THE TOTAL LOSS.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18247, 7 February 1931, Page 7

THE TOTAL LOSS.

REACHES MILLIONS OF POUNDS. WELLINGTON, Saturday. One estimate given yesterday placed the loss in Napier at £2,500,000 and that at Hastings at approximately £1,000,000. If to the loss of buildings there be added the value of stocks held by commercial houses, the furnishings oi private dwellings and the destruction of harbour works and local 'body assets such as water works and mains, sewerage and drainage systems, it would seem that the total loss at Napier and Hastings must be considerably greater than the £3,500,000 suggested. LAND RECORDS DESTROYED. AN INCALCULABLE LOSS. NAPIER, Friday. Every title to land in the district from Wairoa to Woodville was burned when the Lands and Deeds Registry and Lands Survey Office at Napier were destroyed on Tuesday. The Lands and Deeds Office was wrecked by the first shake. The lire came a little later and swept the whole building, in which were slacked documents, plans and registers occupying a space 70ft. by 40ft., and pi.ed 6ft. to Bft. high. They contained the private land records of the whole of Hawke’s Bay, extending back to 1848, comprising leases, transfers and survey plans. In the Lands Office all Crown leases, survey plans, records and Crown mortgages were destroyed. One legal office alone lost securities covering £3,500,000. HELP FOR TRADERS. ACTION OF MANUFACTURERS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. A meeting of merchants, manufacturers, agents and others was held at Wellington to-day. A committee, representative of Wellington’s trading community, was set up, with a direction from the meeting to enlist the aid of all interested traders throughout the Dominion on behalf of their fellow-traders, who have suffered severely. One of the first steps taken will be to arrange for a continuity of supplies to be distributed from a central source. MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE. POSTPONED UNTIL 1932. WELLINGTON, Friday. The executive committee of the Municipal Association has decided, in view of the present national calamity, to defer holding the Municipal Conference till 1932. The conference was to have been held at Rotorua next month. „ INFORMATION WITHHELD. TO AVOID UNNECESSARY ALARM. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. In order that the passengers might not be unnecessarily alarmed Captain Kershaw, of the Mataroa, ■which arrived yesterday afternoon from Southampton, withheld knowledge of the earthquake until the vessel arrived in port. HELP FROM CHIP OWNERS. DONATIONS TO PREMIER’S FUND. WELLINGTON, Friday. The Overseas Shipowners’ Allotment Committee, on which are representatives of the Commonwealth and Dominion line, the Shaw Savilt, New Zealand and Associated line, and Federal Steamship Company met this morning, and it was stated that each of them was gviing £SOO immediately to the Premier’s fund. The lines are loading all the meat it has been possible to recover from ' the damaged works. The Northumberland, which is standing by at Wairoa, reports, that owing to the fire, it may be impossible to do anything. The Tasmania is being got ready to load any further meat that can be recovered at the Hawke’s Bay works'and railed out.