SCATHING CRITICISM.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1915, Page 6

SCATHING CRITICISM.

<>:■' DKI-KWK DFPAUTMKXT. WAKTKi-T'L riXPLNDITCKK. Auckland. Yistordnv. e ; " very plain opinions v.erc'c-;-pre.-ed to a rep", -entative of Ihe And; land Star by Coloiiei ib.tgaf.- on the Trendeun in particular. '•The (lov.niineii! and the Defence Department." sal.l Ckmel ll„l : .af.c, "arc now paying the penally for ignoring ad-

vice given to I hem by more than one competent ollicer, to niv personal knowledge. You can s< arced,- think it possible that any Covernmeiit who think il worth their while Id \ote from !J7ni).()i:o to CSIIII.OIKI to year even in peace-time towards military defence, not making provision for permanent training at ia,i. only one military centre, but ihe who!■>

of them. Neither is it possible to ered't the fact thai, bar Trentham and the forts, that the Defence- I'K parlmcnt does not own one acre of suitable training ground at any one of their military centres.

"When Cev.rrnl H.ivirt was Inspector liomral. he pointed out ill.' necessity for acqririug training ground. When in command iif lli<. Mounted Brigade. [ neve;- misled an oppiuvmUy of advocating '•!:'■ same in niv persona! interviews v.-it'.i Ccno-ai (lodic-,-, for which nihil- ! iv.ii; hulked upon as r-'.iiier a nuisance than otherwise. I :i!sd included the i>commendation in i;iy anui'iil reports. WASTE AT CA/.H'S "The pnldie gencrallv have no idea of the wilful wa.-,(e of money by (he Department through not having permanent training grounds. It was had enough under the old scheme, hut has been worse under the new. owing (o the increased numbers training. Take Aur'.;land for instance. Whenever it w.i i necessary to mohilise troops, either for a training eani]i or for recruiting far ■ l; »nlli Africa, or anv other pi;r)iose. the problem ahvnvs arose: Where shail vo camp'; Which meant «e had to go, cap in hand, begging for permission to camp at Avondale llncocouise, the Domain, or hire some other property. For three successive years for Kastor encampments we used property adjacent to what is known as Castor Oil Bav. Certain expenditure! was necessary for equipments, supplying water, and 'other requisites, which was immediately abolished after the camp, which necessitated the same expenditure the following year Under the new system F will give' one illustration only of the waste of money ---that is, at Whangnroi. The infantry went into camp at Kensington Park. 1 think it was the end of April. Klalxvrate preparations were made for a temporary camp of six days. If ] remember rightly, acetylene gas was laid on to the ollicor.,' quartern. Three weeks after the infantry went cut of camp, the .Mounted Regiment had to go in for their annual training. Kensington Park was not available for the mounted troops, consequently paddocks had to be hind at Maunu, a most unsuitable place. as the parade grounds for a mounted I regiment were not nearly adequate. Water was laid on for some considerable distance with two-inch pipes, acelylene gas laid on to the oflicers'' quarters and mess tents, new iron cook houses and store sheds erected, all of which was immediately abolished after the eniup. And so the thing has been going on the whole time all throughout the dominion. No business undertaking could exist under such maiiaiiemoiit, yet it has been allowed *n continue.''

AS TO TIUOXTJjAM. "('online; <l<>wii to (lie present unsatisfactory state at Trontliam, there is a ".real 'leal of blame laid on the ollicirtls. ~Pioliably tliiit may lie comet to some extent, hut I think t!ie Minister „f DM'enr-c cannot possibly escape Illume on this oeeasion. It - lie had used jnv foresHu whatever, after it was decided l„ send tlie tivst ami second expeditionary forces. lie must, have known that hr'tje reinforcements would lie necessary, ami tint 'lrontham Ciini]), in j-;„, present uosanitary condition, would not be suitable without a 1,.,-y,, expenditure of money to accommodate, witli satisfactorv '.■>'■- suits, (,'„■ number -if men and horses which has already passed throng], the camp. "In conversation, i,„ oflicor fro,-,, 'Jrenthaiii on Sunday hist infovmeil me there were over K.UUO men in enmp and a number of horses. That beine .„,, a :iy , coimnoii-seiise business man must know liat it is impossible to keep a pi-,.,. like Irentham in a healthv condition without metal slreels ami a' oroper in,dore,round sewerage, and also a linn mil draiuehlo eromid for the accommodation ol hort.es.

j MIUTAKV ];.\i:!:aci;:.; XKKJ)Ki). "In l'ai-1., what was required at the .'•''"'""•neement of the war was prae'i'■•■l'l.V military barr.o-ks with Ihe IM-I "'l'»|"m-nt. 1 have m, patience wit', the ol'icer whn |ell, yi „, ~,.,, ~,,.„ (|l ,, i|i(ii! throit.eh bor-e lines and iron''',,'.,, '/ei'd to another, also have t„ sleep vuder temporary shelter, (hat il is ..„„d ■ ,-.,;„. m- for the men. Yet ( ],. m, ,„,„.,[' ,„, several occasions sueh remarks mede "iiat we want is to train the men for active sere,,.,. „,„],,,. . (S ( .„ m [ linM „ <.,.„. dd.ons as possible, also t„ keep t ].eni in ihvhvM of heai.h. („ ~.,„] ,|,em aw.v as lit as possible, for we arc well aware "'■' ,«•!„.„ Ihey ~et („ i|, P front ,!„.,. will have enoueh hardships t„ contend v.ith. without pvinu them a f li: ,. t:Mtl . ;„.. lore they leave. It is only eonimon some 1" suppose that a man' will do ne>.-.-< work, meaiiinjr more Irainiii". under ,•„•■- iovlable conditions. Mv „„| v ,(.,.,„.;„. '* tint (he epidemic did not'break on, ''»»;: 0.-o>. The r,s„lt is now. instead ol havinj!' one cmcenlrated camp, which must be realised as the most economical in every way for the whole of the force Treutliaiii are now scattered, and hurnedly sent to three ,„■ four most inconvenient places, i„„„. of which ,-an i„,s-i',-l.v he suitable without a lur-o expenditure. There is no wonder (h,. public f-'ouorallv is indignant, because i',.. whole is f,,r uani or foresight and common-sense management.