New Zealand.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 283, 8 May 1915, Page 8

New Zealand.

ANOTHER HOSPITAL OFFERED. FIRST HOSPITAL TO 00 TO ENGLAND. Wellington, Last Night. We have offered another stationary nospital for the use of Imperial troops," said the Hon. J. Allen, Minister for'liefence, this afternoon. " The staff will' number about 1(X). The authorities want 113 to send beda and bedding. Most of it will be procured in England, where *t '"ore quickly procurable, hut blana ,'?• from Nevv Zealand. Additional comforts may be sent to the Mayoress. Mrs. J.- V. Luke, but intending contributors should take care to see that they only send along articles which are really needed. The first stationary hospital being supplied by New Zealand to the Imperial Government has now been mobilised at Trenlham, and will sad for England, via Australia, on May

gifts for the troops. dental that tiiev aveuh sold. WHY SOME TROOPERS WERE SENT HOME.. . •r , ~ Auckland, Last towards t.ic end of January last a mimbor of complaints were made in publ c by members of the expeditionary torn who were returned to the Dominion Oi tariotls reasons. Mr. ,1. R. feed ' askl ' d tlle public to suspend jud<r! incut as to the truth or otherwise of t ie SflrT*" " 'lotions had been made .had an opportunity of being heard -Mr. liced wrote lo the headquarters T l '' Cairo ' a,ui i^rd^ nccned a reply from Lieutenant-Colon,'.; ," i Liraithwaite, General Stall' Officer or the -Now /calami and Australian divisions, who, inter alia, said: "You do f r \°- t , llu t !' anks of the people of New Zealand and of the soldiers of t'iis force tor so promptly exposing the all too vicious habit adopted by the New Zealand press of airing the so-called crievances of those, men who have .been retained to_ the Dominion either on account of sickness or for refusal to obey military orders. As you sa v, the vast majority of New Zealand people will niv little attention to the comments of those men who have been sent home a 3 undeo!'<il ,-T °u f ?i refl,ai "S to to »'l'ly with 0.1 S. At the same time there is a u l;i in section who may be led astray tll,s and no doubt many ol , e 4uite enjoy the notoriety oi I'e.ng interviewed by the press correspondents. For those few men who are returned to New Zealand on account of sickness we all, from the General down, haw the greatest sympathy, but as to the 4j men who were sent back because the_v lefused to undergo innociilation against enteric fever tlle New Zealand expeditionary force hits nothing but supreme. contempt. Before leaving New Zealand every soldier signed his attestation form, and in it he certified bis willingness to he vaccinated. Durino- the voyage these men were personallyi"interviewed and exhorted by the medical officers and their commanding officers to undergo innoculation, as by failing to do so they not only endangered their own lives but 'became a source of danger to their comrades, Up till the last minute they yere repeatedly asked not to be so foolish. The G. 0.0. himself interviewed them and tried his best to induce them to .be innoculated. -livery oil iccr in the expeditionary force underwent innoculation. Many of lis ?iad been innoculated previously, but as an example to the men we were re-innocu-lateil. "\\ ith regard to other complaints, such as matters in connection will, can-

teens, foodstuff.-;, gifts, etc., I would like to draw your attention to the following facts. All {foods wort! placed on board the transports entirely at the disposal of officers the troops, ami from what 1 can gather they were fairly and evenly distributed. At the outset, special precautions were taken to prevent any admixture of gifts with canteen goods, and tho various committees of officers who were selected to nmna"e Hie canteen on each e,-iip were instructed to see that no gift g00d.., found their \\aA| into the canteen. The same tiling applied on landing i:j Jigypt. All cai" teen stores were packed on board ship and eases legibly branded "Canteen, 'anil were, issued to the canteen supervisor trom the supply depot, into which everything went for distribution, with the exception of five eases of mullet, which, being too small a quantity for issue, were sold and tile gross amount divided between the, different regimental funds. Oil the whole I think we have been exceedingly free from complaints. The men are well fed, their mess costs the New Zealand (Jovernment is 2d- per day per man and they get full value for it. it is a pity that the press have allowed themselves to he interviewed by these men before ascertaining tho real truth of the situation. Men who have' misbehaved themselves and have keen sent ■back as a punishment are not in the least likely to give an Accurate account of their doings or the reason for their return."

THE MEN IN ACTION. It was reported that No. 10/00-1, Private ;\l. I'. Davidson, was among the wounded in the Dardanelles. It should read Xo. 10/004, Private W. I'. Davidson. He was with the Kightli New Zealand Contingent during the Boer war. His next-of-kin is ill's. \V. Kelly, of Stratford. He is well known in XV.v Plymouth, and was a former member of the Kast Hnd Bathing Reserve Committee. Private 11. 11. Mackrell, of the Wellington Infantry, who was wounded r.t, the Dardanelles, is a grandson of Mr. John 1-leslop, of Kltham. Private Piper, who has been killed, was born at Weston, near Oamaru, and was about 30 years of age. He was engaged in laboring work in Dimedin before enlisting. He was a tingle man. Private Catto is a son of S; rgt.-Maj.ir Catto, formerly of the local Defence 6frico, and now at Trentham. Private Clarkson was i born in Greyniouth 24 years ago, and went to Dunedin with his parents when four yours of age. lie was a single man, and was employed in Messrs ISargood, Son, ami Ewan's boot factory. Private Cameron was born in Dunedin and is 25 years of age. He was single and employed in the Hillside Worshops. He left with the main body.

A WAR TROPIIY. Wellington, May 7. By a transport which recently returned to the Dominion there arrived one of the iron pontoons used by tile Turks in the attempt to cross the Sue:': Canal. H supplies conclusive evidence of the thoroughness with which Germany equips her allies. Tho boat is 24 feci, long and of 5 feet beam. It is perfectly made and is of the type used by the Germans for rapid bridge, building. That the fighting was severe is shown by the shot-torn craft. She is simply riddled from stem to- stern. The sight of the boat brings home the grim' reality of Turkey's aggressiveness in the Canal zone.

LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR. 'Wellington, May 7. Ilis Excellency the Governor has sent to the Minister of Defence a letter in which he commends the valuable work done by the headquarters staff in connection with the training, equipment and dispatch of the troops. ''lt is, - ' says his Excellency, 'a source of pride to all of us that in such times of stress and difficulty all the public departments have so" ably and willingly risen to the occasion." The letter concludes by expressing the opinion thai their labor has been well rewarded by t : :e eminently | satisfactory results achieved.