FEATHER-BED SOLDIERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 68, 16 April 1909, Page 2

FEATHER-BED SOLDIERS

COMPLAINTS AGAINST RAILWAY TRAVELLING. TIIE MANAGER SPEAKS OCT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, April 15. lit connection with the complaints concerning the alleged defective arrangement for the transport of troops to the Canterbury Easter manoeuvres, the General Manager of Railways says: "There is always trouble ill regard to volunteers. They consider ill many cases that they should receive much greater consideration than is extended to the ordinary public, and yet they are supposed to be acting under war conditions. We do the best we can fur them, but our experience lias not been satisfactory. There is a considerable lack of discipline, and as a general rule we don't get much assistance from the officers. At' the Oringi encampment things went oil' very successfully, and the' officers worked admirably and gave every assistance. We only have a lerl/iiu amount of rolling-stock, an I ■*. .;

that women anil children ,r.w li ... claim on covered carriage-. -Most m the volunteers are young men, and most of tlii'in would put up with far greater inconvenience to attend an athletic contest or play in a footliiill nitttch."