Parliamentary.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 239, 7 August 1902, Page 3

Parliamentary.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE TROOPSHIF BRITANNIC.

Wellington, August 5.

The House met at 2.30 p.m.

Mr Monk gave notice to ask the Aoting-Premier if he would represent to the authorities that grave reflections are imputed to the Imperial Government because of the filthy ">d insanitary condition und-r which the troops in the Britannic have been returned to the colony. Mr G. R. Rastell gave notice to move that a Joint Committee of both Houses be set up to enquire' into the alleged overcrowding, faulty victualling and sanitary arrangements on the Britannic. Mr Monk also gave nottce to ask the Government who were responsible for the filthy, vermin-swarming, condition ot the bedding supplied to the troops on | the Britannic. 1 Sir J. G. Ward referred to the complaints that were being made m connection with the Britannie's voyage, and read reports on the subject from Colonel Daviee and Surgeon-Major Pearleas, v Colonel Daviea said that tha total number of troops on board when the ship sailed from Durban was 1088 (inoluding 83 officers), of whome 63 Australians disembarked at Albany and Melbourne. There was not much sickness until they left Melbourne on the 27th July, wheu measles broke out. The sickness previously had been pneumonia and colds which, in bis experience, everyone who had lived in a dry climate like

Africa got immediately they eama down to the damp latitudes: He personally inspected the hospital very frequently and quest oned the patients aa to their treatment and on no occasion did he receive a complaint. The ship was full but not overcrowded in any sense. She had a greater number of men on board when taking the Imperial soldiers round the colonies and had them on board for about five months, and in muoh warmer climates. Being an old ship she was rather low from deok to deck, and men coming from a life in tents felt the stuffy atmosphere at first, but after two or three days out from Durban they did not I complain. He was satisfied that the food was good and ample ; he wa supplied with the bill of fare for every day and it was greatly in excess of the \dmiralty transport scale. He considered

the galley accomodation small and stated ' «c >o"the c*p'ain of the ship. It was , impo sibJe to alter this. He was sure J -hat very slight inconvenience was ' experienced from this cause. There were about six complaints in regard so - food and at his nquest other food I wa* immediate y nuoatttuted by the j

flip's people. The meat was frozen nnd tnta the same as that supplied t<» the officers. In addition to the usu'l officers of the day, he ordered Lieuteoint-Colonel Chaytor, Captain Poison, ffnd Mijor Haytor (officer* oomm mding regiments aid detachments on boaid) to detail their own captaiosand subalterns of the d*y, and all these officers, together with a medic 1 offi er, the quartermaster, and subsequently Veterniry Captain Young (an export ou frozen meat) inspected every iaaue of food. The whole ship was inspected daily, and at each inspection he asked in every mess if the men had any complaints. There were very few indeed, ard these were immediately dealt with. The discipline was excellent and only on one occasion d ; d h* htva to complain of it. Some o< the men complained of ihe fiah, wliiuh was salt, and at his reqiest f.inn»d meat w*« supplied instead 'or the rest of >h voyage. Ail the Eighth Contingent were fully p .id up before arrival in Wellington, and discharged ; rail «w<l steanier passage were prepaid on board, so as to avoid delay on arrival. Surgeon Major Peat less, i» reporting on the ho-pital and sick »en on bmrd, said that the hospital staff w*s thoroughly efficient and that the men were well attended to. There w re three melijal officers' in addition to himself, four dispensers, a hospi'al sergeant, and three orderlies. There were thirty two beds, and as soon as these became fill tan more cots were nrovi led in an adjoining troop deck. The accommodation in hospital w*s ample till the day before they landed, when sonm of t';e men had to be placed in the hammocks for one night. The food was g 'Od *nd plenty of it, and he hid no difficulty in obtaining anything extra When the men disembarked <he hospital authorities would only admit ten, so he picked out the worst cases and sent the rest to Soames Island, where they were attended by Dr Purdy. Every mm had a glass of brandy before leaving. The average daily number in hospital until arriving at Melbourne was about fifteen. Afttr khat measles Bp ead r pMly, and in two days every bed w*a full. The measles were contracted in South Africa. In conclusion, he said that he waß perfeotlv latisfied wiih the wiy the whole staff worked for the good of the patients. After reading these reports, Sir J. G. Ward said that he had already cabled to she Imperial authorities pointing out the propriety of seeing that greater consideration was shown to the colonial troops in returning them to their horres ; in other yords, that the same consideration was )xtended to the men as had baen shown io them when they were despatched rom the colony. He added that, in jompany with the Hon. W. Hall-Jones, le visited th« Britannic on her arrival in Wellington harbour, and no complaints were made to them.

Mr G. W. Russell thought the reportl of the responsible officers showed there had been a certain amount of exaggera-

tion, but they were not sufficient to completely allay the uneasy feelings that existed throughout the colony. It was neoessary to institute an exhaustive enquiry. Mr Hoinsby said that the circum: stances called for a strict and impartial enquiry. The people would not be satisfied wish the officers' reports, which, to his mind, assumed too much the oharacter of a huge whitewashing brush. . Mr Hutcheson said that the condition of things on bo*rd the Britannic showed the usual tactics of "J Bull, Esq.," when he retu ned his " empties." He pointed out that the Imperial Contingent had suffered the *ame personal dis comforts on that veßsel bb our own m< n, but not with the same disastrous effects on their health, as the Imperial men were trained to that sort ci thing. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones remarked that it was incidental to the transport ot large bodies of troops that thtse things occurred and the grievances had been accentuated by the fact that the vessels that took the oolonials to the Cupe had three times more space at the disposal of the men than would have beon the case had they been Imperial soldierß. He rather welcomed an inquiry, as he felt that it would show th«t there were no grounds for the seriousness of the complaints that had been made by some hon. members.

Most of the speakers in the discussion expressed the opinion that no blame whatever could be attached to the N«w Zealand Government in the matter, and that the responsibility rested entirely with the Imperial authorities. Sir J. G. Ward, in replying, expressed his satisfaction that tha New Zealand Government could not be blamed either directly or indirectly, but he reeof uised that it w»8 their duty to see that their men war* treated properly. The Government were quite willing to have an enquiry held into the matter, and he considered that it was the right thing to do, but it was only fair that some opportunity should be afforded the officers of the ship to have their statements placed on reeord before the vessel left the colony. He thought that two members ot the House should hold an inquiry, and suggested that they ■houldbeSir William Russell and Mr MoNab. That arrangement would afford Investigation independent of the Defence Offioe. The Government would aocept full responsibility for their selection, which he felt sure would meet with the Approval of the public. It had been found impossible under the circumstances to give the Britannic'a men a public welcome as had been reoeived by any of the other returning Contingent* With reference to Colonel Daviee, Sir Joseph Ward «id that he believed he had the confident of the men he had brought back, and he depreeated any attempt to prejudice him or his officers before tbe inquiry was held. The officers' reporte were ordered to lie on the the table and be printed.