BASELESS RUMOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 7

BASELESS RUMOUR

■.I'V.-;'. -. ■ ' / . »,'.',,, '"•'.' VSOLDIERS AND. TOT TENTS.* ';•' The_ rumours which were circulated in . the city on Wednesday: regarding, an. alleged flooding out of a canvas'camp at - Trentham..-. have" caused amusement, as well as annoyance to the troops concerned, and.to the camp staff. The facta are that the heavy rain on Wednesday 'afternoon and evening made -the tents and' their surroundings 'so "wet; that -it was decided to move the men to huts and halls. Trentham is : very full at present,' and it meint that many institutes in'the camp had to be fitted with sleeping accommodation. ThelA-.S.C; wagons quickly, got to work to convey straw'and blankets to . these . places, .-,while the camp . quartermaster's staff .attended 'to the distribution of themi and.also served out hot rum to all-hands; : The men were moved from: the tents in 'batches/.without .any hitch /whatever, ' and - settled down in their- comfortable quarters. The'next, step was to notify the men of the units concerned, who were in town on leave.. The Mayor was'asked to announce at the social at the Town Hall that those men' who had friends and would l like to 6tay in town.-could< do so, •vand those who wished to return to the, camp would find' ■ accommodation ready. Mr. Luke made, this, announcement; and the men wero also told at the Soldiers' Club and at the railway-station of the position of matters. On the journey out, n.c.o/s. went through/the train, and told the men who were /returning • exactly where they would find their unit, thus avoiding a walk to, the tents that had been vacated. :' - ' -.. There were a few. growlers on the tram, who were apparently disappointed at not having money to enable them to stay in town, but the stories, of men being compelled-to'Stay in town.were without foundation. 1 .'.■."''■'-■"'■.■ ''"'-'.