TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2533, 6 August 1915, Page 6

TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

A BIG SCHEME

£20,000.8E1NG SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS

MINISTER STINTED NOTHING

GOVERNMENT DID ALL THEY COULD The Trentham Camp Commission, consisting of Hia Honour Mr. Justice Hosktag, Dr. A. A. Martin, and Mr. W. Ferguson, took further evidence yesterday. At the commencement of the sitting the Solicitor-General (Mr. Snlmond) said that, in view of remarks -made by His Honour on the previous day, he. wished to make a statement. Speaking of tho scope and the functions of the Commission, Mr. Salmond said that it was only necessary to read the Commission's warrant to see that the primary and essential functions of tho Commission concerned the past, and not the future. Tho Commission was a judicial body to inquire into what had occurred, and {illot tha blame for any faults discovered., The Commission was not essentially, or primarily, an advisory body, on to which i the Government or the Defence Department desired to shift responsibility for tho administration of defence matters. That responsibility, of course, continued to rest on the same shoulders as formerly. Incidentally, the inquiry into the past must involve reference to the future, and a criticism might necessarily amount to a recommendation for an alteration. The origin of the Commission was that many charges of officers' negligence and incompetence were mnde in Parliament, in the Press, and in the'street, and the Commission was set up to inquire into those charges, and the public was to have, an opportunity of appearing before the.Comnvssion and substantiating any charge. Any' recommendation for the future would undoubtedly' be welcomed by the Government, and would receive full consideration, but the appointment of the Commission was not to bo regarded _as a stay of. proceedings on the part of the Defence Department, which must proceed with the military matters of the country as if no Commission was sitting,. The .Department had to deal with a position of extreme urgency, and could not suspend duties, The only clause in the Commission's warrant suggesting a recommendation for the future was Clause 11,. which related to _ the question of whether sufficient' sanitary or other reasons existed for the removal of the camp. The removal of Trentham Camp was not now a'matter of practical consideration. Many thousands of pounds had been 'expended on the , camp, and there was. now a great improvement scheme- in progress involving about .£20,000. As to the safety of the camp ' from a health point of view, a board of experts had already reported to the Gov- ( eminent that,- if a certain course were • taken, there would be no reason why the camp should not bo occupied." New Type of Hut Going Up. His Honour said that the reference of the previous day had been to the fact ; that it, had been reported that the huts 1 were being completed. So-much theoreti- , cal and practical evidence on 'he,huts • had been given that, if the Commission found that the huts, were improperly : constructed, or were unfit for habitation, that finding (if any notice was to bo ' taken of it) must affect the. construction or adaptation of tho huts in the future. Tho Commission, of course, did not propose to go outside the scope of its war-rant',-and he recognised that military activities, would go on, but whether certain activities should go on while the Commission was sitting was not for the Commission to determine. ...' ■ • Mr. Salmond said that it was recognised that the . Commission could criticise the huts, and that the criticism would be a critipism of the ..officers- responsible. . 'Cer- ; tain: further huts were being erected, but ■ they were .not of the same kind as those ' in existence, as they were differently ven- > tilated, .adapted.to smaller numbers of ' men, and built of wood: It was imprac- ■ ticable and; impossible to put tho men in tents.' • , , , , His Honour said that at an early stage i of the. inquiry- he wrote on behalf of the : Commission' to the Government, asking them- to mention the specific charges that ■ had been, brought to' their notice, so that the Cotainission might know what it had ,< to do,' and have something- specific before it, instead of liaving to grope for information. Beyond the statement of the matters to be considered, he had got no answer. • Mr.' Salmond said that the matter was being attended'to although no formal communication had been made. He had had. a search, made through all the newspapers to see what charges there were. Most of the charges had been . investigated already. Some, had not, and he wished to allow the opportunity for tho people' to como forward themselves and make the charges. It did not seem to him to be right for him to make those charges on behalf of other people who had. not come forward, when he would have 110 means of substantiating them. No charge had been .'aid before the Government. He could place before the Commission, if it was desired, a summary of the charges made through the Press. . His Honour said that the suggestion might prove of value. Mr. Salmond: Then I shall submit the newspaper cuttings to you in the course of tho day. .■ ; Mr. Gray submitted that it was not, a function of the Commission to indulge in a roving expedition to see what charges there were which ought'to be inquired into. Tho Press could not be blamed for publishing communications on subjects of great public, importance, but if the Commission was going to inquire into every charge which had been made through the 'Press, there would never bo an end to the inquiry. . His Honour replied to Mr. Gray that lie was not' sneaking of general charges, but, if a specific charge was brought forward concerning anyone whom Mr.'Gray represented, that party would have the chance of denying it or explaining tho matter. ,Trentham 'Compares Well With Salisbury. Mr.' Gray suggested that the Commission should not tako notice of anonymous charges and communications. His Honour said that in his evidence Colonel Purely had taken the opportunity of denying charges which were not made before the Commission, but which lie had heard or read of. Mr. Gray: That might have been neces. eavy. His Honour said that the Commission would adhere to its decision to accept Mr. Salmond's offer to supply the newspancr clippings. Captain D. P. Simnson. who is invalided homo from the British section of the New Zealand Forces, gave evidence in the form of comparisons of tho English camp ' on Salisbury Plain with the New Zea-. In.nd canms at Trentham. Waikanae. and Tauher'enikau, particularly Trentham. He considered the Salisbury Plain huts much similar to those at Trentham, cxeept that the former were lined with what was wippose.d to be . asbestos. Tho Salisbury Plan huts were very cold. The men had .stretchers to sleep on, and later they were allowed to fill straw palliasses. There was.an average of fifty men in each hut, and up to the time of his departure there were no drying appliances in the camp. Tt. was no uncommon thing for men to have to start out in the morning with wet clothes and wet boots, Tt was tho nracHce, however, not to drill the men in tho wet, and so it was only when the men sot caught out in the rain that their clothing became wet. Unfortunately, they were thus caught fnii-lv often. Many of Hie men did not get the!'' scc- ' onil pair of boots till they went to Eeypt, and some wore their own light, hoofs in preference to the military boots. From ■ what, he had =cnu, Trentham Camp com- : pared more than fnvfeurably with tho , camp on Salisbury Plain. Tho English camp evidenced a state of unnrepared--1 ness. At Salisbury Plain tents wre found to be impossible even with wooden fioors, , or awumt of Hie mud. i, Christens, llwmeea. y1i0..T05 .in cams

as a private in the Trentham Regiment, said that lie had been discharged from ilia Forces as medically unfit because he had a strained side, which, he ihousht, lie got through being sent back to drill when lis was still weak from sickness, lie was now without funds. Witness's evidence was considered by tho Commission to be a specific charge against the mcdical administration of the camp—a chargc to the effect that the witness had not been well treated when sick, and had been discharged without being examined—and they thought the medical men concerued should answer it. Minister Offers Anything Needed, Edwin Legge, of Wellington, a relative of the late Corporal Matthew Phillips, who died in Wellington Hospital on July 1, said that Corporal Phillips was removed from Berhamporc Hospital to Wellington Hospital in a, motor-car when lie nas in a delirious condition! Dr. llartin observed that there were two versions of the cause, of Corporal Phillips's death—pneumonia following measles, and meningitis. Major W. L. Robinson, Assistant Quar-termaster-General, stated that in the earlier days of Trentham Camp the question . of providing drying arrangements was discussed, but the provision was not ' made 011 account of the money. His Honour: It would not cost much to put up marquees and some braziers. Do you think money should have been an objection? Major Bobinson: Perhaps, on second thoughts, not. Witness said that'in.tlie circumstances pertaining in New: Zealand huts were preferable to tents. There was no stinting by the Minister in any way in connection with the camp. Regarding the loading of tho camp, he had heard the Minister tell the Camp Commandant: "You can have anything you want in regard to roads." He was sure the Government and the administrative staff had done everything they could all through. He did not knon; that there would have been any great advantage in getting the railway at the camp sooner, but it would have been there earlier, except that the Railway Department wanted to charge ,£IOOO, and that was considered too much. Except that there, was insufficient ground for manoeuvres,'the camp was big enough for 7000 men, though there would be some crowding from a training point of view. The subsoil at Curragh was not as good as that at Trentham. He did not think the soldiers were complaining; the. words of complaint were being put into their mouths. Dr. Batchelor attended to. explain that there was some misunderstanding regarding his attitude towards the bacteriologists'- report that cerebrospinal meningitis had been discovered. Dr. Batchelor said that, in reality, he had no doubt that there weTC a dozen cases of the disease, and perhaps more. There were some cases of influenza which could not be distinguished from cerebrospinal meningitis, and probably some suspicious cases would turn out to be influenza. The Commission will- resume at 10.15 this morning. TROOPS FOR TRENTHAM PROTEST PROM AUCKLAND, {By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, August 5. Notification has been sent to, nine hundred Auoklanders who have enlisted to parade at 9 a.m. on August 18, and proceed to Trentham; ;by the noon train. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. H. G-unson) says it is absolutely inconceivable that the Defence Department at' this: stago should order nine hundred nipn to proceed to Trenitham:;for training.'lt is more than ever difficult to understand in view of the ■ fact that the Royal. .Commission' has not completed'its investigations. - ... He has telegraphed to the Minister, for Defence, asking if tho report is correct. "If so, in view of tho recelit conditions and the present investigation, do you think it the right course to direct these men to go to Trentham? In view of thehrge number of men directed to leave Auckland and tlie largo additional number required in future, will you consider forthwith' establishing a camp in tho Auckland district,; in accordance with tho Prime Minister's recent indication?" REPLY ,BY DEFENCE MINISTER. "RIGHT COURSE ADOPTED." Tho'Minister of Defenco yesterday after, noon replied to Mr. Gunsoii as follows:— ■ "J. H. Gunson, Esq., Mayor,. Auckland. —Your telegram of even-.date.'received. , Firstly, 854 men represent the Auckland quota for. the Bth Reinforcements; secondly, it is intended that they should, m-oceed to Trentham; thirdly, considerable improvements have been effected at Trentham in accordance, with expert advice,. and the number to encamp there reduced from seven thousand to four thousand; fourthly. I am advised, and I agree with the advice,-that it is a rieht course to direct the men to go to Trentham; fifthly, tho question of establishing a .camp in the Auckland district has been fully considered, and I have come to the conclusion that it '.is not advisable to do so.—J. Allen." OUTBREAK IN VICTORIAN - CAMP CASES OF CEREBROSPINAL MENIN-. . GITIS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyr:V ■ Melbourne, August 5. Fifteen oases of cerebro-spihal meningitis have been reported at the Vctorian military camp. '. ' ■ ,