IMPATIENT DIGGERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16822, 30 May 1919, Page 8

IMPATIENT DIGGERS

! DISSATISFIED WITH DELAYS. KIOTING AT SLING. Tiie reputation Winch the iN.ZJG.F. flas enjoyed throughout K>he war tor orueny Ddiiaviour got. a s-..ght set-back as tue eleventh liour by reason of .the no'cs which occurred at fciliag a few days back (sites'a London, comspond-ent on March 27). VYinen "the first ships were placed at the disposal of the force for demobilisation onere was not a little dilficulty iti I fiiiing them. It .was the policy of the • demobil.sa.tion scheme to send first men who had been longest away from ■ home, and this ,was put into practice 1 as far as possible. Some difficulty was experienced, however, in filling the ear--1 Ler boats with long-service men. These ' had not all been eoneentra'b-d iu England, tab begin with, and some of those who were here wens anxious to enjoy a little more life and see more of tho country befere returning! home. Consequently, vacancies were often filled up with men of later classification rather than allow the transports to go away empty. This was ou> grievance to the long-ser-vice men. On tike contrary, itl was generally a, satisfaction to them to remain a little longer here. But the position was quite changed when, owing to strikes in England, i ; o was found.impossible for some weeks on end to despatch- any of the vessels which were allotted to New Zealand - Before the strikes were over-there was such' a considerable concentration of men here that one or two misw campa had to be opened to accommodate them, and long before the despatch of ships could be resumed the men >n camp here were' becoming impatient. Most of them had already had their leave, and did not command amy great reserve of money to go again on indefinite leave. They also chafed a good' deal about the routine exasirciseg winioh were necessary so long as tliey were Jiept in camp, aim there was a considerable amount of dissatisfaction, moreover, at the education scheme being applied, as ; thc . men tnougnc, iu a co.mpuisory iorm. Anotner of the grievances, wiilieii was soo:i expressed, was tile'injustice to married men being given priority of embarkation, over jlong-service men. .There had been a grea ; t number of inarr.ages lately., and as 'a matter of convenience it had been desired "to get t'Jie married couples out! of the country at the earliest possible moment. In practice this mtant that quito a. number of men who had only recently come overseas, by j ■ contracting marriages in England, were at once put at the head of the. list- for repatriation. The. concentration depot* at Torquay had been filled for some t.me | with married-couples, and long-service men waiting iu camps felt very much aggrieved that they should have to give piao3 to them. . The discontent broke -out when two s ]tip S _the Kio Ora and the Nort-hmu-berland —were about to sail from Liverpool. Drafts had already been designated'at Broeto-n to fill these ships, and tho mis~ w-ro ready to entrain i when -the- d. scon tent at- Sling .'broke out. Ivotiug continued tj-ierc for somo ; hour*,"in the course .of. which, damage j estimated at about £10,009 was done to j die hu.tnKnts, institu*3s, and stores.-At-one, stage the bulk stores were _ broken into* and spirits which were seised'by j the'men increased tlii? violence of the riot. Every effort ivns. mntfe by the J rVi-iadier-Genera] A. E. Stewart to cnJm ! •the "disturbance at an early stage, but the nuthoriity of the officers, owing to the circumstances was temporarily in i abeyance. General S'tewwt told fhr> ; men that most of the grievances- which they had alegPd w"re already beino; dea't with by the anithoritina. zmd ad- j v'sed tlfm to send a small tlep-n+eftion'i t ( > lay their case tli*> General | {'JoiTtTiiaPTliiicr. TCri<i : adi'fr-g!?neral i C. W. Melvill. in London. - I

Next day order was completely restored, and l>tie camp routine went aa as before, except taut certain or tne more irksome duties were abandoned. The British press, lorturiately, nas not taken a great deal of notice of the out break.. ■.■■',-■/■ .■ ■/ • ■

|Tiiereis a good deal of sympathy -with ;tJtte N.Z.B.F'. over the occurrence. The men having been, away from home for so long w)tre naturally disappointed at being kept in camp week oy week when the fijAfting was over. Camp conditions at. anjf Lime are mrpieasant, but since the war ended the iife alt Sling has be?sn' robbed- of the one interest : that> mad© it bearable during the fighting. Thta whole trouble is due, of course, to'%e strikes which have held up shipping. If the demobilisation scheme had not b?en interrupted all these camps would have been steadily emptied, and even tihe men, who were last on the rota would have felt less impatient. MoreOT«:a% the conditions surrounding the camp are not too pleasant at any time, and in inclement weather they are very drear* Salisbury is the only centre of any size near, and the interests there are not too many.

I The new camp at Sutton Co'dfield is highily spoken of by those who are fortunjito enough t|D be there, while there ar>? mimerous~ important and interesting centres within easy reach, so that - ther : ■men have not time to feel dull.