LIVERPOOL CAMP INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2524, 27 July 1915, Page 6

LIVERPOOL CAMP INQUIRY

• " COMMANDANT'S EVIDENCE. By Telegraph—Wess Association—Copyright ! (Bee. July,26, 10.40 p.m.) • Sydney, July 26. 'At the Liverpool Camp Inquiry, Lieu-tenant-Colonel Perkins gave evidence' tliat lie had urged the necessity for a permanent medical staff. He only got three officers. • Colonel Kirkland, the Camp Commandant, stated that lie had recommended the purchase of mattresses and the erection of a fumigating plant, but had received no reply. Mr. Justice Rich interposed: "The method of dealing with irecommendations seems to have been aii extension of the 'Micawber' principle." . Colonel Kirkland further stated that there had never- been a shortage of hall cartridges, but there had been a scarcity of dummies. When lies took over the camp lie found an-undesirable state of affairs. The parades showed that from seven to eight hundred men were absent without leave. It was nothing : unusual in certain battalions to -find all the officers absent, except one or two. Witness thought that a good deal of the sickness was due to drink. He noticed, incidents of immorality every pay-day, but plain-clothes constables were now on duty to deal with that. Witness knew that men had departedwithout sufficient'musketry instruction,-but that they .would receive it in Egypt, iHe considered that the facilities by which the men obtained drink should be restricted.