CAMPS & THE MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2690, 9 February 1916, Page 6

CAMPS & THE MEN

—« : . "SHOUTING" QUESTION THE LATEST PROMOTIONS HOT WEATHER & COLD TEA The permanent appointment of Major D. J. Sweetzer, as Assistant-Infan-try Instructor for the duration of the war has been approved. Lieut. Sliand, I) Squadron, 10th, has returned to Featherston from sick leave. At Trentham the following temporary appointments have been made:— : 10th Reinforcements, N.Z. Field Artillery: Sergt. P. F. Stratford to be' battery sergeant-major; Corpl. L. L. Marshall to be sergeant, orderly room clcrk. Cold Tea. The Principal Medical Officer at Trentham Camp strongly advises the men that during the hot, weather they should use cold tea for drinking, in lieu of water: The "Treating" Allegation. The question of the "treating" of soldiers .was raised'when the Minister of Defence was in the North last week, and. the following on -the subject is from the New Zealand "Herald":— "Only six men have been dismissed from, the training- camps in the Dominion—three for • and three for other reasons," the Minister of Defence stated. He again made an appeal to the public to check the practice of "treating" soldiers. . An • allegation that members of the third Maori . reinforcements were indulging "excessively in the use of alcoholic liquors .was recently made to < the Minister by an Auckland resident. Mr. Allen said he had made a searching inquiry regarding the matter. He had learned that two Niueans were found under, the influence of liquor. They were arrested by the-camp military police, fined in the guardroom, and severely dealt'with. The camp commandant, Major- Peacock, paraded the troops, and gave the two men a severe lecture, while the chaplains also reprimanded them for their'misconduct. Since then their conduct in this'respect has -improved, and Major' Peacock does not think anything of the kind will occur again. , ; "The two men stated in the orderly room that they did not want <3rink, but the white men in the streets persisted in treating them," Mr. Allen continued. "I do want to ask the white men. of Auckland district, and the white men throughout the Dominion, to comply -with the request I ■ have already they will. not 1 treat soliiers to, intoxicating liquor. The soldier does nqt want to be treated. He is independent, and if he wants a glass of beer he can get it for himself. This treating is a very serious thing and I want to stop it. I am very anxious that the public conscience should be awakened, so that it will be recognised that ■it is wrong to' treat soldiers to drink."- '. , Featherston Promotions. The following temporary appointments have been approved by the Camp Commandant at. Featherston :— R.Q.M.S. H. K. ' Learoyd to be R.Q.M.S., 13th Reinforcements, Mounted Rifles ; Corpl. A. L. Ironmonger to be S.Q.M.S., 13th Reinforcements, A Squadron; Corpl. W'. J. Veitch, Q.M. Stores, to be S.Q.M.S., B Squadron, 13th; Corpl. T. A. Fraser, Q.M. Stores, to be S.Q.M.S., ,C Squadron, 13th; Corpl. R. Burgess, Q.M. Stores.-to he S.Q.M.S., D Squadron, 13th; Pte. D. Cruickshanlc, N.Z.M.C., to' be sergeant ; Pte. R. H. Lawrence, Pte. H. E. Pike, Pte. L. C. Hansen, Pte. H. A. Milligan, Pte. F. Carlton, Pte. W. Currie, Pte. W. Booth, Pte. N. G. White, B Coy., 10th, to be corporals'; Pte. F. V J., Heslin, Pte. W. G; Barclay, Pie. E. D. Alexander, Pte. A. E. White, Pte. W. F. Peters, Pte. A. D. M'Laren, Pte. E. ®, Colson, Pte. C. J. Hillier, B Coy., 10th, to be lance-corporals. Employment of Returned Soldiers. A statement regarding, the number of returned soldiers who 'have been given> employment in- the Public Service was made by the Prime Minister in Auckland. Mr. Massey said that, according to a report which he had 1 received from the Public Service Commissioner, employment has been found for 66 returned soldiers in Departments under his control.. This number does not include men casually employed by overseers and .others who have authority to take on casual labour. In addition, preference in regard to employment is being given to relatives of members of tlio Expeditionary Force, and a large number are employed in this way. As ■far- as practicable, the Discharged Soldiers' Department is made aware of all vacancies -in the Public Service, and, when suitable;' preference is given to' returned soldiers. Mr. .Massey added that this report' does not cover the Railway,. Defence, and Police Departments,'in which an additional number of returned soldiers have been 'givenemployment. : Soldiers': Messing Allowance. When in Auckland the Defence Minister is reported to have said that representations had been made to him in regard to, a number of cases in which the messing allowance had not been received by men- living in their own homes. This delay was clue. to the fact that the grant had been made retrospective, and when it was considered that an inquiry had to be made in regard to every man claiming the allowance for a period already passed, it would, be recognised that the adjustment of .the accounts was not such a simple.'matter. Almost every'.'time a soldier was transferred some alteration was made in the methods of allotting his pay, and all his movements had to be reviewed in regard to- every isoldier claiming the retrospective messing • allowance. The pay branch -had been severely pressed, and " any delay was due to the necessities of -the circumstances, ■ Mr. Allen added that tlio matter was being dealt with as rapidly as possible, and it was hoped "that.ver.-y " shortly the arrears would be cleared off and the system running smoothly. Tho Defence. Department delivers' every soldier requiring treatment to; the Public Health Department at tho hospital, and upon hisidischarge tho transfer is again mado at the hospital. Mr.-Allen .has found that the machinery' of the two Departments has not yet been properly adjusted,_ and there has been some complication through delay in the forwarding of returns from the Health Department, so that it has happened that a soldier who has been transferred to the out-patients' department has still received only tho hospital allowance of Is. per day. As a result of his visit to-the hospital he was satisfied the diffi-' cult-y would quickly be removed and the communication between the two Departments perfected.