EARTHQUAKE SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 133, 8 June 1931, Page 10

EARTHQUAKE SERVICE

WHERE ARE THE HONOURS ? A NAME MENTIONED (By Telegraph.—Press Association:) NAPIER, This Day. "This is the first time for many years that tlie Government has made no'recommendation for granting King's Birthday honours. I see that .some newspapers have commented on this omission," remarked Mr. W. E. Barnard, M.P. (Napier), -when speaking in Hastings on Saturday night. "At the same time," he continued, "one- person who has boon in New Zealand has received an honour. I refer to Commander Morgan, 11.M.5. Veronica, who lias received the order of C.M.G. I do not wish to criticise tho Government., but frankly I feel that there were at least a few other people whose services might have been recognised. There wore hundreds and 'thousands who did valiant service, but they would never bo recognised. Thoso of you who served in the Great War know that. You know that the M.C. was not really hard to win. In fact, I was a member of a battery which had to deeido who was to receive the solitary M.C. allotted to the battery."

"There is one man, however," said Mr. Barnard, "who might very well have been selected to receive somo honour thia time. I refer to Mr. R. Girling-Butchcr. I was closely associated with him, and 1 say that no man did more to restore Napier to a workable basis in its chaotic time than Mr. Butcher. There wore local people whose services might be recognised, but on that I. have no desire to say anything, but I do say that Mr. GirlingButcher's services might well have been recognised."