BRYCE AND PARIHAKA.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 43, 20 February 1929, Page 12

BRYCE AND PARIHAKA.

Why will your correspondent George Graham persist in iterating his animus against a brave pioneer colonist, a good and conscientious administrator and an able statesman? In re "looting," in reply to the question, '"Where was the military control —had they no power 1" Mr. Graham said: "The direct answer is that there was obviously no such control, or that the power of "control was not exercised." Now, when it i-s recalled that the great New Zealand soldier, the late Colonel Roberts was in charge of the force (not Colonel Messenger), an able and highly experienced commander, a stern disciplinarian and a thoroughly humane gentleman, such a statement were perfectly ludicrous, were it not diabolically cruel. Your correspondent added: "Wholesale plunder and robbery went on under JBryccVs very nose." Truly the man who wrote that was wiser, if not so brave, as poor old "egged on" Rusden, who did not wait for his victim's death. As a matter of fact, the "looting" was, under the circumstances, phenomenally trifling. Here is an official record on the subject, a telegram from Bryce, Parihaka, to ex-Native Minister Rolleston, Wellington: "... I am sorry to . say that three cases of theft are reported in the search for arms yesterday and to-day by the Taranaki Rifles. One, a tiki neck ornament greatly valued by the natives, was recovered and restored; the second, a £1 note, was also recovered and restored; the third, a mere, I hope is a mistake, but 1 am having inquiries made." Would any judicial mind arrive at the idea that the writer was a collaborateur in the thieving? But stay. Much strenuous and quite open "rummaging" for arms and ammunition was conducted for many days, and in Parihaka and adjacent villages about 500 stands of arms and large quantities of ammunition were bagged; pretty murky accompaniments to the strong fanatical "peacefillness" which terrified the white settlers on the Coast for years. Peaceful, indeed! Do yon not know that the greater bulk of the natives .squatting at Parihaka did not belong there, but consisted of the more turbulent members of ten or a dozen tribes whose natural domicile was anywhere from Wanganui to Waikato, and they were attracted to the "Prophet," who declared he was "The Father, Son and Holy Ghost." and promised to raise the dead? What sort of a fate had befallen a captain's company who tried to effect the arrest of a murderer and other criminals refuging there and against whom warrants were issued long before the beneficent dispersal? If Mr. Graham is eager to obtain the whole truth, let him peruse the record of the eight days' trial for libel, Bryce v. Rusden. in the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, presided over by Baron Huddle-ton, the parties being represented by an illustrious Bar. Let him note that the plaintiff refused to allow a motion to defray his costs to remain on the notice paper, although the colony's reputation was equally at stake with his own. Let him note how the special jury terminated the long trial by awarding the full amount of claim, £5000, after 15 minutes' deliberation, and how, when the defendant pleaded poverty, Honest John agreed to take half the amount, stating that in no case would he have retained more than his actual costs. HARRY HEMUS.