THE TAKAPAU CAMP.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 18, 12 May 1914, Page 8

THE TAKAPAU CAMP.

THE MINISTER IN DEFENCE. [Per Press Assootation.] ■Wellington. May IT. Hon. James Allen, .Minister of Defence, had a low words to say to a reporter this afternoon in reply to criticism which has been levelled against the administration of the recent encampment. "With respect to mufti being taken into camp, he knew of no order preventing that being done. Certainly there was no general order, and if any such order was given it must have been by a junior officer, and without any authority from headquarters. As to extra pay, the question had cropped up some time before the camp disturbance took place, and Colonel Chaytor wrote about it a fortnight before the camp commenced. The letter was forwarded on to him by the Gen-eral-Officer Commanding, he thought, on the 20th of April, and was sent back by himself for further information. It came to him again a few days later, and lie approved of the extra pay being given. That approval was given three or four days before the “row” took place in camp, and the disturbance had nothing whatever to do with the question of payment for extra days in camp. The question was settled long before. The Minister added that there had been an inquiry into the disturbance. He had pot yet received the report, but lie believed it would disclose some rather interesting information, “As to the time of year at which the camps should he held,” he added, “it is impossible to satisfy everybody. Some of the farmers are now asking that camps should be held even later than at present. The Department does its best to meet the situation. This year, I admit, camps were a little bit later than usual. That was because of General Sir lan Hamilton’s visit. “I have nothing to say about the Railway Department. There will have to he a conference between the Defence Department and the Railway Department, with the object of discovering some more satisfactory method for the transport of troops, and to avoid any of the delay which has placed the Defence Department in the position of having to find a great deal more for payment of troops than it would otherwise have had to pay.” As to the health of the troops, the Minister said his impression was that they were coming back from the camps, even at Takapau, much improved in health. “Taking it altogether,” ho said, “1 believe these camps Aiave done an enormous lot to improve ,the health of the young fellows who have gone there, and they are cifming to their work physically in much better condition than when they went away.”