The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1915. THE TRENTHAM COMMISSION'S REPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1915. THE TRENTHAM COMMISSION'S REPORT.

The contents of the report of the Trerotham Camp Commission, which was laid on the table of the House on Friday, will not surprise either those who followed the evidence or those who were acquainted at first hand with the conditions which existed at the camp. With regard to the contributing causes of sickness, the Commission attribute these to the aggregation of so many men in a confined space, in tents, huts, and recreation halls, often in wet clothes; the importation of fresh troops into an already infected area; wetness of the ground; inefficient surface drainage; absence of provision for drying clothes and boots; damp clothes in the hutments; unnecessary exposure during sick parades; inadequacy of provision for dealing with increasing numbers of the sick, and the specially infectious character and increasing virulence of the diseases. It is extremely probable that old seasoned troops would not have fallen victims even to the exceedingly faulty conditions that prevailed, but the crux of the whole matter is to be found in the fact that the men sent to Trentharn were mostly those who were taken from comfortable and sanitary homes and had no experience of roughing it under such a dangerous want of system that existed at Trentham, where those in charge seem to have had no experience and little or any initiative in the matter of sanitation. There was apparently only one object they studied, aM that was military training and discipline, the latter being of such magnified importance that the men were evidently regarded more as machines than as human beings who, for love of their country, had given up everything to fight for their King. It was ail very well to act on the principle that the men must learn to undergo hardships, but at least they should'have been given a chance to become gradually inured to camp life, and not plunged from the comforts of civilian life into a camp that was not only insanitary, but was teeming with infectious disease. Nor when they were stricken down did they receive that care and attention thut the sick can justly claim. The Commissionera find that there was no efficient system for the treatment of the sick, and no hospital accommodation and equipment, it being necessary when the emergency arose to provide these necessaries, with the result that disorganisation, confusion and overcrowding ensued. Apparently the system of diagnosing disease was normal and perfunctory, and the Commission could come to no other conclusion than that the medical examination with respect to sanitation had failed. It is for the Government to sift thia matter and ascertain who is responsible. On the question of whether the sick were neglected, the Commission has taken a very charitable view by adopting the Scotcli verdict of "not proven," but it is hardly likely that the public, in view of cases vouched for in the press, will take so lenient s, view; and the same remark applies to the absence of provision for notifying the relatives of the sick, a matter on which the Commission makes a very half-hearted comment, though they admit that there some delay at a certain time in the transmission of meiseagea by the sick to their friends. This surely is another matter that requires sheeting home tp thos§ respaasiWe, iWihen dealing wifbh

the question of drainage, water supply, and sanitation the report states that at the period of the overcrowding of the camp the surface drainage and sewage system became inadequate, but that the waiter supply and sanitation were efficient in general. This is so evidently making the best of things that the public will have to bear in mind the adverse criticisms levelled at the insanitary conditions that prevailed. The report upholds the site as a suitable one, but recommends the number of men there being limited to from 4000 to 4500. Though the Commission considers the camp sanitary, yet a complete system of sewerage is recommended, and a number of suggestions are made for improving the huts and their equipment, also for providing moans for drying clothes. It is satisfactory to note that as a rule the food was of good quality, properly prepared, and served. On this point, if the men who have gone to the front could be induced to give details it is very probable that a different tale would be told; but our boys have too much grit to complain. In the same category is the matter of the clothing, which the report considers was satisfactory, because there was no evidence to show that it was not. Some of the mothers could probably have enlightened the commissioners on this matter. The question of whether any of the officers or departmental authorities were incompetent or negligent is not answered, (a) because no definite charges were formulated; (b) at was not practicable to collect evidence, though during the sitting's the commissioners had pointed out to some witnesses matters which required answering. The commissioners righly hear testimony to the uncomplaining patience of the sick and of the men generally, and they point out that the whole work was new experience for the staff, who are credited with being devoted to their work. The report is accompanied by a long memorandum by Dr. Martin, wiho deals with the different epidemics that occurred, explaining the mode of infection aaid the general character of each. He states that measles is frequently associated with true influenza, the gravity of the former being increased by the presence of the latter, while pneumonia is also associated with influenza, the sinister partnership meaning a sharp illness. At Trenfcham the evil was augmented by cerehro-spinal-meningitie; but the camp site, he states, had certainly nothing to do with the appearance of that disease. It is considered that a thorough system of wading and drainage should have been instituted from the first; that Berhampore was ill-conditioned for the purpose; and the director of medical services is blamed for not promptly attending to the overcrowding evil the facts and figures quoted amply justifying the strictures. The report indicates that the medical service did not realise the significance of the indications, and therefore did not take steps to cope with the maladies. Had they done so the large bodies of troops sent to the camp in May and June would have been sent elsewhere and the epidemics would not have reached the proportions they did. Some drastic criticisms are made both on the tents and hutments, especially as to meals being served in the sleeping places. The headquarters ataff is blamed for 'winging men into camp before sufficient accommodation had been provided, and the medical service is also blamed for not drawing attention to the overcrowding. The whole business seems to have been run on the most amateurish lines, and as the result of carelessness, callousness, or incompetency many valuable lives were sacrificed and much pain and anxiety was caused. It is for the Government now to take action on the report; to find out who are responsible for the many errors, and to take the utmost care that for the future the health of our volunteer soldiers shall be seuired so far as is humanly possible.