DEFENCE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 183, 23 April 1918, Page 6

DEFENCE AFFAIRS

USE OF THE SHIPS HOW FLIES ARE KILLED POINTS ABOUT SUPPLIES ■AND THE MEDICAL SERVICES. Tho Defence Expenditure Commission continued to hoar cvidenco yesterday Brigadier-General Sir Itobcrt ' Anderson presided, and Mr. Charles J?bodw sat with him. Iho oilier commissioner, Mr Peter Ban-, was absent owing lo illness.' James Findlav, representative in Now Zealand for the Shaw, Sarill, and Albion Company and chairman of tlio New Zealand Shipowners' Committee, made answer to a question submitted to him by tho Commission regarding shipping Ho'said during the past two years ten" .steamers had come out to New Zealand in ballast. Some of thein had been troopships outward from New Zealand. The Most Pressing Need. ''These ten steamers," said fho wit"fn'TTv o, v 0 " een so (in what at first biiisii seems a must uneconomical manner) for tho dual purpose of relieving New Zealand freezing works and feeding the Army and tho Homo population, as well as the Allies, and it will readily bo'seen that in the face of paramount considerations such as these, the bringing of outward cargo (inrolvin'" delay) by _ such steamers is a question which sinks into comparative insignificance.

''Throughout (he period above referred lo vessels loading- in the United Kingdom for Netv Zealand wero unable to obtain full outward cargoes of New Zealand merchandise, and were being dispatched (and still are) from a half to a third empty, and it is therefore obvious that tlio line of action taken by the Imperial Government was of extreme I'.dvantagc to tho producers and population of this Dominion, inasmuch as we had opportunities provided for the shipment of meat, dairy produce, wool, and hemp. Had tho Government employed steamers in tho most economical manner Jrom their own point of view and disregarded tho pressing need of this Dominion, our overseas steamers would have naturally traded on shorter and quicker voyages, viz.. between the Argentine, "United States, Canada, and Great Britain. For this tho people of New Zealand owe a debt of gratitude to the Home authorities, which it would bo difficult to magnify beyond its value, saving as it did untold losses to the Dominion, and ensuring the prosperity as a producing country, situated at such a great distance from its markets, and at a time when other countries are sorely beset by the calamities of war. Difficulties in Britain.

"The time allotted for loading in Britain rests entirely in tho hands of tlie Ministry of Shipping whioli is naturally guided solely by tho time which can be devoted to. this purpose, having regard to the larger issues at stake. Shipping companies use evory endeavour to get as niucli cargo shipped as possible in the time at their disposal, but it will readily lie understood that this is governed largely by transport facilities, which are much circumscribed by reason of congestion of railways, shortage of lighters and carts, and above all shortage of labour. It is unthinkablo that steamers should bo retained for indefinite periods on the loading berth at Home when there is an urgent necessity for their presence in tho Dominion to lift homewnrd-bouml foodstuffs vitally necessary to Great Britain, her armies, her population, and her Allies.

"It may safely be taken that throughout the past few years, as each nartially loaded steamer has left the United' Kingdom her loading berth has been filled by another steamer at as short an interval as circumstances permitted.

, "lii fho light of tlio foregoing remar'<19 applied to regular traders tlic position of Nw Zealand transports.as p-" posed outward cargo carriers will. tlio more readily be understood—though 1 should here state that the control of transports or of their lifting of cargo does nol: come w'thin tlio purview of tliis committee. The time which New Zealand transports can. devote to sucili purpose would appear to be of necessity governed by the need of their, keening dates for the conveyance of troops from this side—a much more important consideration than tlio mere nuestinn of £ s. d. involved in the earning of a revenue on outward cargo. or of, in a very minor degree, helping the necessities of the 'New Zealand ininorf»r wl'ieh cm, as shown, be amply dealt with by the regular traders within the. limits imnosed upon all loading bv congested conditions in England. There may. of eniirse. be exceptional occasions when Xew Zealand transports will ■sna Tefl> rtime to jvnit for careo from ITo'iie. and thev have opportunities 0f... obtaining carg« outride of the scone of the overseas companies, for it is within the knowledge of my eommitteo that the assistance of Now Z°alnud Ciambers of fYmiTioree was invoked by the Kew Zeal-nxl Gnvprnment actiiif in conjunction with H-e Nr-w Zealand Hi'li. Comm ; s«'in"r i" Tendon to obtain cmso for one New 7-mi-Iniifl frtn=iinrf n h'ir.p'. too, TniTiPrinl f4*v-*rnmpnt ~+"ni|iprq wpre loading on fH« b' ,v t!\ n"d r^uhl not fnlj ror»o?s. HecenfV threr> r»t"rnin? N<*w trnnenorts carried r'"'"o to I\pi- Zpilni'rl. but in eaell case the™ was tim" to snare Sfnarnsrs Fully !J c< ?ri. "That the Defence Department loses no opportunity of making the fullest economic use of its chartered steamers is instanced by the following: The out ol' position for troop-carrying has recently been loaded for San Francisco. Tlio freight rate charged by this steamer for liomp for this comparatively snort voyage was, I am informed, ,£23 per ton, as compared with ,£IG "is. for this class of cargo by overseas ships to tlio United Kingdom. Recently the New Zealand transport ■ —• took cargo for United Kingdom, and this committee was asked to allot the cargo space to shippers. My committee purposed allotting a. portion of the space for tallow—a _ commodity more than any other in New Zealand which has suffered through lack of shippiny facilities—but the Defence Department stated that it was necessary tlint only wool (which was the most remunerative cargo from an earning point of view) would be carried."

Mr. TTindky suit] fhat ;o far ;is he knew the ships had boon dispatched as speedily as possible from Britain, but it was within his knowledge that steamers after departure were ashed to run into some port again to avoid danger. These delays were the only ones that lie was aware of. Eo said that ho lj'elievfd tlio imperial Government had considered the needs of .the Dominion in regard to the export of produce rather than the necessities of the United Kingdom. All the produce-could have been obtained by the Imperial Government from nearer distances. The chairman: Could they havo got it? Witness: Yes. Tho chairman: As much" as thoy wanted ? •Witness: I would 110 I; say that. Killing the Flies. Professor Kirk, teacher of Biology at Victoria College, was asked to give somo account of what he had done,for (he Defence authorities. He said that tlio science faculty at the college had at the beginning of the war offered to do any work necessary fot the Defence authorities. He himself had suggested Ihat he m'ight do useful work in dealing with the fly problem at tho camps. After a delay of some six months he got in touch with Surgeon-General Henderson, and lie wont to Fcatherstmi Camn. (lien very badly infested with flies. An adequate staff was at length given him, and from that time onwards it became poseiblo to make headway ".'aiiist the ili's and to destroy then'. From the middle of..Tuly, 191(1. it could be said that there had been 110 fly-breeding in the camp. A perfectly clean camp would attract flies, and although Featherston was a clean camp, large numbers of dies were continually killed at the camp. The difficulty was that (lies were bred all round the camp, especially in the township of Featherston. An area of a mile

round the camp was under inspection by tho ACililai-y Sanitary Corps, but in the opinion of witness tho area under sanitary patrol by the military should extend to a lour or fire-mile radius beyond the camp. He had asked to bo allowed to go to Gallipoli and also to Palestine, where Hies were bad, but he had not been allowed to go. Tlieso att'aira on those fronts were in chargo oi' Imperial experts, but they were few in number. The Government did not leave the caro of the sick to tho Imperial authorities, but it did leave the prevention of sickness to them. It seemed to him that the military efficiency of our men could bo greatly increasod if a proper corps in cnarge of ap expert were witli the New' Zealand troops. He was sure that it would be easier to deal with flies oil a baltlefront than in a cam]). In Gallipoli the condition was deplorable, and it could have been prevented. Thousands of men a day were down with gastritis and dysentry, and theso wero fly-carried diseases. Disease Carrying.

To tho chairman: 'ilieri; was absolutely no evidence mat the fly had anything to do with tiie spread of cerebrospinal meningitis. Tho authorities said that tho loiv vitality of tho micro-organism was such that it was not considered that tho iiy could be a carrier tor tho organism. Experiments would probably bo niado as opportunity offered. Attempts had beon made to carry through experimentis, but opportunities were rare, i'lies wera carriors of tuberculosis. It had been necessary to screen patients with muslin in Peatliorston Hospital in the first month that lie was there, but since then this had not bowi necessary, in the last six weeks he had seen patients protected with muslin screens in. tho Wellington Goneral Hospital. Ono of his difficulties ivns that duty pay was not given to men of his corps. Men would not stay in the work unless they were given the extra 2s. a day, because they considered (hey wero under an injustice as ccomparcd with other sanitary men, and the danger was that good men could not Ixs kept in tlio corps. Ho considered that all latrine men should bo directly under the N.Z.M.C., becauso those men did very important sanitary dutie3. No Uso for Science.

Ho spoko of tlio attitude of tho Defence Department towards scientific men, mentioning live or six men of his own acquaintance vlio had been sent out of. the country lo shoulder a rifle. These men had received valuable training, which should make the'ii of more use to the military than as mere combatants. The chairman: In other words, you say that the New Zealand military authorities have a faculty for putting- squaro pegs in round holes? AVitness: Yes, it would seem so.. In conclusion, Professor Kirk said that (ho chairman could got the Australian authorities to send him to Palestino, he would bo quite ready to go. Supplies. Major Francis Edward Ostler, Director oi Supplies and Transport, said that ho had 19 years' service in the Imperial Army with the Army Service Corps, 110 said that he encouraged suggestions from officers and non-commissioned officers, and ho had recommended for promotion officers and non-commissioned oliicers who had made useful hints and suggestions. Witness was cross-examined 111 much detail about the checks on tho issue of supplies and tht> keeping of the stock book at Narrow Neck Camp.

Tlio chairman and Mr. Rhodes both expressed extreme- dissatisfaction with tho method of check, or lack of check, on supplies, and with tho manner in which tho stock book was kept. Particular attention was drawn by them to erasures in tho stock book.

Asked whether ho was .satisfied with the keeping of the book, Major Ostler said; "It isn't too bad for tho man who is doing it," "It wouldn't 6uit mo two minutes,'' the chairman rejoined. Tho chairman asked what salary tho officer in charge (Captain Mellows; received, ho being the officer supervisiVg this work. Tlio salary was Tho chairman asked: "o\ia- £7 a week! Do you think ho would gel that anywhoro in tho world outside of the Military Forces for that sort of work, and doing it so badly ? Witness: No, sir. I do not. Tho chairman: How much do you think lie would get in civilian employ? Witness: I should say about M a week. Tho chairman: You are thinking he might meet with some philanthropic citizen? Witness: Of coursq, I don't know to what he would apply his work. The Ration Scale. Major Ostler said that tho 2s. a day ration allowance was not sufficient to buy the ration as issued. The cost would be a])out lis. Gd. outside* the camp for the scale of ration allowed in camp. Perhaps a man might be fiblo to buy what ho swallowed for this amount. Ho was of opinion that the allowance should be, however, only what the cost of the rations was to the Government. He did not know of cases of men drawing the ration allowance and getting meals in camp, but ho believed that the opportunity to do this txistad. He considered that 2s. a day was an adequate allowunco for rations, but tho scale at the camps was so generous that no man living could possibly eat the food issued unless he were a glutton. The food issued could not be purchased for 'is. Gd. a day. , Doctor's Professional Pay. Snrgcoii-Ui.iierai 14. 6. i. Henderson. Direciur-uentTtf Jot Medical Services, sum tnat an allowance ot 10s. a day .extra was allowed to doctors on service, .lie was not suxo about ceunsts ill tne Dental Corps. •j ne ciiunjuan: Why is it paid. Witness: 1 tnink it was considered to be on accuunt ot their prolessional work. Tne cnairnian: That would be all ri«iit in tne voluntary days, but in a conscript army do .vou think it is neces nary? Witness: I think so. sir. The chairman; Utlier professional men going into tho Army don't get it-an architect, a civil engineer, a lawyer? Does a lawyer get it, a K.C.P Witness' No; I presume they com# in us ti«hting men; medical men come in as experts, and they have iiad to give up practices, mnking jjreat sacrifices, many of them. The chairman:. But are not a lot of thorn young fellows h'oni the universityr Don't thev get the 10s. a day, too? Witness: ¥cs, they all gvt the same. But a number of doctors havo entered into mortgages to set up in practice. I thought it was a fair thing in taking professional men out of practice-^—. The chairman: 1 was not questioning tlie rule. What I sav is that an engineering man who takes charge of a professional branch ol' the Army docs not get anything at all? Witness: No. Tlie chairman: A Uuvyer going on a military board as a lawyer, does he get an allowance? • . Witness: I don't know what Ins linv is. I do know tlnit in the Imperial Army an officer in the Royal Engineers is tli? most hichlv mid of all. • The chairman: Ones it not seem unfair lhat doctors should havo higher status than other professional men in the' Army? Witness >10; not in consideration ot the expert work they havo to do. Their work is of enormous importance. The Service Generally, General Henderson went on to answer a seric-s of questions submitted to him in writing by the Commission. He said lhat lie did not eonsid.tr the hospi_i-.il ships had been overstocked, considering the exigencies of the service oil which they were first sent, for I ho conveyance of largo numbers of wounded comparatively distances. Utterly, when tin: ships wore running longer voyages, tlie expenditure i:f medical mil surgical material had not been so great. The pn-rchaso in advance oi large supplies of drugs and material reprisenied a very largo profit indeed, owing to more recent, j rises in prices. The hospital ships ' were well equipped, and woro generally j well up io the standard of tho best Imperial hospital shins. The Red Cr«s ' were, invariably inhirai i! ;.s ;.i the l.iml ' ft' gift goods '.-eiiuiriil, :ihd also as to those not rccommendi-il n- Onnil Henderson answered at length a suggestion that there were more medical boards than were required. He Siiid that the bovirds had been reduced when this was possible. Tho eleven district hoards had been reduced to fivo, but thero was a probability that tho urgency

of tho present situation would call for tho re-establishment of tho eleven District Medical Boards. Ho said that there had been a proposal to closo Awapuni Camp, but it was immediately dropped; as it was recognised that it would seriously impair the elliciency oi tlio medical service. It used to be considered, ho coutinued, that a soldier recovered nioro quickly when lie knew he was out of the -ii'iny, and not liaole to servo again, and for this reason men were discharged before they were completely cured. Experience had proved that, from a disciplinary point ot view, it was better not to discharge a man until ho was (it to leave hospital, and this was tho rulo now. Ho insisted, even under contrary pressure by tho chairman, that the elaborate regulations for the requisitioning of supplies were necessary for the purposes of check, and (hat they were not at all difficult. The death-rate in the camps was .IS, while that of tlio male civilian population was 4.02, thus showing lower death-rate ill camp than that among the male civilians. Regarding 6ick rates, the only comparison that could be made was betwpen the latest records of the Imperial Aimv in peace times, as follow:—In the Imperial Army, 1013, the last statistics available, tlio admission rato was W7 per 1000 cases, and tho cnnstimtly sick rate 23.W, while those for the N.Z.E.F. showed the admission rate, was 110 1000, and tho constantly sick rate i2.W. The Returned Unfits,

General Hen^ n rson denied that a disproportionate number of men were returned to New Zealand,' having broken down in training without seeing tho" front. Ho considered that in view of tho number of men sent from hero tlio number returnod was not high. Nor did lie approve of the idea of. sending men out of New Zealand with only a month's training. He said that this period would bo so short that it would i) 0 impossible to find out anything about a man. If this policy wero adopted a much larger number would 'inevitably fail in the intensive training in Eng' land.

The chairman put it that there wero 1167 men returned without going to tho front, and he estimated that the total loss to the Dominion was J;.')27,550, counting the cost of expenditure on the man in training and transport, and the loss of productive power to the country. The chairmr.n admitted, however,_ that the percentage of men returned without seeing service was'small. General Henderson said that many of tho men were returning because of diseases such as bronchitis or pneumonia contracted on the voyage or in.cami> in England. A small number also might be returned from the base to Englandmen who had been given duties in England at tho base.

The Commission was adjourned until 10 a.m. to-day.