Colonel Fox and the Premier.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 109, 4 November 1897, Page 2

Colonel Fox and the Premier.

p. (Per Press Association.) Christchur<;h, Nov. 3. Colonel Fox has addressed the following lrtter to the locnl papers : — " Hir, I have just seen on page 605 of Hansard, October IH, 18l>7, that Mr Seddon states 'We gave a free hand to the late Commander of the Forces.' This is an absolute lie. I was never given a free hand us Commandor of the Forces. He (Mr Seddon) continues — 'And he ran us into jei. r >,ooo or £16,000 for v class of rifles that last night I was told were obsolete and useless.' The Martini-Henri rifles, with which the defence force of New Zealand are now armed, were procured, on my recommendation, on grounds fully tew out at the time to the Government by me. Those grounds hold good at the present moment. I hope that this letter may be published by all the paper* in the cplonr,— l am, &c, Francis J. Fox." Wellington, This Day. Mr Seddon explains his reference to Colonel Fox having a free hand applies only to the choice of a weapon and not to the command of the forces generaU>. Colonel Fox was asked by the Cabinet to recommend a weapon in 1895 and Colonel Fox strongly advised the MartiniHenri should be ordered, assigning as a reason why the Lee-Metforuu should not be purchased that they carried bo far they would be dangerous "to people in this colon.v, and tlu\v hid sent bullets through people without killing tliew. It was en this vccoinineiKlation that M'wii.U-We.ws were ordered, ami thby were now condenjiied as obsolete and useless.