The Dominion. THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1915. AUCKLAND'S AGITATION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2538, 12 August 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1915. AUCKLAND'S AGITATION

The agitation which is being stirred up in Auckand with ject of forcing the hand of the Government to establish a camp in that district cannot serve any good purpose, and may possibly do a considerable amount of harm, It is likely to hamper the authorities in' their work in connection with the training and equipment of the men, and to, engender feelings of unsettlement and discontent. The rest of tho Dominion is just as anxious as Auckland is that everything possible should be done to safeguard' our soldiers. The recent outbreak of disease at Trentham could not bo ignored, and the demand that it should bo thoroughly investigated was fully justified. A lloyal Commission has been hearing evidence on this and other matters, and its report will probably be presented to the Governor in tho course of a few days. Those people in Auckland who are indulging in such "scare" methods might at .least restrain themselves a little until the findings of the Commission are made known. It should bo borne in mind that a special Medical Board has already expressed'the deliberate opinion that Trentham is r.ot an unsuitable placo for a military camp. The boa''d arrived at this conclusion after visiting the spot and making careful investigations. On a question of this kind the Government must abide by the advice of experts. It is the only rational attitude to adopt. Reasonable people will give due weight to the views of the doctors, and will also take into consideration the fact that extensive improvements have. been effected at Trentham. They will be further influenced by the decision of the authorities to reduce the number of men who are to assemble there from 7000 to 4000. Though the health of the men is, of course, the .first consideration, it must also be remembered that a' great deal of money has been spent on this camping ground, .. and it would be sheer folly, to abandon it if it can be made thoroughly satisfactory from a sanitary point of view. The experts say it can. Auckland seems to have overlooked the fact that a second camp has already been established at Tauherenikau,- whore part of the training will take placo. Trentham will not bo so crowded as previously, and the danger of further epidotnies will bs greatly lessened. The establishment of a camp at Auckland it not necessary, either from a medical or from a military point of view. It would be a waste of public money, it would interfere with the organisation and training, and tho Minister of Defence is. to be commcnded for declining to yield to the agitation. A dispassionate consideration of tho facts should convince the Auckland popple w-t authorities are fulty alive to ttw

necessity of remedying such shortcomings a-s may have been disclosed at Trontham, and no doubt as the result of fclie findings of the lloyal Commission any further improvements which may be recommended will be given prompt cffect to. The petition to the- Mayor of Auckland declares that the petitioners "place the need of the Empire for welltrained, healthy men above all' other considerations," and one of the most drastic of the Auckland critics of Trentha-m emphatically states that he is not one of those who agitate for an Auckland camp, and that he is not looking at the question from, the point of view of Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch. He is only thinking of the health of the men. These assurances that the protest is not the outcome of a-ny petty spirit of provincial rivalry may be taken for granted. -The issue with which tne country and the Empire are faced daily grows more pressing, and is far too grave for internal differences of a parochial nature. What is urgently necessary is that wc shall train and dispatch to the fighting lines as speedily as possible as many men as .we can provide to assist those already there. The oall is imperative. Our effectives at the Dardanelles have been thinned by the wastage of war, and we should leave rio effort untried to maintain that steady supply of reinforcements which is so urgently necessary. T.ho military authorities have expressed in the most emphatic manner their opinion that the best method o.f ensuring this is to have the training camps handy to headquarters; and the medical authorities have now declared that with the improvements planned and in progress Trentham and Tauherinikau will be suitable camping sites.. How can the Auckland people in face of these facts continue to press their .objections. The Auckland petition, states that the sickness which "caused the hasty abandonment of the Trentham Gamp must create a certain amount of demoralisation of authority and a serious interruption in fitting .out troops for war." ' It may have done so; hut "it is quite certain bha-t persistence in the agitation for an Auckland camp and wild allegations against the Trentham. site will result in far more demoralisation of authority a.nd interruption in training than the unfortunate outbreak of disease which has now been overcome, and a recurrence of which we are told 'on medical _ authority is not likely under the improved conditions.