TRIALS OF ENDURANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20968, 3 September 1931, Page 6

TRIALS OF ENDURANCE.

EVENTFUL EIGHT MONTHS^

TRAGEDY AND ANXIETY. > " - WORLD-WIDE OCCURRENCES. 'The'anxioty caused to all sections of the community by this week'.s. news from National Park follows the latest event of magnitude to occur ui : what, so far, has /proved aii exceptional year'of eventful happenings In New Zealand and abroad events 'of . tragic and otherwise serious' import have marked.the first eight months of 1931. and bid fair to make the whole year one that will stand out in history. It would be futile to attempt to compare the strain of serious economic and financial depression with the stark, emotional shock that follows in the footsteps of tragedy. It is sufficient that the community has had its share of each. Other events there have been of a brighter and definitely inspiring nature, but there is much in the year's record that maken sombre reading. Hawke's Bay Earthquake, On February 3 occurred the disastroun earthquake in Hawke's Bay. Napier and Hastings were devastated and 283 deathii caused. All. the world was shocked; and, indeed, the scar is still too new for New. Zealanders to need any other reminder of that period of sorrow. But the spirit of. the people showed triumphant in adversity, and, phoenis; i: like, hew and flourishing towns are rising on'the ruins. With that shining examplu in view the world knows that New Zealand will triumph over any hard blown the futuro may have in store. Thei neat disaster of magnitude occurred on February 25, when a hurricane swept over Fiji. It was accompanied by severe flood 5 j and 203 deaths were caused. On. March'3l earthquakes and - fire virtually destroyed Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, an! • 1000 deaths were reported. A storoi which swept over Europe on June 14 caused the loss of hundreds of lives, and on July 5 the worst gale for 50 yeans occurred in Sydney. Within the past fe 11 ? days the Yangt.se River has been in flood, causing thousands of deaths.' ; Wreck of the Progress. A tragic occurrence in New Zealand was the wreck, on Mayl, of the coastal steamer Progress, which went ashore « t Ohiro Bay, Wellington. Only four "lives were lost, but pathos was added to the event by the fact that the tragedy happened within sight of people on shor-j, who wens powerless to nelp. On' July 1 six Maoris were burned to death in a house at Tirau, six miles from Put arum, and a hotel fire at Grevmouth on May 30 resulted in the loss of four lives." i The largest fire to sweep through sin Auckland city block caused damage estimated «it £IIO.OOO to buildings'between Hobson and Federal Streets on'-February 16. Simultaneous with this outbreak another fire raged in > the old Auckland windmill and caused considerable damage. In the realms of politics and finance the ' year has heen marked by sever-il sensational events, the latest being the announcement, on August 24, that the Labour Government of Britain had resigned and that a National Government had been formed to deal with the sen ious' economic and -financial position >f the country. . . .. Turmoil in Spain. , As a jsequel .to a period of turmoil in Spain King Alfonso abdicated on April 14 in order to avert civilwar. Nevertheless, fighting and bloodshed followed. /The financial crisis in Germany came to' a- head on July 13, when one of the largest financial- institutions suspended" payment. Then, on July 16, the fact was revealed that the New South Wales Government was facing ! bankruptcy. Previous to this, on April 22, it- was announced that the New South Wallss _Government; Savings Bank ' would he closed 'until further notice * and, payments were 'suspended,- causing consternation among - depositors. An indication of> the general drift in Australia, was. given by the Federal Treasurer, Mr.- E.- G. Theodore, when tier livering the Budget in July;. He aianounced' a deficit t of £17,215,662. A' brighter hote was struck on Ju ie 20, whe:n the President of the Unit :>d States, Mr. Hoover, made his momentous offer for war debt relief.. It served to show, however, the magnitude: of- the world-wide depression. , Of. a iseries of events in New Zealand an outstanding one was the Prime Minister's announcement, on February .]3, that the Government had decided to, reduce all Civil Service wages by 10 - j 8 r cent., an from April 1, this to be/fallowed by ■ the Arbitration Court's review of all salaries and wages. Many Dominion Problems. , On March 11 an emergency session of the New Zealand Parliament was open sd to deal with urgent legislation arising out of the depression and the Hawke's Bay earthquake. If any reminder wi re needed this helped to recall to the community the fact that there were sericis problems! to be faced. A redaction of 10 per cent,, in wages was empowered by a general order of jthe Arbitration Court, the decison of whifch was announced on June 1. On the same day was announced the Government's decison to deprive practically the whole range of imports from Canada of .the advantage of the British preferential tairiff rates. Then, on July 2, the Unemployment Amendment Bill was introduced in the House oE Representatives. This provided for heavy additional taxation and the formation of the newly-constituted (Unemployment Board. -On July 30 Mr. Forbes delivered ,1 is sensational Budget in the House of Representatives, with his further taxation proposals. A dramatic development 'Occurred on August 21, when the Rt. He n. J v G. Coates, Leader of the Opposition, proposed the appointment of the committee which is now sitting to investigate the financial position of the and decide upon remedies.