HOW NEW ZEALANDERS ARE PUNISHED.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 55, 21 February 1902, Page 4

HOW NEW ZEALANDERS ARE PUNISHED.

—o RESENTMENT IN THE SEVENTH CONTINGENT. A late mail brought to a Wellington resident a letter'from a member of the Seventh Contingent, written on 25th of December, giving an account of what the writer describes as “ the biggest row on record in the. history of the Seventh Contingent.” The. writer, whose trustworthiness is known to a member of the Post's stall, says “ While on the trek from" Vryheid a very large number of oui horses knocked up, and the men were ordered to walk and lead them. The day was broiling hot, and of course the men were not in very good humour. An officer came along and spoke sharply to a couple of them, and then there was some ‘ language ’ Two of the fellows were Court-martialled in connection with the affair, and were sentenced to 42 days’ first field punishment.

“ Up to the 22nd the men were subjected to ordinary field imprisonment, but on that day" the whole regiment was thrown into a state of excitement by the news that the two defaulters were to be lashed to the gun wheel—that is. tied up tightly with arms and legs widely extended, the prisoner being forced to retain a standing position. Two hours of this torture morning and evening constitutes first field punishment. “No sooner were the prisoners tied up than the whole regiment rushed the wagon and cut the straps into scraps. The Major ofc once paraded the whole lot, and read the finding of the Courtmartial, but all no use —the men would not stand it. The Major promised to see the Colonel (Garratt) in the matter, and the promise, I firmly believe, saved si mutiny, for the men would rather have “piled arms” than see the New Zealanders subjected to such treatment. “Imperial officers sentence our fellows, but I don’t think they will get colonials to carry the programme through. Don’t think that we wish to ‘rale the roost’ altogether, but we do object to the particular form of punishment. It they had got Ordinary punishment no one would have murmured.