MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF TERRITORIALS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 27, 1 August 1911, Page 7

MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF TERRITORIALS.

TROUBLE AT LOWER HUM?. UNRULY YOUTHS. Th« medical examination of territorials in connection with the new De> fence Act was begun by Colonel Purdy at the Lower Hutt Drill Hall last evening. Some 200 youths were summoned, mostly from Petone. These commenced early in the evening to march to the destination, accompanied, by tin-cans and various other noise-producing articles. The numbers were supplemented as th© march proceeded, and all joined in sing' ing and shouting. On arriving at Lower Hutt the crowd becam* rather unruly and the sole officer in charge (Sergeant' Major Millett) was given a very trying time. H«s Wa9 hdoted and jostled and ffl&da the target of various missiles. Th& examiflatieft was proceeded with, however, despite th© difficulties, and tho lot were put through after some time. Thei demonstration was continued even, then, but the lads eventually dispersed, and wended their way home in a comparatively orderly manner. It was cvi* dent, aays an eyewitness, that the yottths were out for an evening's enjoyment, an the affair could .hardly be taken as a hostile demoaatration against the- provisions of the Act. The "sing4eaders" —lads of about seventeen or eighteen— May have been "se-riotis," but- others joined in "for the fun of the thing." It ia stated that the demonstration* will fee continued nightly throughout the examinations, but the leaders may not escape unpunished if they persist. In reply to enquiries by a reporter of The Poet, an officer of the Defence Department stated: "The antagonism is mainly that of an organised cotttbina* tic-n &f a certain class at Petone, whoa* attitude on the question is expressed in thia way. They have given us a lot of trouble from the start. They saw that it was useless for them to refW to register, and so they determined to try and incommode and hinder us in some other way. I understand that the trouble last evening was really an attempt on the part of this organised mob to break up the medical examination. "Of course, the examination will continue nightly until concluded. It will take more than a repetition of last evening to stop that." Our informant added j that tta police will be augmented tonight, and in future when, required. It is stated that the police present last evening did not interfere in any way. We understand that further action is to be taken by the Defence Department.