CAPTAIN WHITAKER AND, TROOPER GRESHAM.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1401, 25 June 1881, Page 3

CAPTAIN WHITAKER AND, TROOPER GRESHAM.

TO THE , , Sir, — I notice by your issue of the 7th inst. , that at a meeting of the Te Awamuta Troop of the "VVaikato Cavalry Volunteers, Mr Gresham ii'as thought fit to make' some remarks in reference to myself. It is quite certain that had that gentleman attacked me on any subject which merely involved his own censure I should not take the trouble ; to' allude to his utterances, but as the question raised affects to seme extent my relations' towards a body of ineii which numbers within jt many warm'jjersorialfriends of' my 'oWn, and ve^y manyothers whqse opinions dn my conduct' l value highly, 'V venture 'to' trouble you with' a feW remarks.' 'la the' 1 iirst place then I make boi^ s to assent that any ; impartial" reader ,of ;]Slr 'Gfi'esham's effusidn' cannot' fail, to at on'^e p ( e,rceive" /that it wa3 dictated by a 1 de&irfl to ' make ' political capital against. l myself, and not 'mereljr*by.a«widh to promote the interest ''of the Cavalry. I have merely to quote two -sentences, jfrpra his, speech to .demqn-, fstr'ate.this proposition ,concl^sj,vely, , He says "It is all very well for the u Jl£e^iber , /o? J Waipa, {not Capt. Whitak'er)/ who hag his dwn ends to serve, to try and

cajole his troop into making hia (Capt. Whitaker's) "Government a'presehtl 6f £ £' 10s per man. If he could succeed ln> doing this withthe whole iKeginlerit,!oapt. Whit'aker* wduldi be* doing *• very smart' thing, and Would benefit hiis party some £800 at ithe fexpense of 118 Trooper^'' - In what way "niyparty 1 ' would benefit by the £800, is not made quite clear. I suppose he means the iunda of the Colony!' But of one thing I am quite certain— Tiz., that it would be anything but a " smart" thingon my part to willingly abandon any portion of the Cavalry pay. It is quite evident Mr Gresham has never occupied the responsible position", of commander of a Troop,, and I hardly suppose he ever will! If he should, however', he) , will quite understand that it would be exhibiting a lamentable want of , Btnarfcness for any captain of a troop' or c6rp's\to assist to curtail his men's pay in any way. "I think you will admit" he quotes from some remarks made , by me at Hamilton "that it would not hare been faiu to clamorously urge | upon the Government the claims of the Volunteers to payment or capitation {" and proceeds to deduce .from these words a meaning which they do not convey and were never intended to convey. He would make it seem as though I had said that it would not have been fair 1 of the troopers' to clamorously! urge the claims 6i Volun- ' teers. Of course anyone can see that it | means that I and other members 1 of 1 the I Houae, who were enthusiastic ' Volunteers, could not at atimeof "such univarsal retrenchment,, clamorously urge the claims of Volunteering genera]ly. - And certainly when we were tottering t on, the yerge of national insolvency and every man's exertions should be used to stave .off snoh, a dire calamity, if I know, true Volunteers they would for the time being 1 be cootent to bear their share of the heavy retrenchment whioh was of such immediate necessity as to leave no time to properly adjust matters at the moment. And every one in Waikato knows that the Waikato Cavalry did respond to the call and turned out at their drill in f-pite of the uncertainty that hung over their financial arrangements. That times are altered and that the moment has arrived to have a squaring up with the Government I am, fully aware, and "it wa.s only yesterday that I made an appointment with Captain Hamlin of , the vyaiuku Troop to proceed to-morrow, &i 'lp 1 ojclo'ck to an' interview with the Defence Minister on this matter. The results will have reached you long before this letter. Mr. Gresham's concluding remark is a very peculiar, one. He says " before I quit this subjeot I think that Jlegimerit should know that Major Jackson has all along been fighting this question singlehanded against ,the Government;" £ lam rather at a loss to understand how Mr. Gresham knows this. I always thought that with his refreshing egotism he . considered that Trooper Gresham had more to do with it than any one else. I should think that straightforward blunt : eld soldier will hardly thank this member , of the " awkward squad" for his kind and condescending patronage. I have been associated with Major Jackson in a subordinate capacity in connection with the Waikato Cavalry for some years and when called upon have stood by him through thick and thin as the Major himself will testify, and as long as he desires to continue his connection with the force shall do so again and again. lam perfectly certain that in this instance, as in every other that I have known of, lie will do his duty by his honourable office and the men under his command, and I think he hardly requires a certificate of efficiency from Mi- T. Gresham. Sir, T think I have shown that Mr Gresham has be|en wilfully mis-representing me before my. comrades, a course which is the, reverse of noble. I was an enthusiastic supporter , of volunteering before that gentleman came into this country, and I think I shall be such a supporter when he has again left it. The statements I have referred to as contained in his remarks clearly show two things, viz. : that Nature did not intend him for a politician, and I much fear that no amount of education will ever make him a true Volunteer. — I am, &c, F. A. Whitaker. Wellington, June 17th, 1&S1,