QUESTION IN THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2502, 1 July 1915, Page 6

QUESTION IN THE HOUSE

MINISTERS' STATEMENTS

Very many rumours have been in circulation about sickness at Trentham camp, and about the treatment of the sick. A number of these wer.- contained in a letter published, in the Auckland "Herald" over the signature of "A Trentham Soldier." This letter was the subject of an inquiry in the House yesterday by Mr. C. H. Po'ple. Mr. Poole said' that the statements made in the letter had caused considerable uneasiness amongst parents who had sons in camp at Trentham. It' was stated that there were'6oo cases in the Wellington Hospital, and that many 6ick men had had to stand for a considerable time in the rain awaiting medical treatment, and then to go away without receiving such treatment. Attention was also drawn by the member to the allegation that'some of the men were allowed to sleep in their wet clothes in wet tent 6.

The Minister of Defence (the: Hon. J. Allen) replied that his attention had been called to the statements contained in the letter. "I have no knowledge," he said, "of who the writer is, and I question whether any Trentham soldier ever wrote tlia letter' or signed it. The letter is full of gross inaccuracies. It is a violent and Bitter attack upon the Defence Department, and nothing else.' It contains a whole heap of untruths." II r. Allen added that to-morrow or the next day he would have a full statement to make in answer not only to this letter, but to every other attack that bad been made upon the medical side of the Defence Department. At present he would deal with only one or two statements in the letter. -The writer had stated that , there were "600 .cases in the hospital at Wellington mostly measles or serious chest or lung complaints." So far'as he knew there were, only about 60 soldiers in the Wellington l Eospital.' ■ 1 What Had Been Done. He referred to what the Department had done at the camp in making provision for the winter by the building of the hutments and went on to remark that two or three weeks ago it was decided to strengthen the" medical staff at the camp by the appointment of a permanent camp officer. This had been agreed to and Colonel Morice had been appointed to the position, and tvas going into camp that day. Oh June 12 it was reported that there was a considerable increase in the number of measles and influenza cases at Trentham. He had investigated a statement aa to overcrowding at Berhampore and having come to the conclusion that things were not satisfactory it had been arranged that- Dr. Valintine, Chief Health Officer, should be appointed Director of Military Hospitals, and that he should take iu hand the treatment of the sick and wounded soldiers at ; Trentham, and in the various hospitals. Mr. Russell; Will he be over Dr. Morice?

Mr. Allen: Yes, he will be an inspecting officer. He will exercise complete control under the Minister of the sick soldiers at and from the camp, and also of the sick and wounded soldiers returning from the front. A retrnii just handed to him showed that the number of measles patients at present in the Wellington General Hospital was 43 (not 60(1 as stated).

Mr. Wilford: How many patients are tbero altogether? Mr. Allen: About four hundred. Th® worst eases were in the Wellington Hospital, anil the others were distributed amongst Hie various buildings now in use in and around Wellington. So far as he could judge full provision had been made for the sick soldiers Who wtu'o* likely to require treatment. It was admitted that for a day or two there was a little overcrowding, but unnecessary alarm was apt to be caused by sucli letters as that under notice. This letter must have been written for some purpose other than for the benefit of sick soldiers. Mr. Isitt: Is there any truth in the statement lliat sick men .were allowed to stand in the rain ? Mr. Allen: I will answer that statement in detail to-morrow. More Details. The lion. R. 11. Rhodes-(Minister of Public Health) supplemented the statement made by Mr. Allen legarding measles eases. He stated that there were 43 measles cases in tho General Hospital, at Kaiwarra 209, at Mr. Izard's house at Upper Hutt ,10, at, l)erhnmporo 51, and at Trentham 2. There were no patients in the r-nnip: they were all la buildiiiss lent, to the

Department by tho Wellington Racing Club. Many of the men now accommodated in tho Racing Club buildings were suffering from colds and inllucnza, and were not at all seriously ill. If they were in private life they probably would go about their business, without thinking of calling in a doctor, ■or going into a hospital Dr. Thaeker- (interjecting) asked whether it was not a fact that these cases were too septic to be taken into hospital. Mr. Rhodes: They are not septic. Dr. Thaeker: You state that as a fact? Mr. llhodes: That is what I am advised by the medical officers. I know the honorable member for Christchurch went out the other day and poked round. Dr. Thaeker: I didn't poke round; I went straight at it. Mr. Rhodes: I know what he did. The Minister went on to say that the patients in the kiosk wer? very happy and fairly comfortable there. More accommodation for serious cases was being provided in tlie Victoria Ward of tho General Hospital. The measles cases at Kaiwarra were mostly in a convalescent state, very coinl'ortablo, and enjoying themselves well playing billiards, playing deck games, or cards, and so on. Mr. Rhodes added that he had had a letter from tho secretary of the Racing Club offering to forgo the race meeting on July 14' in order that the quarters at the course should be still available for hospital purposes. Ho did not think this wouLl be at all necessary. The club could allow _ the ■ Defence authorities to retain the jockeys' and trainers* quarters, and the members' room, but patients would be removed from tlie *ea lsiosk. He thought honourable members could rest assured that our patients were being well treated and properly cared for.NO COMPLAINTS. . A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. ■"I went to Trentham looking for complaints," said Mr. H. H. D, Wily, of Rukekohe, Auckland, to a reporter yesterday, "and I found none." Mr. Wily, wJio is a school teacher, added that in Auckland talk had been heard about the camp, and when he announced his intention of .visiting Wellington, and, incidentally Trentham, on a holiday trip, he was asked by the mothers of several of his ex-pupils who are already in camp if he would keep his eyes open and ascertain what substance there was in some of the reports that had been current. He visited the camp with tho express intention of discovering any genuine grievance that might exist, and for that.purpose ho made a very thorough inspection of everything, and, to use his own expression, "poked about" in every corner of -tho place. He found only one thing that rendered the conditions a little unpleasant, and that was the very great deal of mud. But everyone seemed hearty and happy, and he was delighted with the appearance of his own ex-pupils. ' He asked them if there was anything they wanted, and they replied in the negative, remarking that they had plenty to eat and were quite comfortable. Among the men with whom Mr. Wily conversed the opinion seemed to bo that those who made all the- fuss were the ' shirkers and men of that type. He saw the hutments, cook-houses, bathing places, etc., and everything, he thought, was most satisfactory. He spoke to one lot of men numbering sixty, and not one of them had any anxiety except to do his best to remain fit and acquire skill, in his work. The mud was not so bad as to give serious cause for complaint, and, as Mr. Wily remarked, his ex-pupils did not mind it in the least, for they wore used to it in their own district. .