THE HAYNES CASE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 5

THE HAYNES CASE.

Sir,—lii the debate on the report of the M to Z Petitions: Committee with regard to tlio Haynes ease, some statements are attributed to Mr. G. AV.' Russell and the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher which, in justice to the parties concerned, call for a speedy .refutation.;-and I should be, grateful for space and opportunity to answer the charge? in your columns. The first statement I refer to is by 3lr. Russell: "That the signatories to the petition, were the extreme Prohibitionist ring in Christchurch." So far is this from being the case that-those who have taken the most active part in the agitation are not cnly not Prohibitionist, but are actually opposed to Prohibition.

Mr. Russell's attack on the society we can afford to disregard, but his attempt to show that the effect of the inquiry will be to brand the child is very misleading, inasmuch as one of the aims of the petitioners, in asking for the .inquiry, is to disprove the allegations made Mjv_ the foster-parents against the child. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher informs tho House- that there was some extraordinary evidence given in the case—last year—that the child bad been committed on written evidence that the father and mother had never seen. t Precisely so, it is with the view of refuting this and other extraordinary evidence that the present inquiry is asked for.—l am,' etc., : MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE OF ■' . , . S.P.W.C., Christehurch.