THE CAPTAIN REID EPISODE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 222039, 20 January 1900, Page 2

THE CAPTAIN REID EPISODE.

FULLER DETAILS. W ellington, Yesterday. Captain Reid left Nejvton camp yesterday, and had taken passage for Auckland per Elingamite leaving last evening, but owing to a paragraph appearing in last night’s Post, and to which his attention was drawn a short time before the steamer was due to leave, and stating what was utterly untrue, viz., that urgent family matters compelled him to resign, he cancelled his passage and determined to remain and see the matter through. Strong feeling has been aroused, it boiug felt that the Captaiu is the -victim of wire-pullers, whoso object is to get a certain subaltern appointed in his stead to the command of No. 1 Company. This officer, from what I can learn, was a. Lieutenant in the local Cycle Corps, and why, as has been announced, that ho should be appointed to the command of a Mounted Company, it is difficult to understand. It is apprehended that the real cause of tho treatment meted out to Captain Reid is that he is a ‘ ranker ’ and not sufficient-y aristocratic to suit the tastes of some people concerned. A very strange feature of the business is that contrary .to Major Cradock’s charge of ineompetency, the umpire in the recent sham fight on Monday, (who was Major Cradock;. himself) complimented Captain Reid on two different occasions on the manner in which he handled the No. 1 Company. This, coupled with the fact that the commanding officer of the contingent made no formal charge against Capta,n Reid, until some time after the alleged display of incompetency, when Major Cradock, then asked Captain Reid to make an excuse that private business demanded bis immediate return to Auckland, lends colour to the idea that sinister influences are at work. Needless to say, Captain Reid feels his position most keenly, and in this most trying time for him he has the sympathy of many officers in high positions, together with that of the men of No. 1 Company and the general public. It is impossible at this juncture that anything can be done, as Major Cradock is in supreme control, and his decision is final.