RAROTONGA RIOTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 297, 11 September 1919, Page 5

RAROTONGA RIOTS

•-•-■'' soldiers out of hand. ■.; Seine account, of' the -recent riots at Borotonga is given in the annual report of the Kesident Commissioner.-.. Unfortunately a number of the returned soldiers spoiled, their otherwise excellent record by dots of violence and crime: On: .Saturday night, March 7, ten or twelvo of the men. entered, a-tea shop and smashed up the fnrnituro nnd crockery ana looted the On the following' night (Sunday)!. a crowd of about seventy men. nearly till returned soldiers, attacked one of'the largest stores on the island. They burst open the doors and windows, smashed the shop-fittings, and looted or destroyed the contents. The same night, thej'. attacked and looted another store. They announced-their intention of looting the remaining stores and the spirit bond. ■ "For twenty-four hours tho settlement was. at- the mercy, of the rioters. By •Monday night, March 9, however, we had formed ft strong body of native special constables, •>. .number- of the : better-be-haved-soldiers had placed themselves under their officers, and practically every white man on the island had offered his services and was' sworn in as a, special constable. This, force was disposed for the protection of the Government buildings, the stores, the. gaol, and, later, for the suppression -of disorder in the outlying -settlements. We ,had a most trying fortnight until the danger of further outbreaks was past. A special- session'of the High, Court dealt with various charges arising out of - the riots against twenty alleged offenders, of whom twelve were convicted and sentenced. There is no doubt that tliis prompt vindication of the law did a great deal .to bring, the men to their senses.

"The causes of tho outbreak were, 'drink,' the apparent- absence ,01 any force that could restrain the men, and the alleged grievances of tho soldiers against .tho traders'. At'Rarotonga the returned soldiers have now quite settted down as Jawabiding citizens. In the outlying islands 6ome of the soldiers have made threats or violence towards the traders, but thero, tote been no 'breach/of the-peace."