Mob Riot in Camp

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 287, 7 May 1914, Page 7

Mob Riot in Camp

WILD NIGHT AT TAKAPAU. AN UGLY INCIDENT. DEMAND FOR EXTRA PAY. DISGRACEFUL SCENES. STONES FLYING IN THE DARKNESS (From the Wellington Dominion). Takapau, May 4. The (restrictions of the Sunday telegraphic arrangements made it impossible to telegraph more than the 100-word-limit message at midnight on Sunday, and it was therefore impossible to send from Takapau more than the briefest outline of what was undoubtedly the worst exhibition of rowdyism that has ever occurred at a Territorial training camp in New Zealand. To enable the public to view the elements of the disturbance in their proper perspective { it must be said at once that the men concerned in the fracas at Takapau camp •'had a certain list of grievances, some of which were well grounded, but they went about their agitation for redress in an utterly wrong way, and behaved in k fashion which was a disgrace to their uniform, and so strikingly typical of the methods of the "Red Fed" as to give grounds for the suspicion that the Social Democratic anti-militarist body of public opinion in New Zealand was 'definitely represented at the camp Had there keen no serious grievances in the camp the noisy agitators who stirred up the trouble might have expended their soap-box oratory in vain. They might even have been ducked in the river to cool their ardour; but the grievances were th*re. and the extraordinary thing is that remained under the surface simmering until Sunday night. WHAT LED UP TO THE RIOT. As already told, Saturday was a day of most execrable weather. Everybody was,soaked to the skin, the tents were wet, and the straw w musty from the prevailing: downpour. Some of the men even had to ■ dispense altogether with their straw, and lie on their waterproof sheets, though this latter fate, it is pointed out by experienced officers, is hygienically preferable to the strawbed, hard and unyielding though it may ■be. Added to these extremely uncomfortable and dispiriting circumstances wm the fact that many of the men had no change of outer garments. The Department issues only one uniform, and in some instances men had been forbidden by their commanding officers to bring a civilian suit into camp. This instruction, it is stated, is not authorised by head-quarters, and ib understood to have been more or less a matter of caprice on the part of some Territorial regimental and company commanders. This was really the 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 GET TO WORK After tea, when the men were idling about in groups in the dark, a mock procession, small in the beginning, but lengthened in its progress by the curious idlers, moved up and down the parade ground singing choruseß, with an | occasional refrain, "We must go home on Friday." Then the procession halted in the space which separated the 9th and 11 tli regiments. Certain speakers delivered harangues about their grievances. Until then no one had taken the proceedings seriously, as much mock proceedings are a common form of entertainment in most cases. Then a refrain was made by someone that certain of their comrades had been find and put in the police guard tent for changing into mufti, and at once a more serious aspect tinted the. scene. A cry of "rescue" was raised and a rush was made for -the guard tent of tho 9th (Hawke's Bay) Regiment, where, the sergeant of the guard was threatened that if he did not deliver up his prisoners he would answer for it on the train. FIXED BAYONETS. The guard turned out and presented their bayonets to the crowd and tills action kindled the first flame of the real mob outbreak. The guards were rushed and the tent attacked, but just as the ringleaders were busy untying the tent ropes a posse of six military police dashed up and scattered the crowd in all directions. One man, it is stated, was knocked over arid slightly hurt, and that fired the mine. In a second the situation 1 became electric, and a lull prevailed, during which the ringleaders called their followers with the remark, "We're colonials, and we won't stand this." Then someone shouted, "Down with the officers and up with tlio privates," and immediately after an advance was made j towards (Joloned Chaytor's head-quarters ! and the crowd 6vrarmed in front of the j door. At' that time Colonel Malone commanding the 11th Regiment (Taranaki) aud two other officers were inside the | marquee, and the former, hearing the commotion, advanced to inquire the reason. A voice called out, "Colonel, we're on strike, and want a decided answer to uur grievances, or we're going home." Colonel Malone. enquired if any of those present belonged to his regiment. If so, would they state their grievances in a proper way. He invited those men to come forward. "STICK TOGETHER, BOYS!" No one moved, and a voice shouted: "Stick together, boys!" This exhortation was punctuated by hoots and yells, und rounded off with a shower of missiles. After the fusilade 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. Lieutenant-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 eolild deal only with that regiest. "We want .satisfaction," chorused the crowd. "We won't be treated like dogs," chunised another. Colonel Malone: "If there are no men of the 11 tli here, you had better get awav." "All together, boys,' 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 am! jeers. "Stick together, boys," the crowd yelled, "unity is .strength. No work to-morrow." i!y this time it was conveyed to Colonel Chaytor that the men had expressed no desire to he entrained for home on Friday, the legal date upon which the nuup .should terminate. It should he here explained that the city corps and i (hern convenient to drill centres are c xpected bv law to put ill seven days in camp, to which period are added tile two

days travelling to and from the, training ground, while the country corps not very convenient to drill centres are excused 20 aight 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 in 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 nn excited throng, explained that the trouble with the extra time in camp was a matter entirely out of his hands. Representations bad 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 men had been put in the guard tent for appearing in mufti. In the midst of the hubbub which prevailed at the time, Colonel Chaytor was understood to say that the matter would be enquired 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," recited a catalogue of grievances. The excited crowd began to press dangerously, and at that moment six of the mounted military police moved their horses at a quick walk towards the throng, and began to thread their way through the mass. FUSILLADE OF STONES. The mob, seeing the horses, and fearing another charge, immediately stampeded, with calls of "scabs" while flying stones, with which the ground was littered, came hurtling through the dark- | ness. One of the stones struck Captain Cowles a severe Mow on the arm, another split open the ear of Trooper Craw, one of the mounted police, while a third struck one of the other troopers an ugly blow on the knee, the shock of the blow and the plunging of his liorse unseating the rider. Several charges were made in the face of flying* stones and sticks, and the riot at this stage assumed a very ugly aspect. One voice called out of the darkness: "Brain the b s." It was then decided to withdraw the mounted men and make an attempt to resicli some finality to the sequence of disorders and Colonel Chaytor again endeavoured to induce the complainants to view their position in a reasonable spirit. He explained that the Government had been unable to carry out its intentions of providing a second uniform outfit for all ranks, but that was to be done. It was quite right that they should have two outfits. Headquarters had not issued any instructions against bringing a suit of mufti as a spare suit. Did not their cards instruct them that a change of clothing would bo allowed? Cries of "No." "Produce your cards," said Colonel Chaytor. There was no responseColonel Chaytor then added that the finings alleged to have, been imposed for wearing mufti would be looked into. "The camp's not fit to live in—wringing wet," inte.rposed a Territorial, changing the subject. The Colonel replied that they had been unfortunate in the weather. (More hooting and offensive epithets about General Godley.) Colonel Chaytor made a further attempt to reason with the crowd, but it was useless. Colonel Chaytor, intimating that it was the rule in the Army that everyone should speak for himself in the matter of grievances, retired s from the scene and entered his headquarters, where a deputation 'of three Inter interviewed him and laid the grievances (already stated) before him, and heard his replies substantiating the same as those previously addressed. Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, coast defence, commander, was also present and lent his assistance. A MOMENT OP PERIL. During the interview a, cry of "Troopers" was raised by some brainless person in the crowd outside, and the crowd stampeded at once ag&ln, this time in the direction of the marquee, which shook and quivered as the men fell among the ropes und tore at them. It was a perilous moment, and one of the officers instinctively felt for the tap of the gasometer, but the danger passed. The Colonel patiently explained that there were right ways aud wrong ways of submitting grievances. Everyone liad a right to make a eomplaint, and opportunities for doing this were offered every day. Complaints had been made about the shortness of food. The Department had provided ample, and it was for the men themselves to see to it that their mess orderlies got tho 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 m the tent had a fair share of what wa3 going. This discussion cleared the air, and the deputation retired. One of them lifted his voice, and addressed the heaving mass that loomed up in the darkness. '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 .gradually dispersed. In a remarkably short space of time the. camp was quiet., and everybody had turned in.. Colonel Chaytor showed remarkable restraint in dealing with the recalcitrant (dement of the crowd. It was very apparent that any attempt to overawe the J 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 caiup into hostile parties. COURT OK IN\tl'IRY. As the result of the. affair a. Court of Inquiry, consisting lo.f Colonel <!. F. C. Campbell (Coa.st Defence Commander), President-Major A. .11. Herbert (Ninth Regiment, East Coast M.R.), and .Major ,1. J. Esson (Fifth Wellington Regiment) has been set. up to probe the circumstances and report. HXRA PAY APPROVED. It was announced in Orders that the authorities had. approved tof the extra camp payment being made. The tcn- . sion tras now been relieved. A 01 IKT MONDAY. There was no .surface evidence of any trouble to-day when the various regiments paraded for the day's work. The day was dry, but. dull, and good preparatory worlc was got in by the mounted men, field artillery, engineers, infantry, signallers, and the ambulance were in the field, in readiness for the following day's inspection by the Inspector-Gen-eral. Sir fan Hamilton arrives at Takapau at 2.30 p.m., when there will be a general inspection. The manoeuvres will be held on Wednesday.