THE KNYVETT CASE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 5

THE KNYVETT CASE.

:;':^iGOOD ;ADYICB i-FEbll-bHEIST-^ '' V'- ": ; : ■■ ■. v , ■:■■;■■:- s w^^^^^^^^^^orreßDondenUyV : ' -'vJ'-tii&ffi&^fa J »nuary.2l. '' y To-night says-"-■ Tho :^?S ll ?S'''?<7 s P?R-Irsvprbfess;t(i-'1rsvprbfess;t(i-' -be dis:S4tisfied;wift.,Sir;JoSeph'.'..Ward's''reply o tho deputation-which journeyed toWel■^tonin.:tho,mtercsts..^ot Captain™. ; jett, ;j th e .officer -recently, dismissed from Jhe; volunteer l foroe3for : breaches'\or <£isciphne.i'Jn.fact,,: they, are' fanning'- the ; flamesvof',ag]tation'more'.Tiolently;than .ew;o.although;it, to' bJ whS. gooTkpurpose,is being seirvod, by this-ill-' adnsfd.'acHon.'--'.The .Prime'r 4; andhdigiincd'.statement blew, he-whole case .out oi'thelwateiv and. lefty,,thtf. deputation : 'a!id -Captain' Kriyvett ■K|l*Q"fi«legi-Wirtaßd-. upon.' , :H a 4:<?Sßfa\n,,Knyvettgdnd i,his'/,f.riends-■haTO_-been, barking, mak,ng-a^virulent ; .Kobin;. ; hat.Cap^in'Knyvett has no■ one' for,VHis -troublMl JM'.rf there is'all the sympathy for rlunran Auckland'-that; the -local papers *puld. : have . us, belicvo, -it ■. is', lil placcdr.and,,lms.been,worked/u' p : on n : complete misapprehonsio a ;;of-..the facts. But the; facts, of; the .case: soem to iw, the" last thing Captain: Kn'yfett'and his joiir-- :¥ 1 f o ; r .,!> l Taclvors^- > are:f:::concerncd about ...They choso (o.assuraoin the firstplace that .the.- authorities • had an' on Captain'Knyvett,' and thafthev., seized : a.^nvoment. him suffer,-,accordingly. :.',Hence , ', 'the"■:.• absurd -X?? n^Vv - itll J : '' 1 ' Ii f F ? i Te:-Dreyfus , ' :and all ..the wild, j reckless misstatements about ...Coloneli,Robin ,vS have ; been | shown ;..t6,; be. groundless.'• .rhe,Knyvett sympathisers, even : went>: so' far.-as,to insult one- of -the-members:.of. Court of .Inquiry, by' contemptuous, "ferences-,to his ..foreign'extraction,'al-though-.he -;,has -been: inv -New : -, ■ Zealand nearfyairhis; life and took.ont naturalieatton papers/some isixteon years 'ago.' The ■ public^may.^fell.be excused.for concluding 1 that.the.rest of. the allegations are about on the, contemptible references :W'.'f,V a P,' ai 4:. Sandtmanh. :, -:Por'. our own' part ; we.: wodd suggest. that if the' Auck.'landers.' spent some.of .their- surplus-en-' «rgy-, jn;: locating;■ the rocks in' , ! ..but ' dangerous'- 7 harbour,' ;theyi wouldvbeVemploying their :time" to muchi better.-pnrpose..than-in : wasting' it ■ over:; trumpery'grievances such' as 'Cap:tain.'.Knyyetfs; ;'v; :-.V' "; -'-;-V .'.■.,: -V-:- X l ; f :.:'"Under:thb;circrimstance3; with so much..conceni.bemgmanifested, and so niuch interest .being,, taken ;in.!:the:.vmatter- (tho' :'Anyvett : 'case), I?;think:some 'sort of inquiry should take'.placo," said Mr.' C. H' rople.t'-JI.'P., ■■~to a reprcsehtafe^-^?! b .™eßestion, : 'by; -the'- Prime : iMinisterttat.EoyalCommissions may. become of /too: freauent occurrence is a very significant ;one, bocaiise' Eoyal. Comniis-.sions.-cannot :be- set u'n .without a" heaw expense-to. ; the: country, and verystrpnk justincatidn.'should- exist. : - I 'suggested that the :order of; reference at the proposed .new; inquiry should be so , broadened that it .would: allow, of a moro.exhnustiva : inquiry ..than-.would -coyer ;■ the Knyvett .case, so- that any- other'..' matters.' which needed it• in:connpctiqn with' the• defence ■force's. o could;.be 'cleared up/ . I feel' cer- .. tain .that Sir Josepli: Ward,. in- consenting to give close consideration to: tho dotails of ithe.case.'as presented by the deputation, I ,will ; do, his- best to placo': before the community a satisfactory reply, how that, there..is,'so.::much.stro!iß''expression of opinion..in■ connection .with' the, case."'.