TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3768, 24 March 1891, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

(United Press Assooiatien).

The Kakanui Tragoiy.

Invercargili/, Maroh 28. The weather being very unseasonable, Mr Hatch had not & large audience to-night in the Theatre, when he deliverad his exposition of the Maoquarrie Island episode, and the circumstances leading up to the despatch of the s,s. Kakanui to bring away his workmen. Mr Hatch was particularly severe on the Hon. T. Fergus and Mr Wilson, Assistant Seoretary of the Marine Department, and accusod them of being actuated by malice, which he from previous disagreements &Ms,d had with them. He read tmfflnTms which he had sent to the Government informing them that there was not the slightest necessity for sending the vessel to the Islands, and that the Kakanui was not fit for the work, these being baoked up by Messrs Ward, Kelly, and Mackintosh M.H.R.'s; and telegrams had also passed in which Mr Hatoh remonstrated with the Minister for Marine for interfering in a way likely to cause him a serious loss. Tho reply returned was that if the were true a serious obligation rested on Government to relieve the men. Mr Hatch stated that during a visit to the Islands he and the Gratitude's crew actually used the stores for lack of which the men lost wore alleged to be starving, and that the greatest disoomfort the shore party had had was want of fuel for which they had substituted blubber, skins, eto. Tobacco, tea, and sugar, were also done, but there was plenty of other food. Mr Hatch asserted that he had not made a sixpence ont of it as yet, principally because of the action of the Govern* ment during the past twelve months re transfer of the Islands from Tasmania. '