SOLDIERS’ STRIKE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17428, 15 March 1917, Page 3

SOLDIERS’ STRIKE.

INCIDENT IN DETENTION

barracks

MEN REFUSE TO WORK

TRIED BY '-COURT-MARTIAL.

Five members of the Expeditionary Forces were tried by court-martial at the Drill Hall, Wellington,■ on Tues, day, states the “Post,” on charges ot insubordination. The Court consisted of. Lieutenant-Colonel C ; It. Macdonald, I.G.#. (president), and Captains Thriiifcandi Kewish. The alleged offender's‘wei'e Privates: A. it. Hill; S- A. ■fennarf.bA: V. Waller, C. H. S. Eevey nhd Jack’ Brown, all of the Wtythjrd Reinforcements. In, reply io the president, the men intimated that they wished, to Be tried together.'. Like most of the witnesses, the prisoners wore fatigue dress. They were lined up with their escort in front 6f'-the Court. ■

Captain P. 35. Baldwin was proseou* After - the members of tbe Court liad boon ;sworn tho witnesses were ordered out of tbe i ooin and the ,accused Were allowed to sit down

The charge against 'the men "was that, on March 1. 1-917, about 8.80 a.m., at tho Alexandra. Military Depot, tMng -'soldiers under -military...deten-. lion, when personally ordqjed by their superior officer, Bombardier M’llwraith, to go to work refused to do so, and when personally asked by tho officer commanding if they intended to work said that they would not work. ■ All pleaded guilty to -the charge of refusing to work, and said they hud 5 added' that they would not work' iin* less they recelv-id more food. TJie president pointed pub that if they pleaded guilty the Court must find them ‘guilty, and anything they said would only be with a view to the rhitigation of punishment. Accused then pleaded not guilty. • lan order that was not OBEYED. , , Captain Baldwin, without addressing the Court, proceeded to call witnesses. 'The first) witness, Gunner Patrick Hannan, 11.N.Z.A., stated that he was employed on, homo service in the Alexandra detention barracks:. On March', 1 last, he was on duty fromi 6:a.m. to! 6 pan. The .five {Tensed soldiers were; under detention. At 8.20 a.m. lie unlocked fhe detention room and let out the prisoners, detailing them for their work. He detailed Privates Waller, Smart’ and Brown for sweeping tlie basement, and Privates Hill andjCevey for sweeping out the barracks. Private Green, another detention pri-1 soner, said to witness that the , whole of the men refused to work on the food! they were receiving. All the accused were present at the time. Witness then reported the matter to Gun: uc.r Wjeod, who demonstrated With them, and asked them to commence work until Bombardier M’llwraith came on duty, and to put'their ,grievance before, firm Tlie five accused absolutely refused to work.

Private Hill (to witness): Do you remember two days before tlie*. strike that Regimental Quartermaster-Ser-geant Farey, on being asked- for more food, said lie would try and get- us put on full rations ?■ ' Gunner Hannan (to Hill): I remember you running after QuartermasterSergeant) Fare}), and asking him about ifioro food.

Private Smart: He (Gunner. Hannan) stated that when he asked us five we refused to work.' All the others lefused to work as well. Private BrcnVn: Is it not a fact that the day I refused duty 1 was detailed off to mix concrete on a board?

..Gunner-Hannan:. That is absolutely untrue. ’

“NOT SUFFICIENT FOOD/’

Gunner W. Wood, who was on detention duty on March 1, stated that in consequence of a report made to him by Gunner Harman, lie went -along to the detention prisoners, amongst whom were' the five accused, and asked .them if they refused to work. They replied “ Yes.” As. far as witness remembered, there were fourteen men altogetherHe remembered that Privates Kevey and Smart were among the men who answered “ Yes.” Witness asked the men generally why they refused -to work, and one man replied that they' were not getting sufficient food for the work they were doing. Witness asked who the leader was. Somebody replied that they had no leader. Witness then asked who was the spokesman. Private Green answered, “X am.” Witness then said, “ Well, you are the leader.” Witness advised them to wait and see Bombardier M’llwraith, to put their grievance before him, and go on with their work in the meantime. Private Green said, “ What do y.ou say, boys?” No answer was given. Witness asked them what they intended to dp. They looked at one another, but no -one gave any answer. Witness then ordered them all to their rooms. Just as he had finished locking them up Bombardier . Mfllwraith came along: and witness reported tlie matter to him. V (Private Kovey: Me and Smart were never asked whether wo would work. Gunner Wood: I did nob ask . any

on© of you personally if you would work. 1 asked the question generally.

•OBDURATE PRISONERS. Bombardier W. H. M’llwraith, R.N.Z.A., stated that on March 1 ho was non-commissioned officer in charge of the detention barracks. In consequence of what he learned, lie made a report to Major Sandle, officer-in-charge of the dotation barracks. Under Major Sandle’a orders witness Went'upstairs and had the prisoners turned out of their rooms and lined up on the flat. He had a list of their names, including those of the five, accused. Hd told them of the, serious trouble they •would get into by striking the way they had done, and that if they'would retturn to work he would take them later to see the officer if they had any grievances. He asked each man separately: “.Do you refuse to work?” and enoh of the accused replied: “No, I. won’t go to work until 1 get better food.” Virtues?) then ordered them to be locked iip and reported the matter to Major Sandle, who ordered witness' to bring all the detention prisoners down before him in pair’s. Witness was present. Major Sandle read to eaoh pair of men a section 'of the Amy Act relating to-mutiny and disobedience of orders. He explained the difference between the two offences and read out the punishment allotted tri each. The subject of the food was discussed, and Major Sandle .pointed out that he was hound by regulations. Major Sandle said to each of hve accused separately: “ Will you or will you not go to work?” Each of the ncaused answered’:' “ No, not until Wo get better food.” .' ; ■■ ■■ 4 To Private Hill: Witness could not* say. whether a scale of rations should be put Tjjp for prisoners to see. . , Private Smart (to witness through, the president) : Did Major Sandle not say, “ If you go back to work I will endeavour to get you better food?” ' Witness: Major Sandle said to .all accused: “If you go back, to work I will endeavour to get- tho cook to give you better fo'od. I am bound by regulations the same as you are.” , f Private Waller said the question had never bcoq put to him- • Witness (to'the president) : T think Major Sandle made the remark to Private Waller. When Private Brown was brought before Major Sandle, Private Brown said that lie' would not do the concrete work on, the food that he Was getting.. .. .

When the hearing of the charges was •resumed in the afternoon Captain win said lie proposed to call SurgeonMajor Gilmer to give evidence as to, the sufficiency of the rations.

~u 0 president, said that that matter did not come into the case. The doctor’s evidence was not necessary. This closed the case for the prosecution:

The president said that, the position was that- there was no evidence to show that Bombardier M’llwraith had given •a direct command to tho msn 'to return to worfe. • Private Hill said he wished ,to call evidence as .to the rations.

The president said that the rations would not be justification. Captain Baldwin, in aiddressing the Court, pointed out that under section 56 of the Army Act, if it was not possible to find a man guilty .of the maximum offence it was possible to find' him guilty of an offence invqlving .a lesser punishment.- ; yf. The president again drew attention to the fact that there was no evidence' of direct command being given. xpe Court was. then cleared while consideration .was given to the verdict. NOT GUILTY. On resuming a few moments later, the president announced that the Court had found all the accused were not 'guilty of the charges. Accused were thereupon acquitted, and marched back ,to the detention barracks to complete the terms they are at present serving. 4 ; : RATIONS FOR DETENTION PRISONERS. Tn connection with, the rations served out to military .prisoners under detention, the following is the''daily allow-ance:—-Meat, Jib; bread,;Jib; tea without milk, 1>) pints; potatoes, ilb; vegetables, ilb; gruel, 1 pint; butter, loz. The diet compares more than favourably with the English scale, which is as follows:—Breakfast—Daily, bread 10oz,. ebeok J pint: Dinner—Sunday, bread soz,\potatoes lib, suet pudding lib; Wednesday, broad ooz. potatoes lib, soup (pork, and beans) 1 pint; Monday and Friday, bread soz, potatoes lib, beef with bone 9oa; Thursday, bread soz, potatoes lib, mutton with) Irons 9oz; Tuesday and Saturday, bread soz, potatoes lib, soup 1 pint, cheese ,2oz. Supper—Daily, broad 9oz, gruel .1 pink. ■U V - - ' ' ,