VISIT TO NAPIER

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1931, Page 5

VISIT TO NAPIER

BY PARLIAMENTARY PARTY.

EAGERNESS TO ASSIST.

HASTINGS, March 15

A Parliamentary party organised by* Mr \V. jc. Ramarcl, Ai.P., visited tne earthquake area, do niemoers of the Legislature, including tne iron. J. i>. Don-ld, Postmaster-General and Mr li. E. Holland, Leader of tue Labour Fariy, amvuig at iNapitr uy train on Saturday night.

Sunday morning was devoted to » survey ox ilie- devastated city ' and the suirounding uistnet. Members of the inspecting party agreed tiiat the most graphic ucavripiioii oi tne scenes ot desolation could not convey an adequate conception oi tue extent and nature of the damage. They were full of admiration for tne manner in which the citineips or Napier had handled the situation, and tue wondenul pi ogress made in clearing debris from tne streets and building sites. me visitors inspected the harbour and the hospital, and on a motor tour saw the damaged roads and bridges and the ruins of several homesteads, which furnished further evidence of tne appalling violence of the visitation.

The Mayor, Mr Vigor Brown, uud several other speakers stressed the urgency of the situation, and the importance of giving immediate effect to measures tor financial and other relief.

Mr Holland said- that prior to the visit he had no conception of the magnitude of the disaster. . The Labour Party was prepared to have the Ad-dress-in Reply debate suspended at any stage selected by the Governmnt, in orde r that legislation affecting the Hawkes Bay area be taken up at once. The whole city should be cleared of debris as soon as possible, and finance should be provided to enable the work of reconstruction to go ahead right away. A city like Napier should not be allowed to. remain as it was when the resources of the country wei’e what they were at-present and where there was no division in Parliament regarding the desire to assist the stricken

area. Mr R. A. Wright, M.P., said all were members of the one family, and all should help the one who was stricken. Napier should -be reinstated, and the members of the House would support the Government iu any measure in reason, within the resources of the country,' to achieve that object. Mr G. C. Munns, ALP., said the Government had shown that it was in earnest, bv already doing something tangible for the area which bad suffered. The House had to act carefully, but to provide £10,000,000 at a moment’s , notice, as had been suggested. would be absolutely wrong. Mr Muuus paid a tribute to the magnificent work which, the citizens hud done in rehabilitating The H«“i. J. A. Hanutt, M-L-v-., said Parliament would dy the W't thing and the community, as a whole, would act generously towards the stricken area. > ■ Further speeches indicated that w visit of the Parliamentarians was greatly appreciated, Mr Barnard stating that the tone of the speeches would greatly cheer the inhabitants, who believed that Parliament was anxious to do its Utmost to restore Napier and regarded the problem as a naDonal one. .