RIPA" MARTYRS."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1797, 9 July 1913, Page 9

RIPA" MARTYRS."

RESULTS, OF THE INQUIRY. CHARGES DISPROVED. HOW THE BOYS ARE TREATED. The Minister for Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) has received tho roport of the officer dispatched to report upon the complaints made about the treatment of boys Dow undergoing 1 military detention on . Ripa Island. The Minister communicated tho effect of the report to a Dominion reporter yesterday, taking the various heads under which the officer bad been instructed to report separately. Confinement in "Cells." Solitary confinement—Thero was only >no case of solitary confinement. All the jther men were located two in a room, md the "solitary"/ of which complaint wns made was tho "odd" man, and therefore had to be in a room by himself. He was put in a comfortablo room, with a .wimlaw, and a thin partition only separating it from the next room occupied by Bome other men. Thero was- also a window Riving light to tho two rooms, and persons in onb room could oonverse with those in the adjoining one. All the rooms had been passed by the medical officer. There is no such thing as a "cell" on the island. When the officers are drilling there they use the -some rooms as these men are occupying. Indoor confinement.—lf the men were confined indoors it was their own fault. They would not go out and work, they would not do the work prescribed for them—they would do nothing; and the only thing to do with them was to keep them indoors. They were, however, given a certain amount of exercise every day. Their Real Condition. "Cold, miserable, and hungry—too cold to write."—lf, said the Minister', with the report before him, they were.cold, it was entirely duo to their own inactivity. They would not do, physical drill," they would not do anything. They wero offered Swedish-drill, which is non-military, but they would not do that. They had ample clothing for persons living a normal lifeWoollen vest and drawers, and socks, cotton shirts, and their own clothes. Of course, if they sat still all day they would be cold. i As to the statement that one lad was Buffering from a. mild "attack of haemorrhage, all the youths were medically examined. Only one was reported sick, and ne was medically attended to the same i" wns 3ul ? e )' in K from biliousness, and the doctor visits him whenever required. Brutal, persecuting methods.—The only thing to which that could apply was that there was one man who was summoned before a magistrate, he was considered to be malingering, and would not attend, and he was carried in. t. Ab tt°v "cells" being condemned by jDr. Upham, the doctor passed the cells. They are fitted up with bunks not unlike those in a ship. Some bars wero fitted to one of the windows. Subsequently it was found that thoy prevented the windows being opened and the bars were removed. "he ventilation made possible by the removal of the bars was little in request.

Other Charges. It was stated that thie'lieutenant -in charge had broken his word. The Minister s information was that the youths were definitely informed at the commencement of their sentence that they would be given non-military work as far as possible, and .when there was no more work of that description they would have to clean- the guns, etc. They refused to unload and cany coke from a lighter for cooking purposes. The members of tho E.N.Z.A. did I ,this work. .:! I -There was a charge.made by Jlr. Nuttall that the Court was dominated by the presence of at least five military officers and gunners of tho j berne. out ..by the 11 -evidence. . Only /one officer. Lieutenant Macdonald, and one inedical officer. Dr. Newall, and oily when giving';eyidenc.e one,R,N,l£..'!;wt<re-..present in Couftr T\vo other' gujineirs were present to siipport the man whom Dr. Newall - had lejtorted to be malingering. The usual military escort was dispensed with. "Insufficient Food."—First of all, somo of tho men refused to take apy food, they started a hunger-strike. Wo cannot bo accused of giving them insufficient food if they are. hunger-striking. When they were at work they pot exactly. the same rations as the II.N.'Z.A! When they refused work the doctor consulted advised that not so much food would be required as when the men were working. The ration passed by the doctor as sufficient was 6oz. of meat 'without- bone, 2oz. of vegetables, 2oz. of potatoes, lloz. of bread without butter, hali a pint of tea .without milk. The . rations actually, given .were: 7oz. .of meat'without "bone,' 2oz. of'soft vegetables, 2oz. of potatoes, 18oz. of bread with butter, and li pints of tea with milk. So that, in addition to the ration declared to be sufficient, the boys got extra meat, extra bread, an extra pint of tea with milk, and an allowance of butter.

Out for' Misrule, The Minister'went on to say that tho spiritual welfare o£ the lads was beins looked after, and a .chaplain, attended every Monday afternoon. Lieutenant Macdoaakl, he was informed, is discharging a difficult arid exacting and onerous duty in a splendid manner. He understands the spirit of detention and carrying it out in the spirit of detentiun only, and trying under very difficult circumstances to deal firmly yet sympathetically with the youths. He , has held services, and presented them with two Bibles and two hymn books, and it was unjust to describe him as a brutal officer. With regard to the men and their grievances, they were, invited by the visiting officer to send ono of their number as spokesman.to say what they were. They 'ttere also invited each one individually to .go and see- the officer. They refused to do this arid said they would only go collectively. This l'equest the officer declined'to ' accede to, and afterwards the spokesman who had made. it withdrew with sonio threats. • ' As tho party returned to" tho launch to go away from the island, tho boys made use of some expressions such as this : "60 back to the dogs, that sent you," and their whole manner was not such as to lead ono to suppose that they were out for anything but misrule. Complaints from tho West Coast and other places are still being investigated.