MR. WRIGG AND THE NEW ZEALAND CROSS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1572, 16 October 1912, Page 4

MR. WRIGG AND THE NEW ZEALAND CROSS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Last evening, when reading my Dominion of yesterday's date, I came on tho enclosed'ticcount of Mr. Harry Wrigg, and how he obtained tho New Zealand Cross. _ The writer slates.- "That after Mr. AVrifig obtained the decoration, by reason of r. certain petition to Parliament, . to deprive him of his honour, tho Seddon Ministry :»t up a Commission, and .'after . an exhaustive inquiry, found that 'tho awarding the Now Zealand Cross (o Mr. AVrigg was fully justified.'" As you havo allowed a statement contrary to facts., to have publicity through the medium oi' your columns, in justice to holders of •the. New Zealand Cross, New Zealand veterans, Messrs, Massey, Uerries, Allen, and others, who all took an active, part in this matter, and "forced this inquiry," I trust ,thot you will permit me to set before the renders of your ■ paper the ta'uo facts of the case. To corroborate the statements I am'about to make. I, am posting you, along with this letter, a copy of the evidcnco submitted at the inquiry above referred to, together with the committee's report on same, , dated August 8, 1839. A report, I may add, that Mr. Seddon never allowed to bo published, and which was not laid on the table of tho House until ten years afterwards—when Sir Joseph Ward came into power. '

To make the position perlectl.v cleari allow jne to say that'the New Zealand Cross is a decoration to be awarded only for conspicuous bravery when in active service. Being purely a military distinction. the Act sots out that the officer ■conim.ind'jig, or the next officer in charge in time of action shall be the only persons who have the authority to recommend any soldier for tho decoration, while a personal application would debar a man frnm receiving same.

When it beatine generally. known that tho Seddon Government - had presented Mr. | Wrigg "'it' l this military distinction, volunteers and veterans ros-e en masse. The .members 'of Parliament already I named. and ■ many other;, express!ed thorasclvcs'.in verv strong lan«*w»*»o. v.-liile the press generally throughout New Zealand criticised the action of the' Government so adversely that Mr. Seddon, in self deffmce. set up a cominitteo of the House .to innuire into and report on the matter. Although this incuiiry (with oil witnesses under oath) terminated in August, ISPS, when the oommittea sent in its report based on evidence covering 91 sheets of orbited matter, it; was never laid on the table if Iht> Jloush until ten yearn afterwards. Th" evidence in thjs renort shows that 111 - . AVrigg. by various letters, applied for a!'' 1 obtained the New Zen r land Cross That on a junior. officer's recommendation (who it was proved afterwards obtained hi? information from hearsay only) the Government 1 awarded Mr. Wrigi? tile Cross. That when ill active service nil acts of daring are invariably mentioned in dispatches. Tlint Sir. Writ's name has never been mentioned in any disnatch whatever. That Colonel SI. John, his commanding officer, for some ten years after the war worked in the same building with Mr. Wrigg. That Major Mair, the second officer in command, was nlive up to the time that Mr. Wrigg applied for the Cross. That in 1S!)8 Maior Mair was the only person who had the authority to recommend Mr. Wrigg for the decoration. The opinion of Mujor Mair (under ontli), when being examined, left, no doubt in the minds of the cornmittee ; as to the reasons that actuated Mr. Wrigg in not applying to him or to Colonel St. John for tho decoration he desired to obtain.

It is- unnecessary to add that as the Government .were practically on their trial they were represented by counsel, niul naturally had the majority cn tho committee of their strongest and. most intelligent supporters to guard their interests. Despite all this, their verdict was as follows:—

"I am directed to report that, from the evidence adduced, the committee is of opinion that Jfr. H. C. W. Wrigg was not entitled'to the New Zealand Cross. "U. METSEDITH, Chairman. "Bth August, 1899." • . I am, etc., VETERAN. Wanganui, October 10.