THE HAWERA CAMP.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 97, 24 April 1912, Page 5

THE HAWERA CAMP.

A AVET DAY COMES

THE GENERAL’S VISIT

AVhen the Eleventh Regiment opened its eyes yesterday morning at tiie sound of the bugle it found the rain descending in torrents, and all day long the downpour lasted, with hriefOf course, the usual routine was completely upset, and projected drill movements, including a route march, had to be abandoned.

The number of visitors to the camp was not large, partly on account of weather conditions, and partly because many people desired to he present at the Military Sports to-day, at which the G.O.C. and other headquarters’ officers are to he present. General Godley arrived at Hawertf by the mail train last night, and was met by Colonel -Chaytor, Colonel Malone, Caplain Hamilton, and other officers, but he did not visit the camp until this morning. Though the day was so wet it did not seem to damp the spirits of the men at all, and they behaved admirably, and in the evening gathered in force to witness a great wrestling competition. To-morrow the first camp of the 11th Regiment will break up, after a very successful week in training. THE COMMISSARIAT. WRONG IMPRESSIONS. SURGEON-CAPTAIN HOME’S STATEMENT. As in a previous article it was pointed out, after a thorough and exhaustive enquiry by our special representative, the complaints made by some of tiie men in camp as to the commissariat arrangements, was found to he hardly warranted, and though the mess-room outfit was hardly so swagger as the dining-room fixtures of a first-class city hotel, it was certainly up lo the best standard of camp life. AVhen large bodies of massed men have to be fed for several consecutive days it is impossible to avoid some inequalities, but Territorials, at any rate, should remember that they are in training for possible active -service, and should not lie too fastidious. The matter is well put by Surgeon-Captain Home, who again yesterday personally conducted a representative of the “Stratford Post” through the messrooms and kitchen, and handed over the following letter for publication(To the Editor “Stratford Post.”) Sir, —Impressions have got abroad, and it has even been mentioned in the columns of newspapers that the commissariat department of the camp of the 11th Regiment has been seriously at fault. 1, therefore, make the following authoritative explanation of the circumstances. At the outset, in justice to the caterer, his suppliers and assistants, I wish to state that, with the exception of an occasional jug of slightly turned milk, no tainted meat or other food has been supplied to the camp up to d:\te, and the food has been well cooked. The complaints amongst the men regarding their meat arose from a perhaps, unnecessary extra precaution taken to disinfect the big room in which the men were fed, under the main grandstand, by the use of chloride of lime. A freshly-eut meat surface rapidly absorbs the volatile acid generated, and in consequence acquires a sour smell. This is certainly the reverse of appetising, but it is not unwholesome, and the fact was verified by the commanding officer and myself eating of the actual pieces of meat brought as the cause of complaint. Some of the men became infected with the idea that they were being fed with dangerously tainted meat, and a certain amount of confusion resulted, the orderlies not being able to maintain a working arrangement. The trouble would have been smoothly explained and settled if the men had known the right way of representing their grievances, but this knowledge could hardly be expected of men who had been only four days in a camp of their first training. Had it not been for the confusion mentioned the system would have worked quite smoothly. There lias always been a full snfliciency of food supplied, but owing to the disorder it could not be properly allotted. AVith a better understanding of commissariat routine there might have been individual complaints, but never a collective one. It is absolutely unfair to the caterer to think that any unwholesome food lias been supplied to the mess tables. The officers ah through have eaten of exactly the same meat as the men, and the officers arc unanimous that the food and its preparation for the table are as good, or better, than at any other temporary 7 camp within their experience.— L am, etc.,

GEORGE HOME, M.D., ' Captain N.Z.M.C. Medical Officer in Charge of Camp of 11th Regiment at Hawera.

Chloride of lime is nasty stuff, and it was not wisdom to put it on the floor of a mess-room: but the act was well-meant and the disinfectant was used in oVer-anxiety to safeguard the men’s liealtn. After all, there really was not much to complain about, though hungry hoys—used to the comforts of a good home and with mothers and sisters to wait on them—would probably find fault where none Honestly lay, ’ forgetting that they were, for tiie time being, soldiers on service conditions. Colonel .Malone, Captain Lampon, and those associated with them in controlling the big camp, are indefatigable in their efforts to insure the men’s comfort and safety, and their courtesy to visitors is also unbounded. THE CHAPLAIN. That the time did not hang too heavily on the men’s hands yesterday was cine to the efforts of some old campaigners w ho knew how to organise mo (mods of entertainment. Foremost of these was that cheeriest of chaplains—the Venerable Archdeacon of Taranaki, Territorial Chaplain Captain Evans. During tho week under canvas he has inatto many sincere friends, and his kindness to everybody including even stray visitors who may have wandered inside his fold—nas to he experienced to he understood. Officers and men have lots of good things to say about the Chaplain’. WRESTLING. SOME FIXE CONTESTS. It was a happy thought on the part t.f Captain Lam pen to devise ways and means for sports and regimental contests, and last night the first part of the programme was undertaken before a densely-crowded and immcnselyinterestod body of officers, and men,

corns' visitors also being present,_ Mr P. Skoglund, of Stratford, kindly undertook tiie duties of Referee. 'llle wrestling contests, which were for heavy, middle, and light weight championships of Hie ’laninaki battalion of our 'territorial army duly eventuated. Some of the meetings provided splendid sport, the lack of knowledge of the science of Hie game being made up by the willingness ol the contestants to get to work. The final bout of the neavy weight competition was a strenuous effort in which unite strength on the one side and sc once on tne other, struggled for supremacy. In tbc end strength and condition were made manifest, and science had to bow the knee in token of defeat.

The middle weight contest was not very exciting, and in less than ten minutes Laverty’s superior strength prevailed over .his lighter opponent. The bout between Davis and Wills, in the first round of the light-weight division, provided another interesting struggle. Wills was the heavier and also had some knowledge, hut Davis made up for Ids lack of weight in the knowledge lie gained from lessons from tne redoubtable Louis Robertson. Though Davis could not make any impression upon his heavy opponent, lie resisted all attempts of his

adversary to throw him. He showed great cleverness in twisting and turning cut of difficulties. He had counters for all of AA’ills’ attacks, but in Hie end gave in exhausted, though lie had not been thrown.

Wills and MeLonghlin contested t’ae final bout for the light-weight championship, anti after an uninteresting (unit of three quarters of an hour, the referee awarded the prize to AV ills. The awards were ;—Heavy weight, Salisbury (!) Company); middle-weight Laverty (H Company); light weight, Wills (F Company). \A c understand a match is being arranged betwen Molloy and Salisbury, the contest to take place in Stratford in the near future. GENERAL GODLEY. ADDRESS TO THE MEN. (By Tclegraph. —Specie 1.) Hawera, This Day. The day opened with showery weather, but by noon it was fine, and the sports will probably bo hold this afternoon. General Godley, accompanied by Colonel Chaytor and Lieutenant Richmond (Orderly Officer to the G.0.C.). visited the camp this morning, the men being drawn up for inspection in the Grandstand. General Godley, addressing the Regiment, said he was very pleased to have had the opportunity of seeing such a fine body of men in camp, hut was sorry the weather condit ons liad not been more propitious, so that lie might have seen how ever, locking forward to doing that nekt year. From what lie had seen, them at work in the field. He was. and from what Colonel Malone had told him of the spirit in which the men had done their work, lie was perfectly satisfied that next year, the 11th Regiment would be a very effective battalion. He congratulated the Regiment upon the good muster at camp, and he was pleased to see that they were all doing their little bit for tiie defence of their country and of the Empire.