RAGGING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 87

RAGGING.

Br John Maclennax.

The term " ragging " is inexpressive. It is used to cover a multitude of sins, and, like all big coverings, is very apt to be baggy. For instance, it is obviously ■wrong to class the initiation of a new scholar into the mysteries of school life with the absolute cruelty recently discovered to be prevalent in European military camps ; and yet the one word stands .for -both. Leaving hoodlumism out of ,the question, a, dew words on ragging in its more approved form may be of general interest. That ragging is universal is -an fact; that it is 'natural is also as indisputable. Nature is -forever striving to harmonise its atoms, and tiny rebellions are forever going on. The discord that ensues when a strange dove is put into the dovecot is just what happens right through the universe, let it be in the formation of a new system of stars or the infusion of new blood into a playground. Leaving the 'more scientific aspect o the question to those more able to deal with, let us deal with its working in the workshop, and narrowing the question still, deal with it in its relation to boys. Now boys -will be boys ! You cannot .judge a boy from the magistrate's bench. You must get right down into the atmosphere of a boy's heart to do it. I remember a joung incorrigible on whom, for jreformafowy purposes, flogging, confining, and starving had in turn been ineffectually tried. When all hope seenwd gone he was taken in hand by a sensible master. This was his plan of action : — The boy *had been sent to the rector's room, -as usual, with a dogged on his face, for -a flogging. Instead of flogging

him the master laid down his cane — -an instrument*"bf torture in the use of which he was a past -master — and addressed the boy:'" Look here, Wilson,' said he, "-I'm _not going to flog you any more. v I believe there is the .makings of a man in j*ou, arid if there is you will behave yourself for a whole week from to-day. Go to your- desk." Wilson was thunderstruck; the dogged look faded out of his face. It may have been out of sheer bewilderment, but his behaviour for the week was good. The improvement, however, w.mt on. In the course oE time Wilson became a monitor — and eventually left school with the honours of his class. The master gained his point. He got down into the atmosphere of 'the boy's heart, and from there was able to work a seeming miracle. This wild-boy spirit that can be tamed ~ by confidence" is at the bottom of ragging. A*- number of apprentices find themselves v banded unconsciously together. There is a freemasonry in labour — unsolvable and mystic', — and one of the duties it imposes upon itself is the initiation of " new •chums," as new members are called in these circles. The strange lad makes his appearance in their midst to become one of themselves, and they ;upply the bond of brotherhood. Bnffieiiant trades have different bonds. The bond of brotherhood of the black squad (to which the writer has the honour to belong) is fearlessness of dirt. To go home Trith a clean face and clean clothes is a crime, ©yen in the 'eyes of the novice. I remember well smudging my own face -in the early days, so that people might know 1 was working. But love of soot in ;he individual does not satisfy the older members of the craft — the new chum must be initiated. There is no unnecessary haste about the 'performance. For a week or more the new chum is plied with mysterious storiea concerning the hot irons he ha-s to be branded ~withk and the vicious goats he has to ride, and he is -so terrified with -fche horrible phantoms of imagination that .he emerges from 'the soot-rubbing or oilsprinkling -with mot a slight sense of having baen let o"ff very lightly. Such is Tagging in the main — -no viciousness, no ill-will j — just a touch of the wild, free spirit. 4-lrat -set- Columbus looking for new continents or prompted Nelson to victory at Trafalgar. Once a lad becomes initiated, Jhe becomes a member of an unnamed -society as jealous of its prestige, and as firm a believer of the benefits it .confers upon society as any Freemason. I recall 'two raggings with quite a handful of years between ihenu The first occurred when Duftedin used to launch iis " Iron Ages " in the vicinity of Telichet

Bay. The new chum in this case had been "nicknamed " Ugly," for the perverse •reason that bs wasn't. He was sub-yer-ieA to two wp«ks on the rack of tormented imagination ere it was finally decided to put vim out 'of suspense A mock court was formed. A judge sat on an improvised bench. A jury was arranged round him. were called 'to give evidence, and Ugly was put on his trial. Like the court case in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," there was no specific charge, yet all the evidence was against the prisoner. The judge — a modern -edition of Judge Jeffreys —^was sentencing him to all sorts of horrible but in the midst of them ;poor Ugly, unable to bear -the mental. strain any longer, fainted. This, of -course, ended the -proceedings. The jud£e himself rushed off for the- foreman, •while the jury, -etc., procured water and loosened "the lad's clothes. He soon recovered, however, -and -made himself_ a glorious member of the society by point Clank refusing to "split on his pals." The other case happened in an engineehed in -whicji the writer chanced to be

working all night. The new chum had just entered the service. Without being -directly (brought into 'the conversation, he

•was permitted .to -hear interesting scraps

concerning a fire brigade test all had to _ pass, nnder the pain of "instant dismissal. One "of 'the lads, a. fine younsf fellow — since, I am grieved to etate, killed in an accident, —^proposed they should use supper hour for practice. "The hour came ; the hose was run out ; a time-keeper appointed — wto, by the way, bad no watch, but that didn't matter; a select

committee picked out to see that things were earned out according to eer-

vice regulations. "The lad *who proposed the triad took first turn. Hushing to the rack for the hydrant, he carried it to the main, screwed it on, then adjusted the hose and ran <to the other end, and, -screwing on the nozzle, called out for -water. When water came time was called. The movements of the competitor were very clumsy, still the onlookers were quite enthusiastic, and -rewarded him -with a hearty cheer when the -water came. Four minutes and a-half was the time. Among the others the new chum ~was very excited, and volunteered to " have a go." This was what was wanted ? and (though not without some protesting that he was out of bis turn) preparations were made for his trial. He fixed the hydrant, and wduld have beaten the record by at least three minutes, but just as he had the hose between his knees preparatory to screwing on the nozzle someone turned on the water. The result was electrical. JTor a moment he hadn't sense to let go ; when he^ did it was only, blinded 'by the water in* his -eyes, to get directly into the way of the wriggling end of the hose. Every way he turned to escape, that way also -turned the hose. It seemed to know that he was a new chum and to delight in tormenting him. When at last he was in a fair way of extricating himself one of the lads, feigning compassion, rushed in to aid him ; and in doing so managed to keep him a little longer .in torment. At last the water was turned off. and profuse compassion tendered to the dripping victim. All hands turned to to dry the clothes and otherwise tender aid in making for the comfort of the new chum, who for some considerable time after thought that this well-planned ragging had really been an accident. The whole performance did not take more than a quarter t>f an hour, and the difference between it and the former event was only in detail. The boy spirit at the bottom of each was the same.