TRENTHAM COMMESSION

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 4 August 1915, Page 2

TRENTHAM COMMESSION

WELLINGTON, An;:. L'. The Trcntham Commission resumed to-day. Gicorge Eobb, architect, in response to a request from the Commission, had prepared a statement. He detailed his experience of hutments in South Africa, New Zealand, and elsewhere. This led him to believe that the use of iron was not. conomical as it intensified the temperature, and to render the huts comfortable and healthy it was necessary to line them with some non-con-ductor —asbestos, canvas, or wood. Temporary hospitals erected in Eng; ?and were lined and ceiled with asbestos, and ho believed wcor of wood and iron. Bushmen and navvies in New Zealand preferred canvas or wooden huts or touts to unlined iron huts, which they would not sleep in. At Maritzburg the huts were of canvas on wood frames, wooden floor on piles, Iron loan-to roof with felt underneath. Th.e space between the rows was about 30 feet by 12 feet 9 inches in two compartments, with accommodation for no* more than four people in each. By request, witnessed the Trcntham camp 07; Friday, 23rd July. There were pools and mud everywhere. There was no effective surface drainage. Near headquarters there was some congestion and disorder in the disposition of the touts, some being onifp three or fol- - apart. Here was ample space between the blocks of hutments, but only IS feet between the huts. The site for the camp was too flat. The soil and subsoil though naturally porus, might become clogged with fine material owing to the traffic. The hutments were too close together to allow of sufficient air space and ventilation. On the present or even the former prices, the burs could have been constructed' more chea.plv of non-conducting materials than of iron. He recommended ridge ventilation, which would provide for the escape of impure air. The ArtCouncil recommended caves or ri-Jg;-ventilation, but the former applied buildings erected at the plate level, cr with outlets in the ridgf^

Sister Alice Favam said she was at • Berhamporo Hospital from 2nd June to 17th July. She assisted in attendance on Fordham and Pollard. Pollard arrived with a temperature of 101.8 and had a cough. Fordham told her Itaie-f that, it had been suggested that he should go to Wellington Hospital, but he had preferred to stay at Eerham■noro. Pollard’s temperature rose after Hmr da vs.' Fordham did not appear -• ill as Pollard. He devorvned a tc>-■nev-f.ire about the same time as e othr patient. To Hr. Martin; Witness could not par \y.hv an' exception to the rule of sending seriously ill patients to Wellington was made .in the ease of Poulard.

Dr. Martin: Do you think a pneumonia patient could get as good treatment at Berhamporo as at Wellington Hospital?—No doubt pneumonia cout® be treated better at the General Hospital.

And you don’t know why Pollarcr was not moved?—-NO, It was not mentioned to me.

Sister Favam said that when the hospital was being vacated she asked whether papers, etc., wore to be sent down to the epartment. She was told

to destroy what had been in the wards. Pollard’s and Fordham’s charts were among these papers.

Dr. Martin: On what date were you told to destroy these charts* —After the patients had left. She rang up the Stores Department, but could not say who gave her the instruction.-*. Charts were not specially mentioned. She inquired, because she thought it undesiable to send papers which might carry infection.

Percy Morgan (re-called) stated that the drainage from the camp after passing through the gravel would reach the Hutt Eiver and be conveyed to Wellington Harbour. It would reach the river about the gorge. He had exaru-

ed a site at Foatherston, where the surface dainago would bo bettor than at Trentham. If Trentham was to be a permanent camp there should be some special drainage provision, as in course of years the soil and sub-soil would become contaminated.

Private Henry H. Botham.'y, of the [ Sixth Reinforcements, stated Hint he had come forward in response to u subpoena. He joined two months ago. 1 Three days after the tents were blown down ho reported on sick parade and, went to the racecourse hospital. fb' had a high tmperature and sore throat. After inoculation his temperature was 10t. He walked back to the lines and some of the men helped him to carry his things to the hospital. He yas asked whether he was fit to walk and lie replied "Quite fit." Ho did not like hospital in a loose-box with three others. He an another were lying on the ground. They had a waterproof sheeting and mattress. Once, on making a request to an orderly, he was told to go to a hot place, and on another occasion ho could not get the floor shut as the orderlies were going on parade. He was aftrwards at the kiosk, whore the orderlies did not seem to know much about the game." Up to the-time of .Lis dischagiy there wore no' feansJe Wntos-at the kiosk.

]■). Bates fro-called stated that when he was at the camp, Colonel Gibbon drew Iris attention to the fact that m> sickness had emanated from the sample hut. This seemed to corroborate witness’s idea that the want of

ventilation was the main cause of the sickness. He maintained that in calm and frosty weather the huts were extremely dangerous for want of ventilation and the cooling of the atmosphere.

A letter was read from Dustin and Co., canteen proprietors, denying that there had been any shortage of soap in the camp. fio far as they were concerned, they had sol'd from 300 to 400 cakes of soap per day—mostly carbolic —and they had never run short of the article.

Major O’Sullivan gave evidence as <tc getting instructions to have Bev hampore “Hospital prepared for patients. lie requisitioned the services of the Vacuum Company at once and supplied the requisites that were necessary. He gave no instructions when the place was closed. He supplied no temperature charts. He believed some wore obtained from the Wellington Hospital.

Mr. Ferguson: If the nurses say that they rang up your department and received instructions to burn them, who would be the right officer to give the instructions? —I got no such message. It is not likely any of our officers would give instructions to burn temperature charts or books. Mr. Justice Hosking said he did not know who was responsible for Berhampore Hospital, but when the Commission visited the bulldogs that day all the doors were open. The Commission hoped to finish with the witnesses that had been arranged for by Thursday, and then an opportunity would bo given to any members of the medical stal? to speak if they desired to do so.