DEFENCE COMMISSION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16153, 6 March 1918, Page 4

DEFENCE COMMISSION.

SITTINGS IN CHRISTCHURCH

CONCLUDING DAY

The Del e nee Expenditure Enquiry Commission, consisting of BrigadiorGeneral Sir Robert Anderson <ch-i;r-nan) and Messrs Charles Rhodes ana Peter Barr. concluded its sittings in Cbristpliurch yesterday. To-day. the members of the Commission leave .>y the express for Dunedin. The following evidence was given vestordnv: ' MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS. l>r. T. A. Mac Gibbon, formerly As-Mvtsnt-Diivctor of Medical Services, Canterbury military district, stated that his experience of Territorial camps led him to the conclusion that it appeared to be a waste ot inoll £- holding camps ni _.-:a nianv part.-, of 'be Canterburv district. lie considered that better work both from the medical ■md the military point ot view cou.d i,"vo been obtained from one largo {•ami:. At one camp lie visited the training seemed to be haphazaul. When In* arrived "vvith another medical officer, the commandant was attired in neglige dress. When iwt-nc-s expressed fi desire to speak to the men the officer in question callcd out- "Hev, vou fellows, come over I here. Wo* want you." Witness reported this unofficially at, the time to tiie officer commanding the district. Witness found things very unsatisfactory from every point of view. lneie was no discipline whatever, and iiie sanitary arrangements were extremely crude. * "We have had to fight all alor< r the line, indifference in regard to sanitation," he said. "In tho bis camps the adjutants were to be cov-iplimejited upon their sanitation ■provisions, though. it was not up -o tho British Armv standard, through no fault of theirs." Medical officers hau done good work, the standard or skill in New Zealand was as hi«jh as in ot'icr parts of the British Empire, it not higher, but they had not had tho requisite experience in some respects. Tho sites of camps wore often selected without reference to ft medical offcoev at t;ll. Witness had condemned the Tapawcra site in Neison lor a camp, but a public health officer had !>ein despatched from Wellington, and lie had passed it as all right. This district bad been bled so far as the medical service was concerned, riorc so lhan any other district in Zealand. . In reply to tee chairman, Ma.iai Matthews'said a camp was being hck at Tapawera this year. Dr. Mac Gibbon submittal that or.< large camp for the whole of the SoutJ Island was necessary near Christ church. Better results and consider nbio saving would ensue. Ho con tended xliat risht from tho start wi should have had an Expeditionar; Force camp here, not from politica reasons at all. First of all. a loca camp would save a considerable in transport. The bill of the Unioi 1 Steam Ship Company must have bcei > enormous Ho would havo one cam ' in tho South Island near where popu lation was densest. South Islani • men receiving a week's leavo couii ' not go home, and had to roam abou - the streets of Wellington. South If i land people wishing to see their boy I in camp bad to stay in "Wellington where board and rents were exorbi - taut. Another result was a" shortag b of maids in the South Island throng - these girls going to the North to 2' near their "boys." As a result Sout Island housewives suffered from lac of domestic assistance. Tho leave o > South Island men expired on a Moe • da}*, consequently they had to retur " to Wellington on the Saturday even • ing and stay there on the Sundaj ' \vi~fcli consequent expense to their ' selves. Wherever possible if ama i on leave, were at all seedy, witnos ' gave liim leave till tho Tuesday. II 1 had urged the authorities to ' the leave till the Tuesday in the eas | of all South Island men. Ho sya ' strongly opposed to the present peria ' of training'of reinforcements in No\ Zealand. As soon as it was discovers that men were physically fit the, should be sent as soon as possible t Sling Gimp to recoive their trainin; there. Ho believed the .present sye tern of a long period of training her and a shorn period at Sling after tb long sea voyago had made the soldier as 'soft as butter," and was respon ?iblo for many of tho breakdownr Medical officers in the Territorial Fore before the war received no militar; training whatever. What instruetio: they did receive was that imparted b; sergeant-majors and that learned fron books. Now the Awapuni camp sup plied the need to a small extent. A far as administration was concerned in ■ man had boon better treated by Sur . wen-General Henderson than himself but as far as the securing of medic-a supplies wo* concerned, he considers that unless the authorities in Wo! lington expedited matters it would b better to ;;ocure them locally. i took a fortnight for a little bottle o lyso! ordered to arrive here, and if in eoidemic had broken out in camp her thj lysol would have arrived simpl; in time to put on tho men's graves To crown it all, the bottle of lyso „ was marked as having been "Mad | in Geraiany." ; RED TAPE. Captain A. R. White, ordnanc' officer (iccallod), was informed by tb chairman that the most intense satisfaction existed at Hanmer Spring upon the part of officers there in re 1 feience to the requisition ot supplies Witness was not ulained for this a all. The chairman quoted certah ; complaints made. r In reference to a number of slipper 1 requisitioned, in which witness wa alleged to have requested further dc 1 tails, witness stated that he was heh responsible for all errors. ! 'j lie. chairman said an officer at Han i r.ier Springs had, after trying in vaii ! to secure certain articles from witness > obtained them from the lied Cross - Would hot witness, seeing tho enorm i ous trouble experienced by the officer : at Hanmer Springs, and their disgust - recommend his Headquarters to mak i a change in the system? Witness said that the system, boin; a new one, caused delay, but it was [ good one, ensuring accuracy. Thes things being harder to obtain mad 5 people more careful in asking for wna I they wanted. The people making th | requisitions had their regulations th same as he had, which, if they follow : ed them, would save much trouble. J The chairman said the officers an > ouartermaster-sergeants at Hanme > Springs were constantly changing "How, therefore, could they make them • selves in a short time conversant wit h a mass of regulations? Some of th 5 fire extinguishers sent to Hanme - Springs were alleged tb have been sen I up empty, and if a fire broke ou would bo useless. r Witness said five refills were sent u r i for the extinguishers.

The chairman suggestod to witness that officers in charge of hospitals, camps, etc.. might forward to -witness a list of the stores they required, and witness could apportion them to thn different schedules. It seemed absurd to say, ,; I won't givt> you what you ask unless the requisition is made out on a pink schedule, or a blue schedule, or on form X instead of B."' whatever the case might be. Such a procedure (.•routed worry. Witness replied thot he was ncr-on-allv responsible for things which lr-re not carried out in accordance with Ire regulations. The only thing to do for those making the requisitions was for them to learn the reflations.

The chairman - How long would it take? Hon- long would it takp you if you were shifted about every two or three months?—l could not keep up with, them. , . . Witness said he made a comn.aint to Headquarters the other _ uay, drawing their attention to the disadt antage of > men being continually changed. He realised the disadvantages t.iat they worked under, but ho thought these would be rectified. He did not think small requisitions from any I'nit would tako much looking up, b"t the course suggested would mean the keeping o. a big staff in Christchurch to check and draw out fresh requisitions for units. , . The chairman: What you want at Tlaunior Springs is the cost, then yo cun divide that into departments an groups as it suits your peculiar position here. . "Witness: All these places, such as the Ouoen Man- Hospital and groups in our district- are asked to supply I lists of pronertv required for twelve I months. When these are received thev .'ire c-aeckod over, and I requisition on Wellington for the total amount of all these items that are requisitioned by different units, and they are 110 doubt approved by Wellington and the stuff is "sent here, and if able to bo liouqht- more cheaply here bought here, and the poods are ablo to bo i sunplied right off the reel. In further evidence witness stated that the rations supplied to the Queen Mary Hospital were issuwl on the accommodation of the institution, and not on the number of inmates. The chairman asked witness would it not, be easier for liim to supply the requisitioning: officers with tho number of tho requisition. J.t would save tpwVi worrv and trouble on their part; ,; We never heard a thin£ against you personally," ho added, "nothing but nice thinns of you. It is the system that is blamed." Witness replied that if a number of people were going ti hampd- the <=vstem in force, tho effect would bo disastrous. OTHER EVIDENCE. Blanche Baughan gave further evidence regarding the treatment of conscientious objectors, which she alleged j were causing more trouble than they wore worth. She had heard that in ; England snch men were given civilian i employment. John M. Turnbull said he had had I four months' service in the War Expenses offico in Wellington. The office : performed all its work by corrcspond- , once, except that relating to the Weii lington district-. Tho work, through ? no fault of tho staff, was congested - and cumbersome. He suggested trans- > ferring the widows', children's, and ' separation allowances sections to the ' Pensions' "Department, which had offices in all tho main centres, and pos- [ sessed the necess-ary records. 1 A CONFERENCE. At the conclusion of tho taking of ■, evidence the members of tho Commission held a private conference with I the chairmen and military TepresentaI tives of the Canterbury Military Serc vicc Boards.