TROUBLE IN A CAMP CANTEEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2745, 13 April 1916, Page 6

TROUBLE IN A CAMP CANTEEN

PROTEST AGAINST CHARGES

SOLDIERS TEMPORARILY 4 | „ OUT OF HAND

[ ! WINDOWS AND SKYLIGHTS BROKEN

|. A somewhat serioue disturbance took, i place in tho canteen at :• Featherston Camp.- on' Monday .night, the " trouble I lasting-from 7 p.m. till about 10" p.m. It is stated that a good deal of; disv;;satisfaction. has-.existed for some timo regarding the charges made for' certain '.articles .' in this 'canteen,.: ■ which, the Vnieu consider to be exorbitant.. 'This . feeling appears to have culminated in outbreak 'of Monday night,' when "a/,number. of ■ windows and, skylights in . the building wore, .broken, When a • Dominion reporter visited tho camp on Tuesday .forenoon, theso signs of tho fray .were .risible, and. from the. stories of several officers and soldiers, who were v: present, during ;.the ; disturbance, the. following account was- gathered. l ' Each and all were agreed that tho men acted unwiselj, though most considered' thai they;. Had provocation in. the ..'charges made in the .canteen. v 'It appears that. shortly, after 7 o'clock - ; a..,number ,of soldiers, were in,.the can* . teen, and one. of., them. purchased an ink pencil . . for :, which .:he ' - had to pay. -Is.-' This' caused- a dis* ! -pute;..,. in-,-.-.which- • tho ■ soldiers i _ strong action,;necessitating:the bringing in of tho military; police, who T: arrested ; a soldier. ; Instantly ..trouble h ithreatened,. and the interior of the can-Iv-teen was a scene of "great disorder.' I .Soon, a large .hogshead of hop beer had f. been - seized- and rolled: outside.: ' After the-order to fall-in was sounded, i;!aind;J.tiie..mere onlookers at once respond-' i ! ed. ::But there still remained. a .body j'iof-tifien; who seemed'; bent. on- .wreaking; [ /their, . wrath/on the canteen. . A body i of officers, 'who acted with courage andf deoision thrqughoutj . at length . got the j soldiers ' outside tbe ■ building and. .closed - ; the doors. . The men then formed up 1 'and- charged at the.doors;lnside, the f, officers packed against the doors, and [ withstood' tbe.' shock.;':,!:Then;ithe men f: seized stones and other, missiles,' andr hurled. them through vthe windows and; !. skylights.-. By-degrees the trouble, died, : down, - and the : men returned to their " ! -.quarters. ; Much . amazement .has been !';-3xpressed . at/'_men of the 13th. Rein-; j,..'orcements'i being',-:concerned .in such a j:-' .ihey.'.-hare' ".-hitihertd/'.' c;;ootH.-'at .and -j. Featherston,-,i |;->eeh regarded ;as vextremely- ; !,weli-be-' j- ; ''oav€_d .troops.yi;." r |