THE INSUBORDINATION AT QUEENSCLIFF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7405, 13 August 1885, Page 6

THE INSUBORDINATION AT QUEENSCLIFF.

In a written statement made by the six members of the Victorian Permanent Artillery Force, charged with insubordination, they say : — These ate a list of our grievances, which can be substantiated ; —Whenever we made any complaints, we were always promised redress, but we never got any eicept in som- tritl • 11? matters, the main ones being p«seJ over. That wo were treated more like dogs than men. in fact used like convicts. We were lmde to do the wor* of horses, anil, indeed, hones get better accommodation than we had at Quecnscliff and Point N'epuan. The day that wn wore put in the guardroom, we bad done tivo hours' heavy fatigue i work, including going to the station and palling up three Norrtenfeldt gnus up a steep hill, and because I one detainment of the men took a little longer than the others, thoy wore told that they would hive to do half-an-hour s extra fatigue work, which means that they would not bo done till six o'clock, as we had another hour to do, and tli-y half an hour after that, and that is what we wanted to sea the officer about, but were told to do the work first and complain afterwards, which was poor satisfaction. Another grievance we had is the hand • cut work at Quoeuacllff. We have to turn out at all hours, and in all weather, to go down to the station or jetty to bring up luggage or other things, Kener.dly two or three times a d»y besides doing our three parades. The approaches to the battery ate in an awful state of mud and slime in wet weather, aud when we co out with the hind-cart, we must go iu clean fatigue with our boots polished. V.' get about two yards when we are up to our ankles in mud. It is very < fien one o'clock when we come back, and we have to parade with o .rsclves clean at half-past two, or else we are in for punishment. We are often sent when it is raining hard for things that could be left over until fair weiihi-r. A case in point— few weeks ago there were four cases of cylinders came to the station. We were sent down with one hand-cart, which would only hold one crate. It was a perfect downpour of rain, and we were wet through before we got thero When we came back, wo went and c rnp ained to the officer that there weie four of us out of six for guard, and that wo should have to Sleep In wat clothes. A S.C. officer said, Oh, they aro always grurublin?." So we wero sent back, and got drenched to the skin. Came back ; wont on guard with wet clothes, which were even wet when the men came off '24 hours afterwards. The officers say, "Why don't you complain to me?" That is how our complaints are treated, just according as how tho N.C.O. like to put it. Thoy hive yot the car of tho officer, and what they say is done. Since we joined tho corps we have been lying on tho «»me mattrasses without a change of straw. We have often askod for it, but were always put otf. As for tin blankets, they are all dirty, as most of us that are up on the present charge have been sleeping out in tents, which tents were so poor a quality that when it rained it went through them Ilk* a sieve. That when Colonel Smith spoke in Parliament about the way the men were treated at Queenscliff, Captaiu Ind came round, and asked if there were any complaints. We complained about tho cold aud the light, and about there not being sufficient plates and basins ; iu fact, half of the men had to wait til! the other half had finished their meals, and then grab their plates. Ho then addressed the men, and said, " You are not men; you are a d d lot of curs. I don't care a d what is said in Parliament. lam in charge of this battery, and will do as I like." This is our oommandlng officer, and the man we have to look to for redress. On the occasion of the review at Albert Park on the 25th May, the commanding officer said, "C— ! where are you going to ? You are a — lot of fools or sheep !" That wo are treated like felons or slaves by tho non-commisjior.ed officers ; spoken to by them as if we were so much dirt beneath them, and, in fact, certain N. 0.0. dog men about, and make them commit themselves so that they can get a case against them