DRAYTON GRANGE SCANDAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 542, 11 October 1902, Page 3

DRAYTON GRANGE SCANDAL.

REPORT OK COMMISSION, By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. SYDNEY, October 10. The Drayton Orange Commission iind. that I litre was no organisation of the medical service before depart'ire. Under ordinary conditions the stall was ample, hut with the epidemics which occurred only a careful apportionment of work could meet the heavydemand. The medical officer who was in charge did not utilise the services of other officers to the best advantage Lack of concord apparently existed. No isolation hospitals were provid- i ed.

In regard to the troops no rigid di.cipline was attempted. The offict commanding was unduly lax. I'll captain and officers of the ship ..r commended for having readily cespo.i tied to requests of the military olh cers. Discussing the responsible officers tin report says thatthe officer commandm, flic troops, whilo possessed of a desiri to do his best in a trying position seems to have decided that the “ best’ was to accept things as they were, rather than to make strenuous efforts t< improve them ; in other words, to endure rather than to overcome. As an officer of long standing in the Imperial and colonial forces he cannot be excused on the grounds of inexperience. The medical officer in charge never sufficiently took charge, lie did not spare himself, but the other medical officers, though willing to take up additional work, were not fully occupied, owing "to a faulty division of labor. He withdrew himself from keen general overnight, and failed to give attention to remedial measures which have removed or mitigated some of the unwholesome conditions. As the youngest medical officer, with the shortest term of active service, lie appears Lo have felt diffidence in exercising full authority. Considering the number and description of troops on board and the grave questions liable to arise it would have been better if a medical officer of larger experience, well versed in organisation, had been placed in charge.

In reference to the men, the report says that though by no means all of them did so, they contributed to the troubles from which they and others suffered by their own acts, habits, and negligence. Very few took elective steps by representations to the officers to have matters altered for the better, even where alteration was manifestly possible, and the majority seem to havo frequently submitted to discomfort or worse when a little arrangement or exertion on their part would havo provided relief. Tiie Commission finds that the responsibility for what under the circumstances of tiie troops and nature of the voyage was undue crowding of the vessel, for insufficiency of hospital accommodation, and for defects in deck sheathings, rests with the Imperial embarkation officers in South Africa ; for the non-landing of the sick with the authorities in Western Australia, and for failure to improve unnecessarily aggravated and undesirable conditions in the vessel on the officer conmia-iiding the troops and the medical officer in charge.