ARM DISCIPLINE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7387, 13 February 1902, Page 2

ARM DISCIPLINE.

TROUBLE IN THE SEVENTH

CONTINGENT.

A letter received in Wellington on Tuesday from a member of the Seventh Contingent gives an account of what the writer describes as " the biggest row on record in the history of the Seventh Contingent." The following extracts are made by the Post from the letter, which was written on December 25 th, 1901 : —

"While on, the trek from Vryheid a very large number of our horses knocked up, and the men were ordered to walk and lead them. The day was broiling hot, and, of course the men were not in very good humor. An officer came along and spoke sharply to a couple of themj and then there was some ' language.' Two of the fellows were Court-martialled in connection with the affair, and were sentenced to forty-two days' first field punishment.

" Up to the 22nd the men were subjected to ordinary field imprisonment, but on that day the whole regiment was thrown into a state of excitement by the ■news that the two defaulters were to be lashed to the gun-wheel — that is, tied up tightly with arms and legs widely extended, the prisoners being forced to retain a standing position. Two hours of this torture morning and evenrng constitutes first field punishment.

" No sooner were the prisoners tied up than the whole regiment rushed the waggon, and out the straps into scraps. The Major at once paraded the whole lot, and read the finding of the Courtmartial, but all to no use— the men would not stand it. The Major promised to see the Colonel (Garratt) in the matter, and the promise, I firmly believe, saved a mutiny, for the men would rather have " piled arms " than see the New Zealanders subjected to such treatment.

" Imperial officers sentence our fellows, but I don't think they will get colonials to carry the programme through. Don't think that we wish to ' rule the roost ' altogether, but we do object to this particular form of punishment. If they had got ordinary punishment no one would have murmured."