“THE BEST BAY IN CAMP.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 13, 6 May 1914, Page 6

“THE BEST BAY IN CAMP.”

'CROWDS OF VISITORS. (Stratford Evening Post Special.) Takapau -Military Camp, May 6. Tnis is tire best ctay ot tire whole camp. To-day, special excursion trains have been run iroin -Napier and Palmerston, and the camp is iuil oi visitors, HANGING OUT THE CLOTHES. POTS AND PANS DO A JIG! THE START OF THE HOW. TO-OAYS MANOEUVRES. Writing on .Monday “Our Special” says;— Tilings are; going with .a swing in .camp now, but lire weather—if wuat we’ve had is .a . sample of Hawkes ■Day’s—can come up to Taranaki’s for .the suddenness of its changes. We’ve had about . two. hue days,- but it looks .as if it will hold out to the week end now. , , The Taranaki’s infantry lines have simply been a sea of mud until'last Sunday, when they dried up wonder.fuily. There was a great-array of-gar-ments strung out daring the day. It was,a delightful change. The troops went*out for their first co-operative field work on Saturday, but returned' about noon owing: to■ the heavy rain. And the night! Heavens! iHow it !rained. It seemed as. if a watercloud; had-burst, and we had got fairly into it. The morning broke fine and the Ruahines (to show the temperature 'of the ; night) had oil a :mantle of snow. 1 don’t think the troops shall ever forget the night following when Takapau or camp is mentioned. About two o’clock every one was astir pegging down tents in the teeth of. a howling gale, and the only thing that stood were the hell tents. Marquees, etc., suffered, and the cooks’ pots and pans were doing jigs over the camp parade ground.

The most sensational Feature was the turn events on *Sunday night. Just where the row started, it is'hard'to'say. The real start as far as is possible to learn was with the ‘Bth (Hawkes Bay) when a small Strike was “nipped.” All regiments were sent out for the day on Saturday with lunches in their haversacks. The 9th D. Coy. were out in the open doing company work with -the rain in their faces, and after waiting about 15 minutes for the rain to abate, in a body the men went for shelter to the .trees. But these afforded little shelter, and the men in a. little while were thoroughly soaked. The men were told to eat their lunches in the shelter of the trees, but D Coy. absolutely refused to remain. About a dozen stood out and called for a strike. The others were termed “scabs” and “wow-sm-s,” and about 60 scaled the’fence fur home. ; The officers called them back, staling that if'they fell in they jvoukl march back. The Yuen’s object was gained, although after lunch the men would probably have been marched back. Lunch was served in ’the tents, all tlm"infantry returning,, and owing to the weather ;no work'was done. The Sunday NigHt Mob. It would hardly be fair to day the whole of the Sunday night’s incident upon the 9th, as all regiments were interested. About 300 men made up the mob, although altogether about 30 would count the leaders. Tire grievances were that the men were not allowed to wear mufti when their other clothing was drying, one man having been put in the police tent for wearing plain clothes, and the other complaint that in place of doing the prescribed nine days they were called oir to do eleven. Taranaki had to do thirteen, being four extra on the year’s drill, making them fifteen clays in camp, and gettiug'paid for nine. The food had a-little to do with it also.

The whole camp was visited by tire mob and reinforcements were added as they marthed along, the mob ultimately reaching headquarters and demanding the extra pay. Things looked 'very ugly, especially when the mounted police charged the mobi Stones were thrown, and one man got a split ear, and there were one or two cases of minor hurts. Colonel Ch’aytor ; officer commanding tho division, addressed the men, stating he'had wired about the extra pay and had received no reply. The men took a long while to disperse, but camp was peaceful at light’s out at 10.10. More Fun was Expected To-night, but from tho first parade tho men behaved excellently, and the threat of no work was not taken seriously. The announcement that the extra days were to be paid for was greeted quietly, and the Terries’ opinion was that he was jolly well entitled to it. While the mob lasted it certainly looked dangerous, the agitators threatening to walk bodily out of camp, but the threat was not taken seriously. The idea of the manoeuvres on Wednesday, when the Inspector-General will be present is that Auckland and Wellington are two separate states, the cities of both being their respective capitals. Auckland has been preparing for war, and has put a protective tariff of 100 per cent, on imported goods from Wellington. This is regarded as an insult, and Wellington declared war. Colonel Turner commands the Auckland force and Colonel Chaytor the Wellington army.