NO DANGER OF PANIC.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18349, 8 June 1931, Page 6

NO DANGER OF PANIC.

MR BARNARD’S REBUTTAL H.M.S. VERONICA AT NAPIER. ALLEGED EXAGGERATED REMARK, (By Telegraph.— Press Association.) NAPIER, Monday. “ I have noticed in the press a paragraph concerning a presentation, to Commander Morgan, of H.M.S. Veronica, in recognition of the services of himself and his men in Napier during the earthquake,” remarked Mr W. E. Barnard, M.P., for Napier, when speaking in Hastings on Saturday night. " This presentation was ipade by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe,” he conlinued, "and according to the paragraph Lord Bledisloe made the statement that but for the presence and prompt action of the commander and his men there would, have been a serious panic in Napier, Now I want to say here that that remark is overstated," said Mr Barnard, A voice: "I think so, too." Mr Barnard: “ I am quite satisfied that there would have been no panic In Napier even If the Veronica had not been there.” A voice: “Or anywhere else.” Mr Barnard: "You must remem-' ber that Napier was a town of 16,000 | inhabitants at that time, and the total j men on the Veronica was not moro ! than 100. All of those 100 were not 1 in town, for obviously some men had to stay on the ship; so to say that but for the presence of 60 or 70 men there would have been a panic is quite untrue. I have no intention of belittling the extremely fine, work done by the men of the Veronica and also of the Diomede and Dunedin, but I want to say that the people of Napier stood up to that tragic disaster ’in a most remarkable way and in a manner which lias reflected the greatest credlon them. I take this, the first, opportunity of saying that there would have been no panic in Napier, even if tho men of the Veronica had not been there, and the more one thinks of that disaster the more one feels reason to be proud to be a New Zealander, and, In particular, to be a resident ot Hawke's Bay."