TRENTHAM IN THE HOUSE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1915, Page 2

TRENTHAM IN THE HOUSE.

RESTRAINED CRITICS. (By Telegraph.--Special to Daily News). Wellington, September 27. What might have been said to be "Trentliam Night" in the House proved, a disappointing display after all. The shadow of the National Cabinet hung over the whole proceedings, and members for the most part contented themselves witli hinting at what they might have 'said had it not been lor the circumstances, and for their desire to avoid I embarrassing the Government.

After the Minister of Defence had prepared the way for discussion, by formally moving that the report of the Commission should be presented to the Governor, Dr. Thacker led off in his own characteristic way, suggesting that a military man, Colonel ChSffey, for choice, should h&fe been chairman of the Commission. He said that the local evening journal, "a wowaery Tory Conservative production," should be restrained from insulting the intelligence of the people of Wellington by writing "cold feet piffle" about subjects it did not understand. Having relieved his feelings in this way, he talked a lot of good commonsense himself, with less than his usual vigor, and wound up by urging the Government to appoint Dr, Alice Moreland to the Pensfons Board. Dr. Newman proudly confessed 'himself disappointed with the report. It was remarkable chiefly for what it left unsaid. It avoided the main issue and blamed no one for the very grave mistakes that had been made. He was still unsatisfied with the camp. It had been infested from the first by the microbe of delay. Delay, more delay, and still more delay, was its curse." Lots of people seemed to know what ought to be done, but no one did it. He hoped that Surgeon-General Henderson would be able to put things in order, but he warned the Minister that even worse troubles might occur in Samoa unless immediate attention were given to the camp there.

Mr. Payne felt it his duty to apeak plainly about the perils that beset the young men in camp, and about the steps that should be taken for their protection, and on the whole he discharged his duty very creditably.

The Minister might have been pardoned for a little alarm when Mr. Wilford rose with a huge sheaf of notes in his liand. But the member for the Hutt wished only to say that he was going to reserve his criticism for a more opportune occasion. For the time the National Cabinet had imposed a silence upon private members which he had no intention, and no inclination, to break, but he wanted the Government to urn derstand that it had a really good man in Surgeon-General Henderson, and that it would be its duty to do whatever he recommended, regardless of expense. The health and the lives of the men were the first consideration, and if these were preserved the taxpayers would not complain.

' ll a robust and unmistakable way Mr. Poole said "ditto" to Mr. Wilford's sentiments. He did not wish to embarass the Government, but he reserved the right to say later on what was in his mind, if the promises made in regard to Trenttiam were not observed. Mr. T. A, Field said a few obvious tilings in a not very obvious way, and Mr. 'Parr, after chiding Dr. Thacker for some of his hard words, declared that the report was a record of official blundering and incompetency. Dr. Thacker'a services to the country and the Empire were the themes of a vigorous little speech by Mr. Webb and so the discussion ran on till the House had heard all there was to hear about the Trcntham scandal, and had made its mind to find t-lie Minister "not guilty' with a pointed caution not to do it again.