ARMED CONSTABULARY GRIEVANCES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 924, 23 January 1871, Page 2

ARMED CONSTABULARY GRIEVANCES.

TO THE EDJTOR 0? THE BA.T TIMES. Sir, —Allow me through your columns to make known my grievances. On the 7th June, 1869, I was sworn in in Napier as a mounted constable at the rate of 7s per day and 10s per month clothing money. That was under the old rules. Now, since the new rules under Commissioner Branigan have come into force, it appears that he can dismount any of the force, but not reduce the pay. On the Ist of July, 1870, an order came from "Wellington to dismount a number of men. T, amongst others, was dismounted. Most of us applied for our discharges under the new rules, to have 3 months' notice, which we gave in at Opepe. At the end of that period I went up to the officer in charge of the station, accompanied by a non commissioned officer. He referred me to an order that had been read out on parade, siating that no men were either to be transferred or discharged until further orders, Since that time, one of the force deserted, and was taken before the Resident Magistrate at Napier, who gave a decision in the man's favor. After that we dismounted men got an order to go down to Te Haroto to relieve the men there. Just previous to starting I went up to the officer in charge of the station, and inquired about my discharge, and also about Lydon's case of desertion. He replied that the Commissioner doubted the decision of the Resident Magistrate, and had had referred the matter to the At-torney-General ; and if it was legal 1 would get my discharge. Since that I have heard nothing about it. "When Inspector Roberts came down to pay us on the 4th inst., T again applied to him, and he promised he would do all he could for me. When the Commissioner arrived-in Napier Inspector Roberts telegraphed from Tarawera for the following men to be discharged, viz., Lane, Munn, Williams, and Eria Hori; he received a reply that they were granted, and sent a memorandum down to. the officer in charge of this station to that effect. When we were told that our discharges had been granted I for one felt a different person. On the Commissioner's tour of inspection on this line, we were told after inspection that any one wishing to see him could do so. Accordingly the whole of the dismount ed men went to the orderly room to see him. Some he put off with saying he had not seen their applications; others that* their time was not up ; and so on. He spoke to them in rather sharp tones, and finally told them not to bother him, as he wished to get away to Napier. I, trusting to his word, did not speak to him at all. The principal pause of the other men speaking to him was that he was going to take 6d per day from their pay, and place them on the same footing as footmen. They told him it was reducing our pay; he said it was not. Now, Mr Editor, I put it to you whether we have as good pay in this force as in the old force. J n the old force we received 7s per day, and 10s per month clothing money. Out of that we had to pay Is 6d for rations and Is for forage for our horses, when we could get it, which was very seldom; so thac most of our time we had 5s 6d per day and the clothing money ; add to this 2s per day we were allowed for our horses from February 10 the end of June, 1870, when we were dismounted. Now, we are receiving 6s 6d per day and no clothing money, and our rations stopped out of that; at the end of this month, too, the Commissioner is going to cut oif the sixpence; and still he says there is no reduction in our pay. How that is neither I nor others can make out. What, however, is worse than all, he told us of the old force, who have fought on both coasts and in Taupo, and have proved ourselves under fire with our old commanders* that as soon as this little affair in the Waikato is over, he will be very glad to get rid of us. After expressing himself in that way, how can he or the public expect we would go into an engagement with the same spirit as we did formerly 1 And then those that escaped would know that their discharge was waiting for them as soon as the affair is over. Another piece of injustice is that Mr

Branigan is going to mount some of his own men, who have not seen any service nor know the country, over the heads of old hands. Trusting I have not trespassed too far upon your space, I am, &c, Qse whose Discharge was Granted and then cancelled. Te Haroto, Jan. 21, 1871.