TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY
SCARLET FEVER
NO SIGN OF MILITARY REPORTING IT ABSENCE OF DRYING ROOM "AN ERROR IN ADMINISTRATION" ! - Yesterday the Trentham Camp Commission continued its investigation of Trentham camp affairs. The Commission comprises His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking, Dr. A. A. Martin, of Palmcrston North, and Mr. W. Ferguson, of Wellington.
ltobert Henry Williams, accountant in the Defence Stores, who acts as assistant; director of equipment and stores, gave evidence to the effect that the blankets did not go out to the camp in time on May 29 through an enor on the part of Mr. Sewcll, the storeman. Mr. Sewell had considered that a sufficient number of blankets had already been sent out.
Ilis Honour remarked that Mr. Sewell had given evidence to tho eftect that he considered that a quantity of blankets sent to Trentham camp had not been accounted for. "Have any steps been taken to see if his supposition is correct ?" His Honour asked.
Mr. Williams: Not yet. Is it proposed to take any?—" Yes." Is auy return got from the camp as to what stock they have in hand?—"We have not had a written return for some time." . Is there any audit, as it were? —"Not that I know of." Would such an audit or check be desirable?—"lt would' be." ■ .'There has been no attempt to clear up this matter of the blankets?—" Not yet." ' ' , "Boots and Blankets." Mr. Williams was then questioned concerning tho delay in supplying boots to the men of the Trentham' Itegiment.; His Honour: You had not euough boots in hand, and they could not be got. Is that the position? Mr. Williams: Yes; there were not sufficient boots of the size required in store. ( Witness added that the two firms which held contracts could not 6upply enough boots, and further tenders were obtained from four or fivo other firms.
His Honour: Have you been able to keep up the supplies to the present satisfactorily?
Witness: With the addition of about 1200 pairs of boots outside the military pattern, we have been able to. We are now keeping up to all demands. His Honour, reverting to the question of blankets: It was notified on April 19 that 2200 men had- been called up for tho Trentham Regiment; How is it that there'was no requisition for blankets till May 22 ?
Witness: That is a matter for the Camp Quartermaster.
But did not you get ready at tho Stores when you received a duplicate of the notification ?—"We got ready, but they were not ready at camp. I think they wero altering their stores at the time."
Is that one of the matters which are subjects of inquiry at the present time? —"I don't think so."
Mr. Fergusonls it a. fact that the Stores Department Jjeglected -requisitions and acted on their own judgment? —"It is not a fact."
John Ruth Hopkinsoiij clerk in tho Defence Stores, said that respecting tlio camp's requisition to the Stores for 6000 blankets,-'Mr; Sewell had told him that he considered that tho requisition was a duplication—that the blankets had been sent out beforehand to relieve pressure on space at the Stores. Witness had told Mr. Sewell that he did not think that was the case, and Mr. Sewell had reasserted his statement, ancl added that he knew this to be a fact because he had had a conversation at the camp'with Captain M'Christell, the Camp Quartermaster.
' Percy Gates Morgan, Director of the Geological Survey, was called. Ho was asked, to visit Trentham. Camp during the day, and appear before tho Commission again this morning.
■Dr. Frengley, Deputy , Chief Health Officer, was recalled. On Tuesday lie had been asked to supply answers to several questions. The first question was: "Have any cases of scarlet fever occurred in Masterton?"
Dr. Frengley's ansiver iras: "No report of such cases lias been forwarded to me."
Health Officers' Services Not Utilised. Respecting the Health Officers' offer of their services to tho military, Dr. Frengley read a copy of tho letter to Brigadier-General Robin, • which embodied tho offer. It was dated August 11, and was sent by direction of tlio Minister of Public Health. It said that sliould occasion require during the war the services of the officers of the Public Health Department (medical and sanitary) would be promptly available to the military. Brigadier-General Robin's reply was dated August 17. It contained an expression of thanks "for tho offer of such valuable assistance," a hops that it would not ho necessary to call upon those who had offered their services, and the statement: "But should it bo necessary I should advise you to that cffect."
His Honour: Do I understand then that until recently no advantage of this offer has been taken?
Dr. Frengley said that about a week prior to tTie return I'rom abroad of Colonel Valintine, Chief Health Officer, Brigadier-General Robin had spoken to him respecting tho treatment of soldiers in hospitals, and witness had advised tho Commandant that ho should nwait Colonel Valintine's return, which was then close at 'hand. ' His Honour: What followed? ' Dr. Frengley: I'knew'that BrigadierGeneral ltobin, immediately after Colonel Valintine's return, got into touch with liim over tho matter of tlio care of hospitals. • Colonel Valintine returned in February?—" Yes." Were your services engaged in camp matters? —"No; not beyond my being a member of tho special board rc tho erection of the hospital and the hutments." Are you aware-if any of tho officers of your department were? —"No." ■ Dr. Martin: I take it from your evidence that there aro two cases of scarlet fever which -tlio military have not notified you of ? Dr. Frengley said that lie had not received notification, and that Captain Harrison was tho officer from whom a notification should issue. Dr. Martin: If a civil practitioner failed to notify you tho Health Department would have taken action? Dr .Frengley: Yes. ■lias - tho liealtli Department taken any action now tho military has failed to notify you in two instances? Dr. Frengley replied that he would like to say that notification might havo been sent to the District Health Officer. Dr. Martin: Has any arrangement lieen made for heating the hospital at I Trent'han? Dr. Frengley: I understand that it was to be heated by electricity. Do yon consider drying tents or marquees aro necessary?—" Most decidedly." And tlio drying marquees aro up about three weeks?—"l'do not know that of my own knowledge." . aattftwr J ,iaiLcsft9Mprj'lim ascfiflaaii.
in a camp of 4000 or 5000 men?—" They are most essential at all times:" If they were not there for some time, there was an error in administration ?— "Yes, if it was not donej the conclusion is obvious." You recommend fifty men in a hut?— "Yes." Firth' (Lieiifc.-Colonel Firtli, an Aldershot authority) says 24. Why did you depart from that?_ Dr. Frengley said that he did so because the huts_ at Trenthiuii, having larger air openings than the English huts, gave a much greater quantity of available air. Dr. Martin: You are quite satisfied with the sanitation of Trentliam camp now?
Dr. Frengley: Yes. There is no occasion for public anxiety?—" Not the slightest, I '. Dr. Frengley said that an improvement would have to be made in tho surface drainage, and 1.0 believed that all necessary improvements would be made as soon as possible.
Blankets Taken from Men on Eve of SailingDr. Martin: Do you think an emergency hospital was sufficient for a camp ■of 7000 men, seeing that the medical profession subscribed such a large sum ? Dr. Frengley: The camp was one ot 4000 at the tirao the hospitalwas planned. For 7000 men tho hospital is not bi» enough. Dr. Martin: This camp had 7000 men, and may have 7000 again Dr. Frengley said that tho hospital provided inadequate accommodation unless tho racecourse buildings were utilised. Had he had the foresight to know in February last that accommodation would be needed for 800 sick men, or, say, an average of 500, no one would have believed him. He had not anticipated that so much accommodation would be required: 500 was a big pn* portion in a body of picked men. of the number concerned.
' Dr. Martin reverted to the matter of the operating room in the Trentliam Hospital. He remarked that Dr. Frengley had' 'compared the circumstances of an emergency operation at tho camp to the circumstances attending an operation at sea, or in the firing line. "Do you think," he asked, "that is a fair comparison ?" Dr. Frengley said that just as ho believed in making tlio men used to active service conditions, he considered it. a good thing to train the medical men to work under conditions approximating those they would eventually experience.
Dr. Martin: That is a view 'which is held by . very few of tho medical profession, and not held by any man who has served at tho front, cither. It was mentioned to Dr. Frengley that on Tuesday the Rev. D. C. Bates, the Stato Meteorologist, had given evidence in the course of which he expressed the opinion that the huts were dangerous and unsatisfactory. Dr. Frengley said that ho was not aware what experience Ml'. Bates had had in the matter of tho open-air treatment of tho sick. However, corisumptives wero housed under conditions similar to the conditions obtaining in the hutments, and they Buffered no illoffects from that.
: Mr. Bates was given an opportunity to reply to Dr. Frengley. Ho said that lie had had experience of huts during the South African war. The Trentham huts could ho improved; they should bo lined, and tho roofs sliould be of wood instead of corrugated iron.
On Juno 10, Mi\ Bates stated, the night before the Fifth Reinforcements sailed, tho men wero paraded, and 0110 of their blankets was taken away from each of them. That was liable to givo men pneumonia, and was weakening tho svstem of tho mon at a critical time.
' Mr. Ferguson: We ought to investigate that? His Honour: Yes.
Dr. Martin: That is, the men had two blankets instead of three? Mr. Bates: Yes. Dr. Martin:'-Did they sleep in camp' thst niocht. Mr. Bates: Yes.
His Honour asked Mr. Bates to send the Commission the names of any other mon who could testify 011 this] point. "Wo want to find out why this was done," 'ho added.
'Hie Commission will continue at 10.30 this morning.
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2520, 22 July 1915, Page 6
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1,730TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2520, 22 July 1915, Page 6
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