ABOUT THE CAMPS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2609, 3 November 1915, Page 6

ABOUT THE CAMPS

PROGRESS AT MAY MORN

MEN ON LEAVE TO-DAY

At the present time the Eighth Infantry Reinforcements and the N.C.O.'s for tlio Tenth and Elovcnth Reinforcements are in Trcntham Camp, tho-3rd and 4th Battalions of the Now Zealand Uifles_ Brigade are at May Morn, and the Ninth 'Reinforcements and Eighth Mounted Reinforcements are at Tauherinikau. Tho Eighth Mounteds will, however, bo moved to Trentham on Saturday next. It is now- nearly a month since the Rifle Battalions went into camp at May Morn, and during that time no leave has been given and no troop trains liavo plied between the camp and Wellington. It has been partly owing to tho lack of moans of communication with the City that no leave has been enjoyed by the men. Another rc-ason is that the men had not received their uniforms. Both these disabilities, if they can be so termed, will be removed by to-day, and the first latch of soldiers on leave from May Mom Camp will reach Wellington on .this ovening. Two special trains left Wellington for May Mom on Sunday, one in tho morning and one in the afternoon, and relatives of the men took.'advantage of the opportunity of visiting them in camp. Both trains returned iti the evening.

Good Soldierly Spirit, The 0 C.'s and other officers of both battalions have expressed most favourable opinions of the men's cheerfulness and earnestness in learning their drill nnd in putting up with minor discomforts wrought by rain and wind,..when tliey were innrardly chafing at the want of leave and of uniforms. They knew Mioy could scarcely get the leave without proper uniforms to wear in the City, niul their common sense gave them patience. The uniforms have been arriving during the last few days, and will be served out some time to-day. Their officers and various bodies who look after soldiers' recreations have not Neglected the providing of places and. means of recreation in camp. An entertainments committee was formed soon after the camp was occupied, and somo good concerts have been held. A most successful ono was given By tho men Inst Wednesday night at which assistance was given by Mr. and Mrs. Seed, of Mungaroa, who have shown a keen interest in the soldiers at May Morn. On Monday, Miss Jfina. Cald'aw and Miss Lonsdale, wellknown Wellington singers, were the star performers at another camp concert. The marquees of the Y.M.C.A. and the Salvation Arm'y arc capable of holding a. fairly large audience, but the bulk of the audience at each concert is clustered outside the marquees, where they can enjoy the music and sinoko comfortably.

Sports and Bands. A cricket club with a substantial membership is now in full swing. Practice pitches completo with nets have been laid down at the railway end of the drill ground, and a good match pitch is near the centre of tho ground. WTien not in use the wickets are covered with tarpaulins. A sports meeting is being arranged, and those who teel inclined may tako it out of a punching ball which has been fitted upj or don boxing gloves, and punch one another. Tho only music in May Mom camp just now is produced bj' pipers and bagpipes, and by a drum and fife band. But before long a brab's band will bo in full blast. The instruments have been ordered,, though some difficulty. has been., experienced-in securing big drums. Gifts in this form would be appreciated by the bandsmen. When nil the equipment is complete May Morn camp will have three bands—a pipo baud, a drum and fife band, and tho big brass band. The amount of musical talent existing in a camp of 2500 men is expected to be more than sufficient to man all the bands.

Camp Improvements. Tho sanitation question has been very carefully gone into in this camp of tents, with the result that the health of the men has been good and the camp kept clean in every way except as regards ail unavoidable muddiness in wot weather. _ It has been found that the winds quickly dry up the puddles, and in most cases, by boring a hole into tho earth with a crow-bar the water has soon escaped to the gravel below. The incinerators for the disposal of all camp Waste matter are coping with the work.' Everything is burnt, oven empty tins being passed through tho furnace's, and afterwards thrown into' a deep hole, No tins • that have not been through tho fires are allowed to bo thrown into the hole, as flics might be attracted.. A bath-room with twenty-five cold showers was opened for uso yesterday. Two hot water bathrooms are being built near the incinerators, tlie heat from which will be used to provide the hot water, which will be boiled in tanks placed oyer tho furnaces. A field incinerator, made with sods with a stove-pipe funnel, has been in uso sinco the camp started, and experiments as to its durability aro being made with a view to the adoption of this form of rubbish destructor in territorial camps. The hot baths will be of tho plunge variety; it is expected that a sufficient number will be supplied eventually to give each man a hot bath at frequent intervals. River Bathing Popular. The men have taltpn keenly to the bathing provided by tho Mungaroa River, iess than a milo from camp. They aro not allowed to go bathing alone"; only in squads may they indulge ill a dip, lest one should be taken with cramp or otherwise disabled. When large bodies of men are bathing, a bathing picket is always stationed, stripped for action, oil tlw river-bank. The officers realise that in the noise and confusion a mail might easily go under and never lie missed were it" not for tho watchful bathing picket, which usually includes in its numbers somo ablo swimmers, sometimes somo quite notable ones. Tho bathing place at May Morn is, howoyer, a very safo one, and so far the picket has not been called upon to effect a rescue. Strict Discipline Observed. With all its remoteness from the City, and good fellowship between officers and men, tho discipline of May Mom is not one whit loss strict than at tho main Trentham Gamp, and tlie courso of training of the soldiors is being rigidly followed. Li a month there has been a marked improvement effected in their bearing and smartness. Tlioy are beginning, to look soldierly and aro advancing rapidly through tlie various phases of drill, which they must master. Their drill ground is a large paddock across the railway from the camp. At first this ground was covered with loose stones. Now hardly any remain. . They were removed t'> the camp b.v the simple process of eaoh man carrying ,-v stone from the drill ground to the camp when marching in from drill. In this way (ho ground lias been cleared, and useful metalling provided for soak-pits and muddy places in tho camp.