The Row in Camp

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 291, 12 May 1914, Page 5

The Row in Camp

THE MINISTER MAKES Aft EXPLANATION. **' .' SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION PROMISED. AS TO THE REAL CAUSE OF THE RIOT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Hon. James Allen, Minister of (Defence, hail a few words to say to. a reporter this afternoon in reply to crii.icism which has been levelled against the administration of the recent £iicanipment. With respect to mufti being taken into camp, he knew of no order preventing that being, done. Certainlv 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 GeneralOilicer Commanding, he thought, on the 20th of April, and was sent 'back by himself for further information. It came to him again a v fcw days later, and he approved of the extra pay being given. That approval was given three or four days before the "row" took place in eanip, and the disturbance had nothing whatever to do with t'he question of payment for extra days in camp; The question was settled long before. The Minister added that there had been an enquiry into the disturbance. Ho had not yet received the report, but he believed it would disclose some rather interesting information. "As to the time of year at which the camps should be 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 docs 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 t,ie Railway Department. There will have to be a conference between the Defence Department and the Railway Department, with the object of discovering some move satisfactory method for the transport of troops, and to avoid anv of the delay which has placed the defence Department in the position of having to And a great deal more Mr payment of fcroons 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 cainpi, even at Takapau, much improved m liealth._ "Taking it altogether," he sai«, "1 believe these camps have done an enormous lot to improve the health nl the young fellows who have gone thcte, and they are coming back to their work physically in much better condition than when they went away."