RIPA ISLAND MUTINEERS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 187, 24 July 1913, Page 2

RIPA ISLAND MUTINEERS.

Christchurch, July 22. Informations have been laid charging ten of the youths, on Ripa Island for military detention, with discbcnicncc of orders in refusing to do certain work. Three of those charged were recently releaseci from Ripa Island, and the informations have been sworn since they left. The charges were heard by Mr. H. AV. Bishopv S.AL, at the I.ytelton Magistrate's Court to-day. Regarding the agitation by the “Unity” Congress and anti-militar-ists, the Dunedin “Star” says: — "We cannot recall a more scandalous episode than that known as the Ripa Island eases. Apart from the attitude e.f the Government, and the statements in Parliament by the Hon. Janies Aden, there is hardly a redeeming feature to be found. On the contrary, the letter which is srid to have been written by the thirteen detained boys, its reception by the Unity Congress, the discussion thereon by members, and the subsequent pell-mell rush to the Government to demand this, that, and the other thing, constitute a national humiliation from which it will take Jong for the country to r< eov< r. The object of this care-fully-engineered episode is obvious. Its effects are not intended for local consumption. The people oi New Zealand have far too much commonsense t<> be deluded by miserable ladies of this sort. As far as New Zealand is concerned, the Ripa Island agitation is, as Air. Allen stated yesterday, one result of the determination of men who are ‘out to break down the Act altogether, and who arc prepared to adopt any means to do it ; but in our judgment, the main motive of the inspirers of the agitation is to create material for < xport. For our own part, we are content to leave the punishment of these boy anti-militarists to the atithci'ilies. We are confident there will lie nothing unduly harsh, and we trust that the Government will not move by a hair's breadth from the policy they have laid down of full compliance in all eases, high or low, rich or poor, with the terms of the Act.”