FURTHER DETAILS OF THE RIOT,

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 6 May 1914, Page 5

FURTHER DETAILS OF THE RIOT,

The Dominion's special gives the following further particulars:

A s already told, Saturday was a day oi most execrable weather. Evervbo'W was soaked to the skin, the tents vere wet, and the straw was musty from the prevailing downpour. Some of the men even had to dispense altogether v.-th their straw, and lie on their waterproof sheets though this latter fate, it is pointed out by experienced oficers is hygiemcally preferable. to the stiawbed, hard and unyielding though it n ay be- Added to these extremely ur.comiortable and dispiriting circurr&tances was the fact that many of the r ien had no change of outer garments. The Department issues one uniform only, and in some instances :nen had been forbidden by their commanding officers to bring a civilian suit into camp. This instruction, it is stated, is rot authorised by headquarters, ai d is urderstood to have been mO re or less a matter of caprice on the part of some Territorial regimental and company commanders. This was really tho grievance which precipitated the fracas, although another grievance involving a large principle and an alleged over-riding of the regulations was associated with the former. SOAP-BOX ORATORS GST TG WORK. After tea, when t£-e iiien were idling about in groups m the rial a, a 1 ,wk procession, small in the beginning, but iimgciienea in its progress Dy the curious idlers, moved up and down the parade ground singing choruses, wiwi an occasional ieiram, "We muse go home |on Friday." Then the procession .raited in tne space which sepaiaied the S>th and 11th regiments. Certain speakers delivered harangues about tJfceir grievances. "Until then ?io one had J taken, the proceed' ngs s^iwiuUy, as such mock proceedings are a common form of entertainment *n ;ir>st cases. Then a refrain was 'nade liy suineore that certain of their comrades had been fined and put in the police guaid tent for changing into >iiufti, akd at once a more serious aspect tinted the sct-ne. A cry of "rescue" was raised and a rush was made to the guard tent of the 7th Wanganui Regiment, which was c pty, j and then to the guard tent of the 9th ! (Hawke's Bay) Regiment, -vJiere. the sergeant of the guard was threatened that if he did not deliver <ip Lis prisoners he would answer for it on the train. FIXED BAYONETS. The guard turned out and prevented their bayonets to the crowd and this action kii'dled the first flame of the real mob outbreak. The guards were rushed and. the tent attacked, nut just as the ringleaders were busy.l untying the tent ropes a posse of six military police dashed up and scattered the crowd in all directions. Ova mau, it is •stated, was knocked over and slightly hurt and that fired the mine, in a second the situation became electric, and a lull prevailed, d"uring which the ringleaders called their followers \ ith the remark, ''We're colonials, and we won't stand this." Then someone s'louted "Down with the officers and tip with the privates," and immediately after an advance was made towards Colonel Chaytor's headquarters, and the crowd swarmed in front of the door. At that time Colonel Malone, commanding the 11th (Taranaki) Regiment, and two other officers were inside "the marquee, and the former, hearing the commotion, advanced to enquire the reason. A voice called out, "Colonel, we're on strike, and want a decided answer to our grievances, or we're £O ing home." Colonel Malone enquired if any of thoso present belonged to his regiment. If so, would they state their grievances in the proper way. He invited tho-se men to come forward. < 'STICK TOGETHER, BOYS I" No one moved, and a voice shouted: "Stick together, boys!" This exhortation was punctured by hoots and yells, and rounded off with a shower of missiles. After the fusillade several men speaking at once demanded that tents should be stretched on ' Friday and that-a promise to that effect should be given. '•No drills till we get'it," shouted one of the ringleaders. Lieuteuant-Colonel Malone again-invited the men of the 11th Regiment, if there were any present, to come forward, as he was their commanding officer, and could deal only with that regiment. f'We want satisfaction," chorused the crowd. "We won't be treated like dogs," vociferated another. Colonel Malone: "If there are io men of the 11th here, you had better "All together, hoys," yelled the crowd COLONEL CHAYTOR FACES THE MOB. ' At this juncture Colonel E. W. Chaytor, Officer Commanding the District, hurriedly appeared on the scene, and was given to understand that the crowd had certain grievances to ventilate. "If anyone has a grievance," he said, turning to the men, "let him come and make it in the proper way. He will be heard and answered." This invitation was greeted with hoots and jeers. "Stick together, boys," the crowd yelled, "unity is strength. No work to-morrow." jßy this time it was conveyed to Colonel Chaytor that the men had ex£ressed a desire to be entrained for jme on Friday, the legal date upon which the period of the camp should terminate. It should be here explained that the city corps and others convenient to drill centres are expected by law to put in seven days m camp, to which period are added the two days travelling to and, from the training ground, while the country corps not very convenient to drill centres, are excused 20 night drills if they put in 13 days in camp, to which are added two days' travelling. Owing to' the attitude of the Railways Department this year, it has been found impossible to get the men away before Sunday, which means that m many cases men travelling long distances will not reach home till well on in the Monday forenoon. The men consider that if they have to stay extra days in camp they should be paid for them as for the other days—otherwise they insist on going home on Friday, the due date, Railway Department or no Railway Department. , . Colonel Chaytor, standing in the midst of an excited throng, explained that the trouble with the extra time in camp was a matter entirely out of his hands. Representations had been made with regard to this, and they would be informed of the position as soon as he was in a. position to make a statement. ' "WE WANT EXTRA PAY." "We want extra pay or we leave on Friday," insistently demanded several voices. Another complainant said that ir.en had been put in the guard tent for appenrinq; in mufti. In the midst of the hubbub which prevailed at the time, Colonel Chaytor was understood to .s:«y that the matter would be inquired into. The proceedings became very mixed at this stage, several complainants raising their voices at once. In the midst of the confusion one private, who said that he belonged to "the Ninth." iccited a .catalogue'p£ s^igysauce's. .■ .'.-.•» c

FUSILLADE OF STONES! «oL o +h£ stage assumed a very V*JS& hl^wo^X^Ve^ quarters had not issued any inSruc tions against bringing a suit* of miSS as a spare suit. Did not their car?* > instruct them that a change of cfimc would be allowed? ' Cries of "No." Lhaytor. There was no response. Colonel Chavtor then added that the finings allesed to have been imposed into Weannß muftl would °c. looked '.'The camp's not fit to live in— wringing wet." interposed a Territorial; changing the subject. The Colonel' replied that they had been unfortunate m the weather. (More hooting an d offensive epithets about Genera] GodJey.) Colonel Chaytor made a further attempt to reason with the crowd, but it was useless. Colonel Chaytov intimating that it was the rule in the Army that everyone should speak for himself in the matter of "rievances retired from the scene and entered his headquarters where a deputation of three later interviewed him and laid the grievances (already, stated) before mm, and heard his replies, substantially the sa~-3 as those previously addressed. Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, coast defence commander, was also present and lent his assistance A MOMENT OF PERIL. v During the interview a cry of Troopers" was raised by some Drainless person in the crowd outside, and the crowd stampeded once again, this tim. e i in the direction of the marquee, which shook and quivered as the men fed among the ropes and tore ax them. It was a perilous moment, and one of the officers . instictively felt for the tap of the gasometer, but the danger passed. The Colonel patiently explained that there were right ways and wrong ways of submitting grievances. ' Everyone had a right to make a complaint, and opportunities for doing tl is were offered every day. CompUmts had been made about the, shortness of food. The Department had provided ample, and it was for the men them- - selves to see to it that their mess orderlies got the required quota of rations from the cooks. If they did not, the officer of the day was there to appeal to. The men had to be fair to one another, and in- a sportsmanlike way see that everybody in the tent had a fair share of w^hat was going. Ihis discussion cleared the air, and the deputation retired. One of them lifted his voice, and addressed the heaving mass that loomed up in the darklness. "We'll know to-morrow about the pay. You've got your answer; and you ought to be satisfied. These military people can't take ye home in an aeroplane, ye know." There was a laugh at this, and the crowd o-radu-ally dispersed. In a remarkably short space of time,the camp was qui'ot, and1 everybody had turned" in. • Colonel Chaytor showed remarkable restraint in dealing with the recalcitrant element of the crowd. It was very apparent that any attempt to overawe the crowd by a display of force might easily have .culminated in, a regrettable encounter, with serious results, not the least of which would have been the division of the camp ~ into hostile parties. COURT OF ENQUIRY. As the result of the affair a Court of Enquiry, consisting of Colonel G. F. C. Campbell (Coast Defence Commander), President-Major A. H. Herbert (Ninth Regiment, East Coast M.R.), and Major J. J. Esson ('Fifth ■' Wellington Regiment) has been sub up to probe the circumstances and report. It was announced in Orders that the authorities have approved of the extra camp payment being made. The tension has now been relieved: