Overview
This month Leslie Adkin volunteers as a special constable, and travels to Wellington to protect non-unionist labourers during the wharf labourers strike. He describes his duties in some detail, recording parades along the main streets of Wellington, patrols with the ‘F’ squadron, and fatigue duties. On a number of occasions the tension between strikers and ‘specials’ erupts into violence, and Leslie writes that batons and whips were used to disperse protesters. He himself uses a solid wooden baton on a group of 'ruffians,' hitting five. After sixteen days of duty, Leslie returns to his father’s property Cheslyn Rise, near Levin.
While Leslie is in Wellington, his sweetheart Maud Herd leaves Levin and travels to her family’s new property in the Hawkes Bay. Leslie writes to her frequently, but feels ‘an aching gap’ in his life following her departure.
Work on the farm continues, and in the latter part of the month Leslie is busy with pipe-draining, pulling foxgloves, stumping, and selling stock. His brother Gil (Gilbert) and farm labourers Jim and Anstice work with him.