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Otago Witness, Issue 4042, 1 September 1931, Page 17

“ I cannot for the life of me understand why when business people enter into % contract of this kind for the sale of a business —even if it is a small business—they cannot place on record in writing their arrangements,” said Air Justice Herdman after hearing a claim in the Auckland Supreme Court. “Time after time the court is troubled with cases which arise between parties merely, because a few minutes had not been spent in writing a letter and preparing a document in which the terms are clearly stated. If that had been done in tliis instance, the court would not have been troubled.”

The theory of some seismologists that earthquakes do not result in the elevation of land is completely exploded by the results of the Napier shake. When the land rose at Wellington many years ago after an earthquake, the seismologists said it was merely an explosion. At Napier, however, the results were so definite and so widespread as to leave no room for doubt as to this phase of an earthquake. A survey of the levels has just been completed, and it shows that in the town of Napier, a general rise of 4ft to sft 6in place. The highest rise was 6ft Siri at Ngatarawa, a few miles south of Hastings, and at the other end of the scale there was a lowering of the level by 3ft 4in just outside the Hastings borough on the eastern side. This gives a range of variation of exactly 10ft.