads and bridges, and (lie ruins of several homesteads, which furnished further evidence of the appalling violenco of the visitation.

The Mayor of Napier, Mr. Vigor Brown, and several other speakers stressed the urgency of the situation and tho importance of giving immediate effect to the measures for financial and other relief.

Undertaking by Labour Leader.

Mr. Holland said that prior to the visit he had no conception of the magnitude of tho disaster. Tho Labour Party was prepared to have the Address-in-Reply debate suspended at any stage selected by the Government, in order that legislation affecting the Hawke's Bay area might be taken up at once. The whole city should be cleared of the debris as soon as possible, and finance should be provided to enable the work of reconstruction to go ahead right away. Mr. R. A. Wright, Reform member for Wellington Suburbs, said all were members of one family, and all should help one who was stricken. Napier should be reinstated, and tho members of the House would support the Government in any measure in realon, within the resources of tho country, to achieve that object. • Mr. G. C. Mufins, United member for Roskill, said the Government had showed it was in earnest by already doing something tangible for the area which had suSered. The House had to act carefully, but to provide £10,000,000 at a moment's notice, as had been suggested, would be absolutely wrong. Mr. Munns paid a tribute to the magnificent work which the citizens had done in rehabilitating Napier. Government's Offer Inadequate.

Mr. H. M. Campbell, Reform member for Hawke's Bay, said that not only the towns but the country districts also had suffered enormous damage. The past season was the driest for 40 years, and the earthquake on top of this was a knockout blow to a large section of the community. The speaker said he did not want to talk party politics, but would say that the Government's offer was quite inadequate. (Many voices: "We agree.")

No amount under three times the offer would be of any use. With three times the sum »they would be able to put the district back into the position it was in 15 or 20 years ago. The district realised perfectly well that it must bear "the heavy end of the stick," and was willing to do so. The country should help, however. (Hear, hear.). The people there had the will and the determination to go ahead, but must have help. Mr. A. E. Jull, United member for Waipawa, said that great as had been the effect on the minds of visitors, if they had come earlier the effect would have been very much greater. Whether a man lived in a big town or a little town, if lie had lost all. his need was equally great. Mr. Jull's reference was to Havelock North. The desire of the members of the House was to do something, and do it decently, then ask themselves, was a convulsion of nature a local affair or a national affair, when the question was how to raise funds to meet the cost of the devastation. When Parliament realised that, it would have gone a long way to help. Mr. Barnard said the tone of the speeches would greatly cheer the inhabitants, who believed that the members of Parliament were anxious to do their utmost to restore Napier and that they regarded the matter as a national one.

CITY NEARER THE SEA.

PROPOSAL FOR NAPIER.

MATTER BEFORE COMMITTEE

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NAPIER, Sunday.

The scheme, the provisions in brief of which are that the business area of Napier should be moved a distance of about 60ft. nearer the sea, is at present under consideration by the commission. The proposal of the Lands and Survey Department and the Town-Planning Board is that the existing sites be moved closer to the sea, retaining as far as circumstances allow the same relative positions to one another. Additional and wider- streets will possibly be necessary, and as was pointed out by Mr. J. S. Barton, chairman of the commission, it might be possible to acquire for the Borough Council additional areas, the revenue from which will assist to recoup that body's depleted finances. The committee which is discussing the proposal consists of Mr. L. B. Campbell (engineering member of the commission), Mr. Walsh (Surveyor-General), Mr. J. D. Thompson (commissioner of Crown lands), Mr. C. 0. Morse (citizens' representative), Mr. J. A. Louis Hay (architect), and Mr. W. D. Corbett (act-ing-borough engineer). The committee held a preliminary discussion of the proposal and roughly set out its ideas on a lithograph. Further discussion will take place at a meeting on Monday. THE HERALD FUND. TOTAL AMOUNT NOW £13,602. Nearly £IOO was added to the New Zealand and Auckland Weekly News relief fand over the week-end, bringing the total to £13,602 14s 3d. The list to date is as follows: £ s. d. Amount previously acknowledged 13,503 16 10 Omaha District Residents 31 1 0 Waipu District Residents (3rd contribution) 27 16 7 J. E. Richardson and Employees Waimai sawmill, via Ngaruawahia .. •• -. 20 0 0 Bilverdalo District Residents, £7 14a 6di A Friend, Ngaruawahia, George LinBell. jun.., Kaiwaka, B.K.W„ Si" M £ ss. Total reoeived to datai- £18,602 lis Bd*