THE TRAINING CAMPS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 41, 12 November 1918, Page 6

THE TRAINING CAMPS

COMMENTS ON COMMISSION'S

REPORT.

The memorandum prepared at a conference of officers ana presented to Parliament with the Defence Commission's report contains the -following additional notes upon suggestions and reeommenuac.ons made by we commission:— "Reduce camp establishments":—"lt is regretted that thw question was not given more consideration. Little evidence was called for from officers concerned. It- must be remembered that Medical and Dental Corps alone account for 20 percent, of the camp staff. The New Zealand camps compare extremely favourably with the camps in the United Kingdom as regards size of staff. The strength of the camps staffs is, however, constantly under revision, and every effort is made to effett reductions. A table attached shows the proportion of staffs to camp strengths to be:—Sling, 1 to 5; Trentham, 1 to 7.6. "Shortcomings in camps, due to too much nursing of Camp Commandants and other officers":—"The Camp Commandants have a very free hand in the control of their camps. There aro certain matters, however, which cannot lie left in their hands—e.g., enlistment, discharge, and transfer of .personnel. Such matters ■ as these require co-ordination throughout the Dominion. "Lack of application of true principles of organisation":—"The adverse criticism ui tiie camps on the ground of 'lack of application of the principles of organisation' is considered to be unwarranted in view of the smoothness with i whioh the camps have run, the condi-. tions existing therein, and the results achieved. The camps were organised without previous experience in tlie Dor minion, and, for the greater part, the staff was created from untrained officers and men. The conimission have apparently found no waste of public money. If the 'true principles of organisation' had been so disregarded, could such results have been achieved? With the exception of the outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis in 1915, the camps have never been a source of anxiety or even of trouble. . *. x

"Drafte from New Zealand are not fully or uniformly trained."—"The evidence brought before the commission that the standard of the reinforcements on arrival in the "United Kingdom 'generally was found to be good'' is full confirmation oiPtho correctness of the policy of the Defence Department. It is true that men have been embarked shorttrained on various occasions during the war, owing to Uie necessity of filling ships, combined'with shortages of drafts on mobilisation or caused by sickness. Reports received by General Richardson and other responsible officers in regard to. all drafts dispatched from New Zealand during- the past ten months have been uniformly most satisfactory. "It is further stated that frequent visits to the camp by the Chief of the General Staff are necessary, not in order to interfere with the Camp Gmimnndantirand Chief Instructors, but that he may nave the 'full intimate knowledge'•• which the Commissioners themselves consider so j necessary. The Camp Commandants' re-1 sponsibilities have been clearly defined. ■ "Regarding tho inter-camp moves, the notes state that tho expense of a riflerange .at Teatherston is not considered warranted when tho Trentham ranges aire available. Recruits must be segregated at Tauherenikau Camp for a month after mobilisation by (.rder of the medical authorities. There must, therefore, of necessity be a move into and out of that camp. Drafts are mobilised at Trentham, and are thon moved to Tauherenikau. The reason for this is that the infantry are embarked from Trentham, and it simplifies the accounting for equipment, clothing, etc.. if the camp which issued on mobilisation also writes off on embarkation. It is an exaggeration to say that fifty to a hundred men could be out out from the camp staff jf inter-camp moves were possible to bo abolished—fivo to ten would bo a more probable number. "Much could be learned from American methods of mobilisation and administration. Officers—e.g., Camp Commandants —might be sent to America."—"Tho suggestion to send the Camp Commandants is not considered practicable It must not ; bo forgotten that America has had to obtain the services of British officers to assist in tho instruction of her troops.''

The report deals fully with tho position in regard to 1 -camp instruction. It is shown (link nil save a few of the instructors liiwo lwen on active aervico; the work in New Zealand is on broad lines, but constant drafts of assistant instructors from Imperial schools are obtained.