RE NEW ZEALAND CROSS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1580, 25 October 1912, Page 6

RE NEW ZEALAND CROSS.

Sir,—l take exception to "Veteran's" letter published in your 'Wednesday's issue, as being one-sided and evidently intended to mislead the public and members of Parliament, as he belongs to tho class of men (?) who, from jealousy and riiuiictivcncss, employ such tactics on the eve of a third Parliamentary inquiry. I must, however, to mete out justice, allow that his one-sided view is partly correct, viz., that the -first inquiry went against me, for the simple reason that feeling assured that I had nothing to fear, I attendod the committee, never dreaming that I should be confronted by a prominent barrister, a then member of the House, and a rank oppositionist of the Government, who was supported by evidence supplied by Captain I'reece. Then they wero trying to -make a party question of iuy case. This left me no time, to summon witnesses, and it was I that secured tlio services of Mr. T. "\Vilford (now M.P.) as - my counsel. The Government had nothing to do with it. Tlie evidence throughout was most contradictory, but I subsequently obtained many declarations from men who were in the district at the time, and forwarded same to the Defence Department. This v,as why the Into Eight Hon. Sir. Seddon asked the House- to refer the report beck to the committeo (seo Hansard). It is certainly a-very cunning, but underhand inovo lor "Veteran" to introduce some of the present hon. Ministers' names as opponents of mine at the time; Lut the present Defence Minister, Hon. Colonel Allen, V.D., has now all subsequent declarations and papers obtained since the inquiry, and 1 feel assured that be will, upon pevMsal of same, tnke an entirely different- view of my caso.

There was another inquiry last S'Ssion, brought about by the same person, Caprain Preecc, and after an exhaustive sitting the hon. committee reported "that they had no recommendation to make," and yet now another petition, Trought forward by the same- man (though for reasons of his own his name is not brought prominently forward in the petition), which, despite canvassing, contains only twelve signatures, and of those, not one amongst them were iu the district at the time. How these, signatures were obtained remains to' bo brought out at the inquiry. This man holds the New Zealand Cross, was interpreter to sune Native contingent, some 200 miles away from Opotiki, at the period the dispatches were carried. Ho has, I learn, an able lieutenant in Captain Gilhert Jlair, another holder of the N.Z.C., obtained seventeen or eighteen years after the act for which the decoration was conferred.

Captain Preece's visit to Auckland was a complete failure. He never secured one signature from amongst "The King's Empire Veterans," upwards of 401} strong, who, at their last annual meeting, did mo the honour of electing me vice-presi-dent. Surely this ought to convince anyone interested that I am not the man Captain Prccce would make me oilt to be.

I bust that, in justice to myself, my friends, and supporters, yonu will fjivo this an early insertion, as it is scarcely fair fcli.it a one-sided view by "Veteran 1 ' should appear on tho ovo of a Parliamentary inquiry.—I am ,ete., HAIiEY "WRIGG. Octobcr 20.