TREATMENT OF THE CADETS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 10 July 1901, Page 4

TREATMENT OF THE CADETS.

[OUR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.]

Wellington, This Day,

The question of the treatment of the Cadets during their recent visit to Christchurch was again brought up in the House by Mr. Meredith, yesterday, after he had urged the Government to hold a public enquiry into the matter, and in doing so related the result of a personal visit that he paid to Gloucester street and Normal School where the boys were billeted. The boys, he said were cold and hungry when they arrived there, and yet were kept Waiting outside the schools until the buildings were opened and lighted up, then a man arrived with some bundles of straw, but some of it having been in the rain it was damp. On the Monday after it was more like chaff than anything else. He then thought the cold was several degrees below freezing point. No fires were lighted the whole time the boys were in the schools, and Mr. Meredith urged that if twelve good house wives had been appointed to make the ] ecessary arrangements they would have made provision for the comfort of the boys on their arrival and during their stay there. The Premier said it was very much to be regretted that tho member for Ashley should make such charges. As the Minister for Defence he declared that he had had no complaints from the lads who it was said had been so badly treated, but on the other hand he had proof positive from gentlemen who were specially entrusted with the arrangements, and from medical men that everything was done to provide for the comfort of the boys, and the medical men testified that nothing could have been better than the ai-rangements which were made. He had never had a single complaint from a parent or a boy, and the members who visited the same schools told him they were very well satisfied with tho arrangements. " Our Boys," remarked Mr. Seddon, are not gingerbread and he deprecated the agitation that was being raised about such a matter, it would, he pointed out be very dangerous to light fires in buildings filled with straw, and he went on to say that he had received communications from the officers and the boys' parents thanking him for the treatment accorded to them, In his opinion the complaints that had been made had no foundation whatever, except perhaps in regard to keeping the boys on the wharf in the rain instead of letting them go into the good- j shed.

Mr Meredith said if the Premier would grant an enquiry, lie was prepared to support the statement he had made as absolutely correct no matter what the Premier lias stated to the contrary. " My word is as good as the word of any Hon member in this House," concluded the member for Ashley, with some show of warmth.

Mr Willis also had a word to say on the subject. The boys from Wanganui, he declared, were insufficiently provided for, and a telegram was sent from the master in charge of the Wanganui people to send down money to enable proper •provision to be made for them. In three or four hours' time £2O was collected and sent to the boys, and was the means of making them thoroughly comfortable. Mr Meredith : Hear! hear !